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ANA Signature US Coin Sale 1258 2-6 Aug 2017
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Proof Liberty Eagles
1846 $10 PR55 NGC. The mintage of 1846 proof Liberty eagles was not recorded, but it was undoubtedly quite small. David Akers wrote in his Pittman catalog in 1998:
"It is my belief that only 4 or 5 of the 20-25 proof sets minted in 1846 were issued with the three gold coins. Four specimens each of the Quarter Eagle and Eagle can be accounted for today ... (further down, about the proof eagles) Of course, there is the possibility that another example exists, if another proof set was issued, but the following four specimens are the only ones I can locate."
Akers proceeded to list a roster including the coins in numbers 1-4 in our listing below, but his speculation about a possible fifth specimen proved prophetic. Until the present coin was recently discovered and certified, numismatists continued to believe that only four 1846 proof eagles survived, but that small total will have to be expanded now. Undoubtedly, this coin has been cataloged over the years as a prooflike business strike, but NGC noticed the position of the date on this piece differs from that on the business-strike examples we have seen, corresponding to Breen's diagnostic "small date" for proofs. It also has no die file marks in the recesses of the shield. This coin has definitely been in circulation, probably spent for face value by its owner in the 19th century. Some slight wear is evident on the design elements, and the light greenish-gold surfaces show some minor abrasions, but the mirrored reflectivity is still evident in sheltered areas on both sides, and the devices are sharply rendered, aside from a touch of softness on star 12. Although slightly impaired, this very rare proof gold issue is an important find, as only two other examples are available to collectors, and they are tightly held. We expect intense competition when this lot is called. Census: 1 in 55, 0 finer (6/17).
Roster of 1846 Proof Eagles
1. PR64 Deep Cameo, per Garrett and Guth. Mint Cabinet, National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.
2. PR64 Cameo NGC. Possibly Public Auction Sale (Ed Frossard, 11/1892), part of a complete original cased proof set; unknown intermediaries; Numismatic Gallery; the set was purchased by John Jay Pittman on 7/20/1949 for $750; Pittman Collection, Part II (David Akers, 5/1998), lot 1712 j, realized $522,500 for the set; the eagle was offered individually in the Fun Signature (Heritage, 1/2011), lot 5337, realized $161,000.
3. PR63 PCGS. Elmer Sears; purchased by John H. Clapp in December 1921; Clapp Estate, purchased by Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. in 1942, via Stack's; United States Gold Coin Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/1982), lot 675, realized $46,200; Don Kagin; Auction '90 (David Akers, 8/1990), lot 1922, realized $101,750; Worrell Collection (Superior, 9/1993), lot 1670; Seymour Finkelstein Collection (Stack's, 10/1995), lot 1636; offered by Albanese Rare Coins on page 96 of the March 2005 issue of The Numismatist.
4. Proof. R.C.H. Brock; J.P. Morgan; American Numismatic Society, exhibited at the 1914 ANS Exhibition.
5. PR55 NGC. The present coin.
HID02901242017
1846 $10 PR55 NGC. The mintage of 1846 proof Liberty eagles was not recorded, but it was undoubtedly quite small. David Akers wrote in his Pittman catalog in 1998:
"It is my belief that only 4 or 5 of the 20-25 proof sets minted in 1846 were issued with the three gold coins. Four specimens each of the Quarter Eagle and Eagle can be accounted for today ... (further down, about the proof eagles) Of course, there is the possibility that another example exists, if another proof set was issued, but the following four specimens are the only ones I can locate."
Akers proceeded to list a roster including the coins in numbers 1-4 in our listing below, but his speculation about a possible fifth specimen proved prophetic. Until the present coin was recently discovered and certified, numismatists continued to believe that only four 1846 proof eagles survived, but that small total will have to be expanded now. Undoubtedly, this coin has been cataloged over the years as a prooflike business strike, but NGC noticed the position of the date on this piece differs from that on the business-strike examples we have seen, corresponding to Breen's diagnostic "small date" for proofs. It also has no die file marks in the recesses of the shield. This coin has definitely been in circulation, probably spent for face value by its owner in the 19th century. Some slight wear is evident on the design elements, and the light greenish-gold surfaces show some minor abrasions, but the mirrored reflectivity is still evident in sheltered areas on both sides, and the devices are sharply rendered, aside from a touch of softness on star 12. Although slightly impaired, this very rare proof gold issue is an important find, as only two other examples are available to collectors, and they are tightly held. We expect intense competition when this lot is called. Census: 1 in 55, 0 finer (6/17).
Roster of 1846 Proof Eagles
1. PR64 Deep Cameo, per Garrett and Guth. Mint Cabinet, National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.
2. PR64 Cameo NGC. Possibly Public Auction Sale (Ed Frossard, 11/1892), part of a complete original cased proof set; unknown intermediaries; Numismatic Gallery; the set was purchased by John Jay Pittman on 7/20/1949 for $750; Pittman Collection, Part II (David Akers, 5/1998), lot 1712 j, realized $522,500 for the set; the eagle was offered individually in the Fun Signature (Heritage, 1/2011), lot 5337, realized $161,000.
3. PR63 PCGS. Elmer Sears; purchased by John H. Clapp in December 1921; Clapp Estate, purchased by Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. in 1942, via Stack's; United States Gold Coin Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/1982), lot 675, realized $46,200; Don Kagin; Auction '90 (David Akers, 8/1990), lot 1922, realized $101,750; Worrell Collection (Superior, 9/1993), lot 1670; Seymour Finkelstein Collection (Stack's, 10/1995), lot 1636; offered by Albanese Rare Coins on page 96 of the March 2005 issue of The Numismatist.
4. Proof. R.C.H. Brock; J.P. Morgan; American Numismatic Society, exhibited at the 1914 ANS Exhibition.
5. PR55 NGC. The present coin.
HID02901242017