Stack’s Bowers Galleries August 2024 Global Showcase Auction Breaks Multiple World Records

On August 13, 2024, Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ long anticipated Global Showcase Rarities Night session drew record bids from collectors around the world as it realized a total of over $19 million!

Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ long anticipated Global Showcase Rarities Night session drew record bids from collectors around the world, ultimately realizing a total of over $19 million on August 13, 2024. Specialists in United States coins vied for the rarest and finest coins crossing the block as part of the firm’s August auction, presented as an event auctioneer partner for the ANA World’s Fair of Money, the largest numismatic convention of the year.

More than a dozen named collections were featured, including the Cold Spring Harbor Type Set, the Great Pacific Collection, The Tom Hyland Collection, the Knohl Collection, the PentaMint™ Collection, the Senator Platt Family Collection, the Reich Family Collection, the Lucius S. Ruder Collection, the Srotag Collection, and the Walden Collection. The 551-lot session garnered strong activity from beginning to end, and records were shattered as the hammer fell on many of the lots.

“Enthusiasm in the coin hobby remains extremely strong across all collecting specialties as evidenced by the number of price records realized in our Rarities Night event,” said Brian Kendrella, President of Stack’s Bowers Galleries. “Collectors remain eager to add to their holdings and bid aggressively when items of interest crossed the block.”

Leading the way was lot 3319, the Proof 1825/4/1 half eagle from the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, now with Collectible Market Qualified (CMQ) approval, that sold for $1,080,000. A record price for the issue in the Proof-62 grade, this realization was $450,000 more than the same coin brought less than two years ago.

A unique gold rarity, the Gem 1878 Judd-1570 pattern half eagle struck on a thin, wide planchet, brought a record price of $576,000, which exceeded the previous record by $120,000 achieved by this exact coin when it sold as part of the extensive Bob R. Simpson Collection in April 2021.

Exceptional prices realized among non-gold coins included lot 3001, a Gem Libertas Americana medal in silver, one of the finest known, graded MS-64+ by PCGS with CMQ approval which brought a record $336,000. Lot 3033 a superb 1869 three cent silver graded MS-69 by PCGS and approved by CAC and CMQ broke the price record for any example of the denomination when it sold for $180,000. Lot 3137, the single finest PCGS/CAC 1853-O Arrows and Rays half dollar, graded MS-65 realized a world record $72,000.

Other record prices include:

– Lot 3034. 1880 Shield Nickel. MS-64 (PCGS). CMQ. Realized $46,800. A record price for the grade.

– Lot 3085.1827/3/2 Capped Bust Quarter. Restrike. B-2. Rarity-6+. Square Base 2 in 25 C. Proof-64 (PCGS). Realized $114,000. A record price for the grade. 

– Lot 3118. 1795 Flowing Hair Half Dollar. O-119, T-1. Rarity-3. Two Leaves. MS-64 (PCGS).

Realized $240,000. A record price for the grade. 

– Lot 3286. 1854-S Liberty Head Quarter Eagle. AU-50 (NGC). Realized $408,000. A record price for this classic key rarity.

– Lot 3304. 1869 Three-Dollar Gold Piece. JD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-6+. Proof-65 (PCGS). CAC. CMQ. OGH. Realized $96,000. A record price for any non-Cameo example.

– Lot 3395. 1804 Capped Bust Right Eagle. BD-1, Taraszka-31. Rarity-4+. Crosslet 4. MS-62 (NGC).

Realized $168,000. A record price for the grade. 

– Lot 3355. 1861-D Liberty Head Half Eagle. Winter 47-GG, the only known dies. MS-63 (PCGS).