On behalf of the entire Stack’s Bowers Galleries team I welcome you to Baltimore, the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo, and our official auction event. The first catalog featuring U.S. coins and exonumia, and highlighting the George Gund III and The Strong collections. Our Rarities Night Auction, also featuring items from The Strong Collection, will be held on Thursday evening and will be presented in a separate catalog.
Welcoming our clients to Baltimore is a time-tested tradition. I can’t count how many times I’ve done this, but in addition to other events, we have been the exclusive auctioneer for the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo since day one. Several surveys among dealers have shown the city to be the number one favorite.
Highlights of the Sale
Coins from the Estate Collection of George Gund III have been off the market since the 1970s and 1980s — ancient history when you consider that PCGS began certifying coins in 1986 and NGC in 1987. So much has happened since then. The biography of Mr. Gund, world traveler and philanthropist extraordinaire, is given separately. The story of The Strong, an institution in Rochester, New York, will be found in our Rarities Night catalog. Our relationship with The Strong dates back many years, and consignments from this organization have graced a number of our catalogs.
If two words could be picked to describe the contents of this catalog, I would select varied and interesting. There is virtually something for every numismatic taste. As to the interesting part, spend some time with our Early American Coin Session on Friday, offered in cooperation with The Colonial Coin Collectors Club. In the early 1990s in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, Michael Hodder established The Colonial Coin Collectors Club, nicknamed C4, which has grown by leaps and bounds. The Whitman Expo is the venue for the group’s annual convention. On Friday night a panorama of interesting colonial and early American coins will cross the block. Massachusetts silver coins are the very quintessence of American numismatics. You have a nice selection here. A Mint State Rosa Americana twopence, a high-grade Chalmers shilling, an Immunis Columbia copper with Large Eagle reverse, copper coins of the states from 1785 to 1788, a silver 1787 Fugio restrike, and a seldom-seen 1792 copper pattern by Getz are among the pieces that await you.
Our Early American Coin Session also features selections from the Colonial coin collection of William Gleckler, collected over a span of many years with the guidance of many friends. Some of the coins have not seen the outside of a safety deposit box in more than 50 years. Bill was mentored by good friend Donald E.E. Anderson (1930-2011), who was a large cent and Colonial coin specialist. Selections from state coinages, Fugio cents, TAL cents, and a wide variety of colonial type coins, some from well-known collections such as those of Garrett and Norweb, are represented.
Think of key date Indian cents and the 1877 comes to mind, such as the nice Proof we offer here. Lincoln cents, two-cent pieces, and three-cent pieces include coins at various rarity and grade levels. Silver coins from trimes to trade dollars also await your contemplation. Probably 50 percent of the 19th century Mint State coins in the marketplace are Morgan dollars. Begin or add to your collection. Scarce and rare varieties abound, as do more affordable issues.
Gold coins from dollars to double eagles offer many opportunities. With today’s world price of gold, it may be more advantageous to consider building a type set of the six major double eagle varieties than at any other time in recent years.
Among technical specialties you will find a lovely 1900 (scarcer date) Bryan dollar, an 1852 Deriberpie (maker) Gold Rush octagonal gold dollar, and a super-rare variety of an official medal for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, a beautiful Proof HK-154b in silver.
Private and territorial gold coins, patterns, and other series offer further opportunities.
Plan to Participate
If you plan to come to Baltimore, the red carpet will be rolled out for you. Have a question? We’re here to help — from lot viewing through the sale sessions to pick up. If you are staying at home — good news! Use our website and participate in virtual reality — in real time, watching our auctioneer at the podium, seeing the item being offered, and joining the action by clicking the bid! button. With advance preparation, you can also arrange to bid by telephone on important lots.
After our Baltimore sale closes we have a special Internet-only session with its own delights and treasures. Plan to be a part of that as well.
Consign to Our Next Auction
As we prepare to bring our 2014 auction schedule to a close, we invite you to take advantage of the excitement and enthusiasm that awaits, and be a part of our dynamic 2015 auction program! We are currently accepting U.S. coin and currency consignments for the January 2015 New York Americana Sale, March 2015 Official Auction of the ANA National Money Show in Portland, and our March 2015 Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo. For information regarding these upcoming sales and inquiries on how to have your rarities featured in future auctions, please visit StacksBowers.com, or contact a consignment director at 800.458.4646 (West Coast) or 800.566.2580 (East Coast).
Thank you for your interest and participation in our sale.
Sincerely,
Q. David Bowers Founder
