Great Collections
Await!
When great collections are sold, the vast majority of
them come our way—and have ever since Stack’s held its first sale in 1935. We
seem to be a magnet, attracting sophisticated numismatists when they decide to
sell their holdings. As such, no firm in the world has handled as many “name”
collection, rarities, and other coins, tokens, medals, and currency as we have.
The past is prologue, as they say, and we look forward to a star-studded 2019
auction season. As you read these words, several important collections are on
deck and are now being prepared for auction by our staff.
To the sale at hand. Welcome again to another great
series of Stack’s Bowers Galleries sales at the Whitman Coin & Collectibles
Expo. We have been the exclusive auctioneer for many years—presenting events
that have made history, as will this great Baltimore sale. In addition to this
catalog, separate catalogs for the Expo will feature the Twin Leaf Collection
of State Coinage, Part IV of the Joel R. Anderson Collection of large-size
federal paper money, Part II of the Caine Collection of exceedingly rare
federal currency proofs, and a separate catalog presenting paper money of many
types.
The Rarities Night section of this catalog contains
many treasures. The Harvey Childs Collection, an estate holding dating from
1970, includes items that have been off the market for nearly a half century!
The Greenway Collection features colonial and early American coins and silver
dollars, including a magnificent 1776 Continental dollar, Newman 3-D, in Mint
State. Of all early American coins, this issue has been in the limelight
recently with various theories as to their mintage and distribution, the latest
by John Kleeberg in the most recent issue of the Journal of Early American
Numismatics published by the American Numismatic Society. From the same
collection is one of the finest Theatre at New York tokens with its great
historical background and one of the most famous varieties in the 1836 to 1839
Gobrecht dollar series, the 1836 with C. GOBRECHT F. below the base and above the
date.
The Ward T. Miller, Jr. Collection of Gem Peace
Dollars certified by PCGS may well be the finest of this popular series ever to
appear on the market. As you probably know, a number of the San Francisco
issues of the 1920s are very rare in MS-65, never mind the MS-66 grade of the
Miller coins! The 1934-S, the Holy Grail of the series, is unexcelled by any we
have ever seen. From my own collection are a number of rare and important
tokens plus gold treasure from the S.S. Central America. In my opinion
the two most spectacular single events in American numismatic history are the
1962-1964 Treasury release of silver dollar, including erstwhile great
rarities, and the recovery of the gold treasure from the S.S. Central
America.
Wait, there’s more!
Also in Rarities Night are many other landmarks. An
ultra-Gem 1917 Lincoln cent with Doubled Die obverse will be compelling to
specialists, as will be a near-Gem 1918/7-D Buffalo nickel, one of the finest
known 1800 AMERICAI silver dollars, and an ultra-Gem 1895 Proof dollar. Among
gold coins will be found one of the finest 1879 Flowing Hair $4 gold Stellas
we’ve ever offered, rare half eagles of 1795 to 1797, a landmark 1875 Gem Proof
eagle (check the mintage!), a rare 1907 eagle with periods on the reverse, an
1861-S Paquet double eagle, and California Gold Rush treasures including an
1851 Augustus Humbert $50, an 1855 Wass, Molitor coin of the same denomination,
and for good measure a Kellogg & Humbert gold ingot. Wow!
There Is Even More!
In the other sessions described in this catalog you
will find many notable items. The Ralph A. Edson Collection offers 19th century
tokens, including many seldom seen varieties. Gold eagles and double eagles
covering many years of the 19th and early 20th centuries from the Fairmont
Collection will enable specialists to check off quite a few items on their want
lists. The William J. Naddeo Collection features United States coins by design
types as well as modern commemoratives and bullion issues in ultra-grades. From
the Paradise Collection come middle date and late date large cents by Newcomb
numbers, nearly all in Choice or Gem Mint State. The Rosie Collection offers
federal coins by design types as well as early commemoratives.
The Internet portion of this catalog also presents
many opportunities, including Civil War tokens, shell cards, and other items
from my personal collection. Federal coins from other sources include many
popular 19th and 20th century issues.
I had better stop, or I will be creating a large
addition to the catalog. Suffice it to say that if you look through the pages
you are bound to find something to add to your collection or to start a new
specialty. The latter is an ideal way to catalyze your enthusiasm. In my own
career I have enjoyed delving into and exploring many series. I have written
books about subjects as diverse as counterstamped coins, treasures and hoards,
modern dollars from the Eisenhower issues to date, and Civil War tokens. The
art and science of numismatics offer enough possibilities to fill several
lifetimes!
Plan to Come to
Baltimore
The Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo is always
dynamic—one of the best-attended in America. Draw a 500-mile circle around the
city and you get the vast majority of numismatists in America. Driving is easy,
and the Baltimore-Washington International Airport is modern and efficient and
less than a half-hour ride to town.
The Whitman show and our auction will be at our usual
venue, the Baltimore Convention Center in the heart of the Inner Harbor district
with its many fine hotels, museums, and tourist attractions. The convention
hosts hundreds of dealers and always buzzes with activity. I guarantee you will
have a good time! We will roll the red carpet out for you.
If you do not plan to attend, the Internet will give
you an “I am there!” presence. Watch the action and press the “Bid!” button
when special items come up for sale.
Now, with my comments concluded, you can take it from
here by viewing the various descriptions. I’ll see you in Baltimore if you plan
to attend. Either way, enjoy the sale!
Thinking of Selling?
As you read these words, I and other team members are
currently planning great events for our 2019 calendar year. This
rarities-spangled year of public auctions is in the offing, including sales in
conjunction with the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expos (summer and winter),
and the ANA World’s Fair of Money (August). These auctions will feature
countless popular and affordable coins, tokens, medals, and paper money as
well. Our Internet sales are an important venue and have been very popular. In
recent years I have consigned a lot of my tokens, medals, and counterstamps to
the Internet sales.
Are you thinking of selling? Then think of Stack’s
Bowers Galleries. If you carefully consider the matter, there is no other
logical choice. Our unequalled record of success dates back to our first sale
in 1935, and continues now, over 80 years later. We have handled thousands of
collections from modest in size to the greatest ever built. The dynamism
continues: we currently hold the records for the most expensive coins ever sold
at auction worldwide and the most valuable collections ever auctioned.
Whether you have some choice and interesting
duplicates, sets, or series to sell or whether you have a great collection
laden with rarities, I and our team of experts would like to hear from you.
Please call 1-800-458-4646 to speak with one of our numismatists today.
My best wishes to you,
Q. David Bowers
Co-founder, Stack’s Bowers Galleries
