Justh & Hunter massive gold ingot from the S.S. Central America leads Heritage Auctions' CSNS US Coins Signature® Auction to $2.13 million

Serious collectors know a must-have treasure when they see one, and that was exactly what happened when a massive Justh & Hunter gold ingot crossed the auction block

A massive Justh & Hunter gold ingot from The Marcello and Luciano Collection was among the top lots in Heritage Auctions’ April 30-May 4 CSNS U.S. Coins Signature® Auction.

The last of 60 bids drove the final result for the ingot to $2.13 million to lead the total for the event to $31,691,002.

That total, when added to the $9,406,921 CSNS U.S. Currency Signature® Auction April 29-May 2 and the $6,666,665 CSNS World & Ancient Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction May 1-2, boosted the total for the events to $47,764,588.

The ingot that led the U.S. Coins event, a behemoth measuring 218 mm (nearly 8.6 inches) and weighing in 649.15 troy ounces, or just over 44.5 pounds.

“This is a magnificent result for a magnificent treasure, the second-largest ingot from the S.S. Central America that ever has been brought to auction,” says Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President at Heritage Auctions. “It is one of just 13 in the Colossal Size weight class (more than 500 ounces), and an appropriate leader for this event.”

The ingot was just one of four lots that topped $1 million, the other three coming from The Bruce S. Sherman Collection, Part II, a treasure trove assembled by Sherman, Chairman and principal owner of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins, that has been called “one of the most remarkable achievements in numismatics.”

The top lot from the Sherman collection was an 1835 HM-5, JD-1 Half Eagle, PR67+ Deep Cameo PCGS. CAC that is the finest of just three known examples and climbed to $1.8 million, smashing the previous auction record of $822,500. Few proof Classic Head half eagles are known, and of those, the example from the Sherman collection is believed to be finest, regardless of date. Of the 20 on Heritage’s roster, five are museum pieces, including one in the British Museum and four in the Smithsonian.

Another seven-figure record-setter was a 1792 Copper Disme, Judd-11, MS64 Red and Brown PCGS. CAC from the Sherman collection that drew 43 bids before ending at $1.5 million, surpassing the previous auction record of $1,057,500 set by Heritage in 2015. It is the finest by a wide margin of just three known examples of an outstanding rarity in the U.S. pattern series. The Mint experimented with reeded and plain edges on the copper dismes of this year, and the plain edge pieces are considerably scarcer.

The fourth lot to exceed $1 million was an 1803 Proof Draped Bust Dollar or Novodel, PR66 PCGS that is tied for the finest among just four known survivors and sold for $1.11 million – well above the previous auction record of $851,875 set by Heritage in 2013. Proof silver dollars from 1801-03 are known today as “novodels,” which are among the rarest and most valuable issues in the U.S. federal coinage series.

Another popular coin from the Sherman collection was an 1879 Coiled Hair Stella, Judd-1638, PR62 PGS, a prize in such high demand that it drew 59 bids before closing at $576,000. Before it was acquired by Sherman, it was part of the famed Richmond Collection.

One of just 16 examples traced of an 1876-CC Twenty Cent Piece, MS64 reached $444,000. A landmark rarity in the U.S. silver series, the 1876-CC twenty cent piece often is mentioned in the same class as the famous 1804 dollar, 1913 Liberty Head nickel, and the 1894-S Barber dime and earned the “Duke of Carson City Coins” moniker from Rusty Goe. This example’s history, before ending up with Sherman, included stops in the collections of Louis E. Eliasberg and Eugene Gardner.

Nearly 100 bids poured in for a 1792 Half Disme, Judd-7, MS64 PCGS before it achieved $432,000. The 1792 half disme is among the most important issues in all of American coinage, was the first circulating coinage