The Riverboat Collection, the finest collection of Territorial gold ever offered by Heritage Auctions, exceeded expectations in the company’s Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) US Coin Signature® Auction, April 23–27 in Chicago, with the 63 coins in the collection bringing more than $10.4 million to lead the $30+ million Platinum Night offerings on Thursday, April 24, 2014.
The U.S. Coin auction at CSNS realized more than $46.7 million overall, the all-time highest-grossing U.S. Coin auction (other than Heritage’s record-setting FUN sales). Adding the results from Heritage’s U.S. Currency offerings, at $4.1+ million, and the company’s World Currency offerings, at $2.7+ million, Heritage posted an astounding $53.6+ million week of coin and currency auctions at Central States.
The Riverboat Collection, which headlined the Platinum Night offerings, saw advanced collectors of Territorial gold coinage passionately chasing the once-in-a-lifetime offers, including the chance to acquire a newly discovered variety, the unique 1855 Wass, Molitor & Co. twenty dollar gold piece, AU53 NGC, Large Head Obverse, variety unlisted in Kagin, which realized $558,125.
“There were 62 Territorial gold pieces from the Riverboat Collection that crossed the auction block,” said Jim Halperin, Co-Founder of Heritage, “and just over half of those, 32 pieces, set new all-time auction records according to records published at the PCGS Coin Facts website. The cumulative total of those 32 coins was nearly double their previous records.”
Also from The Riverboat Collection, an 1855 Kellogg & Co. fifty dollar, PR64 Cameo PCGS, a direct link to the American frontier and “the most beautiful of all Pioneer gold,” brought $763,750. An 1849 Mormon ten dollar, AU58 NGC, the earliest and rarest Mormon gold coinage known, with fewer than a dozen pieces extant, snared national headlines and international media interest when it realized $705,000. A sophisticated collector seized the opportunity to own an example of one of the rarest and most mysterious issues in the Territorial gold series, the 1849 $5 Pacific Company five dollar AU58 PCGS, for $763,750, matching the top price in the auction.
The top non-Riverboat Collection coins were rare early double eagles from The Charles G. Wright Family Collection. A stunning 1854-O $20 AU55 PCGS Secure, the Condition Census Example, and an 1865 $20 PR66 Ultra Cameo NGC, the finest of seven known coins, both realized $440,625.
The CSNS auction presented the #1 NGC Morgan Dollar Registry Set, the magnificent ML Moser Collection, in its own session on April 24, just before Platinum Night. This collection featured a true treasure in the 1893-S Morgan dollar, MS65 NGC, which realized $329,000, as well as a select uncirculated example of an 1892-S Morgan, MS63 NGC, a true rarity at auction, which finished the auction at $70,500.
About Heritage Auctions
Heritage Auctions is the largest auction house founded in the United States and the world’s third largest, with annual sales of more than $900 million, and 850,000+ online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and receive access to a complete record of prices realized, with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.
