1865-S (“Brother Jonathan”) Liberty Double Eagle NGC MS63

Listed at $16,800 in the CDN CPG and $20,000 in the NGC price guide.

Overloaded with heavy equipment plus more than 240 passengers and crew, the S.S. Brother Jonathan sank on July 30, 1865 off the coast of California near Crescent City, when it hit an uncharted rock in a fierce gale and heavy seas. A single lifeboat saved 11 crew members, plus five women and three children in California’s greatest maritime disaster. Also lost was a treasure of freshly minted gold coin intended as payments to government troops and Indian tribes.
Reportedly only 20% of the gold treasure was recovered in 1996 salvage operations, including 1,207 gold coins — primarily double eagles. More than 500 of those pieces were dated 1865-S, in conditions ranging from AU to MS66.

Offered at $16,400

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Exceptionally Rare 1879 Pattern Dollar J-1605, Pollock 1801 NGC PR65 Cameo

The Judd reference calls this William Barber obverse similar to the famous “Washlady” design, but to our eyes there are also similarities to the Coiled Hair Stella obverse. Liberty’s hair is tightly coiled about her head in a bun, with two flowing ribbons in back and a beaded headband inscribed LIBERTY. IN GOD WE TRUST and 13 stars appear around the rim, date below. The reverse shows a rather scrawny eagle inside a laurel wreath with evenly matched berry pairs. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is around the rim — the letters irregularly spaced — and ONE DOLLAR is below. The motto is in small letters above the eagle. Struck in silver with a reeded edge.
We wrote of this design in the Lemus-Queller catalog, “In a classic case of closing the barn door after the horse has got out, the Mint in 1879 produced a plethora of silver dollar pattern designs aimed at supplanting the Morgan dollar design of the inexperienced assistant engraver, George T. Morgan — a design that, of course, was struck by the many millions beginning the prior year, in 1878. While the Morgan dollar design saw much criticism in its time, it is well-loved today. If this was meant as an improvement, it is not. … If this is truly a William Barber design as Judd maintains (others differ), it is worth noting that he would have been 71 or 72 when he executed this die. (William Barber died unexpectedly on Aug. 31, 1879, after catching a chill on vacation while being in the surf off of Atlantic City, New Jersey.)”This is the only NGC PR65 Cameo example to appear on their census report with none graded higher. Listed at $52,500 in the PCGS price guide.

Offered at $42,500

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Tied for Highest Graded – 1903 Liberty Quarter Eagle NGC MS68

The 1903 ranks among the plentiful 20th century Liberty quarter eagles that are popular with type collectors. Examples are readily available in grades through MS66 and are only moderately scarce in MS67. However, the present MS68 coin is a major condition rarity, being among the finest examples extant. The NGC population is just 8 with none graded higher.

Listed at $20,900 in the CDN CPG and $19,000 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $14,200

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Gorgeous 1907 Liberty Quarter Eagle NGC PR67 Cameo

The Philadelphia Mint produced 154 proof Liberty quarter eagles in 1907, the final year of the Liberty design. The coins were delivered in quarterly batches of 60, 29, 23, and 42 pieces. A single pair of dies was used to strike the proofs, with a paper clip shaped artifact on the bust tip and four nearly horizontal die lines in the second clear space in the shield, making it easy to differentiate between proofs and prooflike business strikes. John Dannreuther estimates the surviving population at 100-120 examples in all grades. The NGC population is 9 with 9 graded higher.

Listed at $26,400 in the CDN CPG and $30,000 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $23,450

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Very Rare 1870-S Gold Dollar NGC MS65

This date-mintmark combination is famous because of the unique three dollar gold piece. Although far from unique, specialists in this series recognize the 1870-S gold dollar as a challenging issue. Dave Bowers points out in  A Guide Book of Gold Dollars  that despite a reported mintage of 3,000 pieces, “it is likely that 2,000 lacked the S mintmark.” Indeed, the first sets of dies sent to the San Francisco Mint for 1870 production inadvertently lacked the mintmark. On May 14, the superintendent of the S-mint sent a telegram to Philadelphia explaining that 2,000 coins had been struck from those dies and asking whether or not they could be issued. It is not known for certain if those pieces were distributed. Assuming they were, that would leave a net mintage of only 1,000 1870-S gold dollars with the identifying mintmark. It may also explain why Augustus G. Heaton called this issue “excessively rare” in his 1893 treatise.

Tied with two others for the highest graded by NGC.

Listed at $38,000 intheNGC price guide.

Offered at $26,700 (ACH, Bank Wire, add 3.5% for Major CC & PayPal)

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