Welcome to Baltimore!
Once again we welcome you to America’s favorite convention city, Baltimore, and the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo. These events are held three times a year and are ranked among the top five conventions held annually in the United States. We have been the official auctioneer since day one.
The July 2015 event will feature hundreds of dealers, welcome thousands of attendees, and offer a venue that is very pleasant. Located in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, the Convention Center is near fine hotels, restaurants and shopping opportunities.
This Expo and our auction will be a magnet for collectors, dealers, and other enthusiasts nationwide. It is the place to be for several days of endless activity.
Get set to have a great time. We hope to see you there!
A Sale of Quality Collections
If you are building a collection of United States coins by design types, the Douglas Kaselitz Collection, contained in a separate catalog, includes many outstanding properties for consideration, highlighted by such items as the finest known 1806/5 half dollar and a choice Mint State 1797 dollar. Many other great type coins will be found therein! If large cents are your specialty, the Twin Leaf Collection (also featured in a separate catalog) offers the finest collection of Middle Dates and Late Dates. In the present volume, treasures from other consignors will help you fill in some of the most challenging spaces. The 1793 Chain AMERICA cent in Fine-15 grade is illustrative of the wide range of grades you will find on the following pages—from circulated to Gems. A bright red MS-65 1848 large cent is quite unusual, as cents of this date are seldom found with such color.
A Mint State 1796 quarter is, of course, one of the most desired and most famous coins of that denomination. The 1807 Draped Bust half dollar is not rare in lower grades, but at the beautiful Gem level offered in this sale, they are few and far between. The 1873 No Arrows half dollar with Open 3 is an elusive variety not widely known until recent times. To illustrate the 1840-1865 Liberty Seated dollar type, a Gem 1865 will fill the bill nicely. If you want a Gem Proof quarter eagle in your type set, take your pick of an 1896 or an 1898. In the “ultra” grade category is a Proof-66 Sand Blast Proof 1911 quarter eagle. The MCMVII High Relief double eagle has been called America’s most beautiful coin. You have your pick of several in this sale!
If you are collecting by date and mint, there are many key issues to contemplate. A gorgeous MS-64 FB 1916-D Mercury dime in an “Old Green Holder” (OGH) was certified years ago. In countless instances, yesteryear’s MS-64 is today’s MS-65, but there are no guarantees for a given coin. Grading was, is, and always will be a matter of opinion—highly subjective and not scientific. Beyond the grading number, such aspects as sharp strike (as with this dime) and great eye appeal (ditto) can be equally or more important. This and other coins cannot only be studied in the present catalog, but can be viewed in needle-sharp detail at StacksBowers.com. A beautiful Mint State 1916 Standing Liberty quarter will attract bids from all directions. Carson City dollars of 1872 are usually seen with significant wear, but the MS-62 we offer in this sale is a marvelous exception. The Proof 1895 dollar is the single most desired date in the Morgan series. Take your pick of two!!
I could discuss dozens or even hundreds of other interesting and desirable coins, but as the catalog is now in your hands I’ll let you take a pleasant tour of the pages to follow. Our sale has something for everyone—or almost! If this is your very first Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction, welcome! Look over each description carefully and bid on coins that will add to your collection or will start a new specialty.
Plan to Participate!
If you plan to come to Baltimore, the red carpet will be rolled out for you. Meet and greet our staff during lot viewing, at the sale itself, or at our bourse table. We will be buying, selling, and accepting consignments. In addition, we will be happy to simply say hello or to do our best to help with anything else.
Have a question about our auction? We’re here to help—from lot viewing through the sale sessions to pick-up. If you are staying at home, we have good news for you. Using our dynamic Internet site, you can participate in virtual reality—in real time watching our auctioneer at the podium, seeing the item being offered, and featuring an enticing green “Bid!” button! By making arrangements with us in advance, you can also bid by telephone on important lots.
After our Baltimore sale closes we have a special Internet section with its own delights and treasures. Plan to be a part of that as well.
Thank you for your interest and participation in our sale. We are looking forward to seeing you in Baltimore or to your bidding on line.
All good wishes,
Q, David Bowers
Founder, Stack’s Bowers Galleries
Thinking of Selling?
For generations, ever since our first auction in New York City in 1935 and continuing to the present day, we and our antecedents have handled more fine collections and more rarities than any other coin auction firm in the world. As you read these words we hold the records for the most valuable collections ever sold and the highest single prices ever achieved for rare coins at auction.
While great collections and rarities make headlines, in reality the vast majority of our worldwide business is done with more modest consignments, from $10,000 upwards into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In recent times we have added our Internet sessions and monthly iAuctions to accommodate in a first-class manner many coins, tokens, medals, and bank notes of lesser value.
Our remaining 2015 auction schedule is spangled with public sales that will make history. Our spectacular auction for the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money auction in Chicago in August is filled with many choice, rare, and interesting coins, tokens, medals, and bank notes. Consignment opportunities beckon for the rest of the year and into 2016, including our Rarities Sale following our D. Brent Pogue Collection Part II Sale to be held in New York City on September 30, our autumn auction with the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo in Baltimore (a prime venue for colonial and early American coins as the Colonial Coin Collectors Club will be holding its annual convention there), and many more.
Our continuing stream of Internet sales is dynamic, reaches countless potential bidders worldwide, and is a great venue. In fact, we have just consigned a world-class collection of tokens to be sold there, including rarities and unique pieces.
For one low, competitive commission rate we will take care of everything: visiting you to make arrangements and pack your items (for larger consignments), receiving your items at our end by insured carrier at our expense (for most consignments), insurance, publicity, cataloging by the world’s most accomplished team of professionals, superb graphics, and more!
All you need to do is cash our generous check!
Right now the market is very strong worldwide. Make our success your success and sell your coins in one of the hottest markets in history. A win-win experience awaits you.
