HomeAuctionsHeritage Auctions: Two Cents Lead $38 Million Anaheim ANA Results

Heritage Auctions: Two Cents Lead $38 Million Anaheim ANA Results

 

Two early American cents, among the first struck by the U.S. Mint in 1792, sold for a combined US$869,500 – more than 43 million times their face value – to lead the results in Heritage’s August 10 – 14 ANA US Coins Signature Auction in Anaheim, California. Overall results from US coins totaled nearly $27 million, with additional auctions in world coins and currency bringing the total sold overall to over $38 million. All results include a 17.5% Buyer’s Premium.

1792 Silver Center Cent. Image courtesy Heritage AuctionsA winning bid of $352,500 claimed a 1792 Silver Center Cent, so named for a small silver plug added to make its intrinsic value equal to its face value. The concept was suggested by American patriot Thomas Paine and endorsed by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to President George Washington. The copper cent is about the size of today’s modern quarter.

The second cent was a 1792 Birch Cent, supposedly engraved by Robert Birch, but never confirmed. The coin is the finer of the two-known surviving examples of this experimental design and sold for $517,000.

“As the first coins produced inside the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, these two coins played an important role in the development of the United States’ monetary system,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. “Interest in these rarities extended well beyond the historical: Both are in excellent condition for their age and type.”

Some of the many additional highlights from the Anaheim ANA auction included:

Two signature auctions scheduled for Long Beach – the September 7 – 11 Long Beach Expo US Coins Signature Auction and the September 9 – 12 The Twelve Oaks Collection Signature Auction – will open very soon for bidding at www.HA.com/coins!

Heritage Auctions
Heritage Auctionshttps://www.ha.com/
Heritage Auction Galleries is one of the world's largest collectibles auctioneers. Besides offering rare and valuable U.S. and world coins and currency, Heritage offers ancient coins, exonumia, antiques, comic books, sports memorabilia, and many other collectibles. The firm is based in Dallas, Texas.

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