David Brent Pogue was born in Dallas, Texas on December 19, 1964. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987 with a degree in economics. Upon graduation, Brent moved to New York where he was employed on Wall Street as an analyst with Goldman Sachs’ real estate department. Three years later, he went to work for Lincoln Property Company in New York continuing his career in real estate. Brent was then transferred to Lincoln’s Chicago office working in the company’s real estate development branch. A few years later, he returned to Dallas and helped form a mortgage acquisition business for Lincoln, a subsidiary named the Praedium Fund. Brent’s work with Praedium as an asset manager responsible for negotiations took him to Los Angeles, California where he’s been ever since. The skills he honed negotiating real estate acquisitions and load payoffs would serve Brent well as his early casual interest in coins became a passion that steered him into collecting full time. Over decades and through connoisseurship, knowledge, and persistence he would build the finest-ever collection of early American federal coinage of the 1792 to late 1830s era.
Brent first became interested in coins at the age of 10 when his father, nationally-known real estate developer Mack Pogue, presented him with a bag filled with wheat-back Lincoln pennies. As he sifted through the pile of predominantly dull coins, a shiny 1915 cent caught Brent’s eye and ended up being worth $65. This would mark his entrance into the field of numismatics, and coins would be a fixture in his life from that point on.
Understanding that knowledge is key, Brent would go far beyond the Guide Book, which had satisfied his initial curiosity as a boy looking up that 1915 cent, to build a fine reference library of auction catalogs and standard works.
In the late 1970s, Brent drew his father into numismatics, and as a team they jumped in with both feet, participating in the most important auctions of the time. In the Louis E. Eliasberg U.S. Gold Coin Collection sale in 1982, together they kept their eyes on the important coins and acquired the only 1822 half eagle in private hands and the only 1854-S half eagle privately owned.
In 2001 Brent went into rare coins full time. While adding to his own collection he attended many conventions and auctions to buy and sell. His first major transaction was the purchase of a type set of copper and silver coins from Stack’s in 2022. In 2003 he completed the acquisition of the Foxfire Collection formed over a long period of years by Claude E. Davis, MD. In 2005 he negotiated for and completed the purchase of the Great Lakes Collection of $3 gold, complete except, of course, for the 1870-S. This was the finest known such collection at the time, replete with many gems.
It is with mixed feelings that Brent prepares to share the most valuable collection of federal American coins in private hands with a new generation of owners, as he comments in his Personal Note in the present catalog.
Many of Brent’s experiences will be expanded upon in a forthcoming book, The D. Brent Pogue Collection of American Coinage: The Definitive Sylloge, for which he is the advisor. It will describe the world of early American coinage from 1792 through the late 1830s, will tell more about Brent’s numismatic career, and will illustrate and describe over 650 coins. More about this will be announced at a later date.
Sincerely,
D. Brent Pogue
The D. Brent Pogue Auction Schedule
| Date | Location | Prices Realized | Auction Archive Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2015 7:00 pm EDT | Sotheby’s 1334 York Ave. New York, NY 10021 | $25,684,136 | |
| September 30, 2015 7:00 pm EDT | Sotheby’s 1334 York Ave. New York, NY 10021 | $27,287,024 | |
| February 9, 2016 7:00 pm EDT | Sotheby’s 1334 York Ave. New York, NY 10021 | $17,135,313 | |
| May 24, 2016 7:00 pm EDT | Sotheby’s 1334 York Ave. New York, NY 10021 | $16,749,038 | |
| March 31, 2017 6:30 pm EDT | Evergreen Museum & Library 4545 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21210 | $21,349,309 | |
| March 19, 2020 6:00 pm EDT | Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, MD 21201 | $9,286,080 | |
| March 20, 2020 6:00 pm EDT | Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, MD 21201 | $15,353,958 |
In Part I of this extensive collection, Stack’s Bowers Galleries sold an impressive Lot of Half Dimes from 1792 to 1837. Furthermore, buyers were excited to find an excellent selection of Dimes, Quarter Dollars, condition census Half Dollars, and key-date rarity Quarter Eagles. D. Brent Pogue, being an astute collector, assembled an offering of 128 lots in this catalog, all displaying the utmost preservation and quality.
Half Disme — Lot 1001
Half Dimes — Lots 1002 to 1033
Dimes — Lots 1034 to 1050
Quarter Dollars — Lots 1051 to 1094
Half Dollars — Lots 1095 to 1115
Quarter Eagles — Lots 1116 to 1128
Sold for $2,350,000
1808 Capped Bust Left Quarter Eagle. Bass Dannreuther-1. Rarity-4. Mint State-65 (PCGS).
Part II of the D. Brent Pogue Collection features a diverse offering of Half Dollars, Silver Dollars, Quarter Eagles, Half Eagles, and Eagles. 4 coins sold in excess of $1,000,000 including the highlight of the sale, a 1794 Silver Dollar selling for nearly $5,000,000. The 105 coins in Part II represented a rare chance to purchase some seldom offered coins from a quality cabinet.
Half Dollars — Lots 2001 to 2040
Silver Dollars — Lots 2041 to 2047
Quarter Eagles — Lots 2048 to 2068
Half Eagles — Lots 2069 to 2090
Eagles — Lots 2091 to 2105
Sold for $4,993,750
1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar. Bowers Borckardt-1, Bolender-1. Rarity-4. Mint State-66+ (PCGS).
Part III of the D. Brent Pogue Collection brings into focus some of the most collectible and rare large cents and half cents to cross the auction block. Leading the way on such rarities is the 1793 Flowing Hair Chain Cent in an astounding MS-65 Brown grade, the likes of which may never be encountered outside of the Pogue example. Part III offered just as much excitement as the previous two auctions.
Half Cents — Lots 3001 to 3011
Large Cents — Lots 3012 to 3016
Dimes — Lots 3017 to 3046
Half Dollars — Lots 3047 to 3088
Three-Dollar Gold Pieces — Lots 3089 to 3131
Half Eagles — Lots 3132 to 3158
Sold for $998,750
1793 Flowing Hair Cent. Sheldon-3. Rarity-3-. Chain, AMERICA. No Periods. Mint State-65 RB (PCGS).
D. Brent Pogue’s numismatic guiness was put on full display in Part IV of his collection. Pogue collected many of his coins prior to mainstream certification and therefore developed an eye for quality and preservation. His understanding of numismatics is highlighted in this catalog of 63 coins. While the lot count was low, the caliber of coins is high. Many of these coins came from world-class collections, and many of these coins found new homes in world-class collections.
Half Dollars — Lots 4001 to 4011
Silver Dollars — Lots 4012 to 4024
Half Eagles — Lots 4025 to 4062
Eagles — Lot 4063
Sold for $1,351,250
1833 Capped Head Left Half Eagle. Bass Dannreuther-1. Rarity-8 as a Proof. Large Date. Proof-67 (PCGS).
With the Part V Auction being held in the Garrett family’s Evergreen House, is there a more fitting way to complete the intial offering of the D. Brent Pogue Collection? The Garrett family is renouned for their presence in numismastics for over a century. D. Brent Pogue has carried on that legacy with the fifth sale being held in the historic house.
Half Dimes — Lots 5001 to 5009
Dimes — Lots 5010 to 5018
Quarter Dollars — Lots 5019 to 5025
Half Dollars — Lots 5026 to 5028
Silver Dollars — Lots 5029 to 5045
Half Cents — Lots 5046 to 5089
Large Cents — Lots 5090 to 5232
Sold for $3,290,000
1804 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. Class I Original. Bowers Borckardt-304. Rarity-7. Proof-65 (PCGS).
The D. Brent Pogue Collection returned to the auction floor as we presented his collection of United States Paper Money. While Pogue’s main focus was Federal Coinage, he also ammased a large collection of 230 notes that included the rarest of the rare and the finest of the fine. This auction offering took place after Mr. Pogue’s passing on July 29, 2019.
Obsolete Notes — Lots 6001 to 6005
Large Size Currency — Lots 6006 to 6155
Small Size Currency — Lots 6156 to 6190
National Bank Notes — Lots 6191 to 6223
Miscellaneous Currency — Lots 6224 to 6230
Sold for $432,000
Friedberg 167a. 1863 $100 Legal Tender Note. PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ.
In what may be the final named Catalog of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, we are offering the remaining items that were not included in his previous world-class catalogs. However, that is not to diminish the importance or quality of the coins. Held within this catalog are 421 lots spanning Numismatic Americana, U.S. Coins, a “Just for Fun” collection of low-ball coins, and important books and documents.
Numismatic Americana — Lots 7001 to 7004
U.S. Coins and Related — Lots 7005 to 7378
Just Having Collection — Lots 7379 to 7415
Documents and Artwork — Lots 7416 to 7421
Sold for $1,920,000
1854-S Liberty Head Half Eagle. AU-58+ (PCGS). CAC.
After the large success of the March 2020 offering of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Stack’s Bowers Galleries sold Pogue’s prized numismatic library. These 116 lots covered mid-1700s literature all the way through modern reference guides. There is sure to be something for each collector in this amazing offering.
Also sold were two Royal Presentation pieces in the 4 Escudos and 8 Escudos denominations.
The D. Brent Pogue Numismatic Library — Lots 2001 to 2116
Miscellaneous World Coins — Lots 21445 to 21446, and 23337
Sold for $28,000
The Numismatists’ Reference & Check Book. 1926. 3rd edition, Guttag Brothers. Black with gilt lettering on cover, “L. ELIASBERG.”
Expert Picks From The D. Brent Pogue Collection
1804 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. Class I Original. BB-304. Proof-68 (PCGS).
1795 Capped Bust Right Eagle. Bass Dannreuther-4. Rarity-5. 13 Leaves. Mint State-66+ (PCGS).
The D. Brent Pogue Collection In The News
PCGS Certifies Eagerly-Anticipated Pogue Collection —
PCGS
January 21, 2015 — Professional Coin Grading Service (www.pcgs.com) has graded the coins from the D. Brent Pogue Collection that will be offered in May in the first of a series of auctions jointly conducted by Stack’s Bowers Galleries and Sotheby’s. The collection…
Pictures of the Day: 13 March 2015 —
The Telegraph
March 13, 2015 — A Sotheby’s employee holds an American 1804 silver dollar, estimated to be worth between 8 and 10 million United States Dollars, at Sotheby’s auction house in London, England. A collection of over 600 coins will be sold at a series of auctions…
Stacks’ Bowers Offers Online Version of Pogue Collection Auction Catalog — CoinWeek
April 3, 2015 — Stack’s Bowers has published the highly-anticipated auction catalog for the first sale from the D. Brent Pogue Family Rare Coin Cabinet. The first volume comes in at 277 pages and is titled: The D. Brent Pogue Collection: Masterpieces of United States Coinage…
First Read: The D. Brent Pogue Collection: Masterpieces of United States Coinage, Part I — CoinWeek
April 13, 2015 — A catalog’s immediate goal is to entice potential buyers to place bids. To that end, catalogs are, in essence, long-form advertisements–a craft in and of itself. Yet if we grant them further consideration, we find that catalogs become much more than…
First D. Brent Pogue Collection Auction Set for Tuesday — Coin World
May 18, 2015 — Rarities from the D. Brent Pogue Collection will head to auction Tuesday in the first of several highly anticipated sessions conducted jointly by Stack’s Bowers and Sotheby’s. The sale begins at 7 p.m. ET at Sotheby’s in New York City, 1334 York Ave…
Pogue, Part 1: Postmortem, Dealer Take-Aways, and the Sale as an “Event” — CoinWeek
May 20, 2015 — A light round of applause met the $2,000,000 hammer price that lot 1128–a rare 1808 quarter eagle–brought at Stack’s Bowers and Sotheby’s joint offering of the D. Brent Pogue Family Collection. The coin, once part of Congressman Jimmy Hayes…
This $2.50 Coin Just Sold for $2.4 Million —
CNN Money
May 20, 2015 — The Quarter Eagles were worth $2.50 when they were minted and were only made in small quantities during the late 1700s and early 1800s. This particular coin was minted in 1808. The coin is so rare that most Americans in that era probably never got…
Collection of Early American Coins Sells for $25 Million — Associated Press
May 20, 2015 — Pogue spent decades amassing a collection of American coins from 1792 to the 1830s. Each steel die used to strike coins in this era was produced by hand, creating variations that are prized by collectors. Stack’s Bowers and Sotheby’s are planning six…
Items from the Pogue Collection Now Viewable Online — Coin World
May 23, 2015 — Every collector can now admire the PCGS-certified coins in the first and the upcoming second auction of magnificent rarities in the fabulous D. Brent Pogue Collection. All the complete sets of the Pogue Collection that were in the May 19, 2015…
Mega-Collection Auction Catalog Offers More Than Just Rare Coins — Coin World
May 27, 2015 — The first auction of the D. Brent Pogue Collection is now history and collectors are beginning to review the results for the 128 silver and gold coins sold May 19. The auction brought more than $25 million — that’s an average of about $195,000 per coin…
1794 Flowing Hair Half Dollar Realizes $760,000: Market Analysis — Coin World
May 29, 2015 — Pogue’s 1794 Flowing Hair half dollar graded PCGS MS-64 is considered the finest half dollar from the first year of the denomination. It is highly unusual in that it has cartwheel luster on both sides, combined with a bold strike and tremendous eye appeal…
1794 Draped Bust, 13 Stars Dime at the Pogue Collection — Coin Week
May 29, 2015 — So many of Pogue’s coins were part of other famous collections in the past, including this 1797 Draped Bust, 13 Obverse Stars, dime graded PCGS MS-64. It opened for a bid of $90,000 and ultimately sold for a bid of $150,000 (or, $176,250 with the buyer’s…
Pogue’s 1820 Capped Bust Quarter Among the Early Proof Coins — Coin Week
June 10, 2015 — The first of seven planned auctions from the D. Brent Pogue Collection was noteworthy for many factors. More than a third of the 128 lots consisted of the Texas collector’s 43 Draped Bust and Capped Bust quarter dollars from 1796 to 1838. The first…
Auction of D. Brent Pogue Coin Collection Could Fetch $20M — The Washington Times
August 24, 2015 — A New York auction of American coins from 1792 to the 1830s could bring as much as $20 million. The 105-coin sale on Sept. 30 is the second of five auctions by Stack’s Bowers and Sotheby’s of federal coinage from the D. Brent Pogue Collection…
This Rare Coin is Expected to Fetch Up to $5 Million at Auction — CNN Money
August 26, 2015 — It’s a 1794 Silver Dollar — one of the few remaining from the country’s very first batch of dollars — and when it goes up for auction in New York City on September 30, it’s expected to sell for between $3 million and $5 million. There are only 150…
The Most Valuable Coins in the World —
Daily Mail
March 13, 2015 — The world’s greatest private collection of coins is expected to sell for $220million (£150million) in a record-breaking series of seven auctions at Sotheby’s and Stack’s Bowers Galleries. Gathered over more than 30 years by Texas property developer…
Most Valuable Private U.S. Coin Collection, Worth $200 Million, Will Go Up For Auction — New York Daily News
March 13, 2015 — The biggest American coin collection in private hands will go up for bid in a series of auctions expected to reap more than $200 million. The dazzling array of gold and silver currency dating to the 1700s will be gaveled off by Stack’s Bowers…
The $200 Million Pogue Coin Collection Comes Up for Auction — Forbes
April 12, 2015 — American commerce was anarchic during George Washington’s first term as President. Merchants used a jumble of coins from Europe because the United States lacked a mint of its own. So in 1792 Washington gave 58 ounces of silver bullion to…
These Rare Coins Up for Auction Are Worth a Pretty Penny — Architectural Digest
April 30, 2015 — On May 19, Sotheby’s in New York will auction the D. Brent Pogue Collection, a set of rare coins expected to sell for $200 million. View the slideshow with all multi-million dollar coins from the D. Brent Pogue Collection…
1808 Capped Draped Bust Quarter Eagle Brings $2.350 Million — Coin World
May 19, 2015 — The final lot, presented nearly two and a half hours into the auction, an 1808 Capped Bust $2.50 gold quarter eagle graded Mint State 65 by Professional Coin Grading Service, opened at a bid of $1 million and then continued in $100,000 increments until…
First Pogue Collection Auction an Appetizer for the Coins to Come — Coin World
May 20, 2015 — How did Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ and Sotheby’s auction stack up? The total prices realized for Pogue I exceeded $25 million with an average price per lot of nearly $200,000. Just a single coin sold for under $5,000: a Professional Coin Grading Service…
Collection of 128 Early American Coins Sells for $25 Million at Auction in New York City — Huffington Post
May 20, 2015 — A trove of 128 American coins from the late 18th and early 19th centuries has sold for a total of $25.3 million at auction in New York.A small gold coin from 1808 called a quarter eagle sold for $2.25 million at Tuesday’s auction. Auctioneers Stack’s…
Pogue Collection Auction Totals More Than $25 Million — Coin World
May 22, 2015 — The first of seven planned auctions of Dallas numismatist D. Brent Pogue’s now legendary collection kicked off in New York City on May 19. The Pogue Collection sale totaled more than $25 million with all of the 128 coins selling. The top seller in the auction…
D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part I, Realizes Over $25M — Coin News
May 27, 2015 — Records fell on Tuesday, May 19, when the first of the seven part D. Brent Pogue Collection went under the hammer. Presented jointly by Stack’s Bowers Galleries and Sotheby’s in New York, more than $25 million was realized in the sale of just 128 coins, all…
1806/4 Capped Bust Quarter Features Gold Toning: Market Analysis — Coin World
May 28, 2015 — It’s always a treat to encounter a gold coin with toning, such as this 1806/4 Capped Bust gold $2.50 quarter eagle graded Mint State 62 by Professional Coin Grading Service. Gold coins of this period were typically 91.67 percent gold and 8.33 percent…
Selling Private Collection of Artifacts Requires Special Care — The New York Times
May 29, 2015 — The first coin that captured D. Brent Pogue’s attention was a 1915 wheat penny. He was 10 years old, and at the time, he thought it was worth $250 million. “The only value of that coin is my sentimental attachment to it,” Mr. Pogue said from his home…
105 Coins to be Offered in Pogue II Auction in September — CoinWorld
June 6, 2015 — Stack’s Bowers Galleries‘ auction offering of the unparalleled D. Brent Pogue Collection of Masterpieces of United States Coinage continues on September 30, 2015 in New York City. The Pogue II sale will continue the offering of the D. Brent Pogue…
Auction of D. Brent Pogue Coin Collection Could Fetch $20 Million — The Dallas Morning News
August 24, 2015 — A New York auction of American coins from 1792 to the 1830s could bring as much as $20 million. The 105-coin sale on Sept. 30 is the second of five auctions by Stack’s Bowers and Sotheby’s of federal coinage from the D. Brent Pogue Collection…
Auction of D. Brent Pogue Coin Collection Could Fetch $20M — Associated Press
August 24, 2015 — Among the stars of the sale is a 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, known as the Lord Saint Oswald specimen, estimated between $3 million and $5 million. The coin was acquired in Philadelphia after its mintage by British author and House of Lords…
Video Highlights of The D. Brent Pogue Collection
Over the course of several years, Stack’s Bowers Galleries sold the D. Brent Pogue at Public Auction. This collection initially consisted of 5 sales and around 600 coins. However, after the passing of Mr. Pogue in 2019, the remainder of his collection was sold. Shown here is a collection of videos produced prior to and during the sale.
View the coverage of the D. Brent Pogue Collection on Bloomberg.
View the coverage of the D. Brent Pogue Collection on CNBC’s Squawk Box.
