Expo featured Windermere Collection of Rare Date Liberty Double Eagles
IRVINE, Calif. – (June 23, 2010) – Bowers and Merena Auctions, one of the world’s preeminent auctioneers for rare coins and currency, realized more than $8 million as the Official Auctioneer of the June 2010 Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo. The eight-session sale, occurring June 17-19, included more than 6,000 lots of U.S. coins and currency, ancient and foreign coins, and foreign paper money. Prices realized for U.S. coins and currencies amounted to $6,438,778. Ponterio & Associates, a division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, added an additional $1,608,082 in prices realized with ancient and foreign coins and paper money.
“Our highly successful June 2010 Baltimore Auction saw spirited bidding for many different areas of U.S. numismatics,” said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena Auctions. “Specialists in classic gold coinage were particularly enthused about our offering of the Windermere Collection of rare date Liberty Double Eagles. The highlight of that collection is clearly lot 3847, the 1861-S A.C. Paquet Reverse in NGC AU-50 that traded hands for $69,000. “
An important and rare one-year type, the 1861-S Paquet features an experimental reverse that proved unsuitable for regular issue production and widespread circulation. The San Francisco Mint struck only 19,250 examples of this issue before returning to the traditional Liberty Double Eagle reverse design by Chief Engraver James Barton Longacre.
“We also presented an old-time collection from Florida comprised of completely original and highly attractive type coins. The captivating collection sold many individual lots far in excess of our pre-sale estimates,” said Deeds. “For instance, two beautifully toned proof Barber Dimes: lot 1872, an 1898 in PCGS Proof-66 Cameo, realized $4,025, and lot 1878, a 1902 in PCGS Proof-64 Cameo, traded hands for $2,358. Lot 1872 essentially doubled our expectations for what an 1898 Barber Dime in PCGS Proof-66 Cameo would realize at auction.”
Additional highlights in the Bowers and Merena Auctions June 2010 Baltimore Auction include:
- Lot 178, 1881 Hawaii Pattern Five Cents, Medcalf-Russsell 2CN-1, MS-64 (PCGS), Secure Holder, realized $28,750
- Lot 1658, 1937-D Buffalo Nickel, FS-901 (FS-020.2), 3-Legged, MS-65 (PCGS), CAC, realized $37,375
- Lot 2030, 1864 Seated Liberty Quarter, MS-67 (PCGS), realized $26,450
- Lot 3411, 1872 Pattern Commercial Dollar, Judd-1217, Proof-64 RB (PCGS), realized $25,875 (one of only three specimens known to exist)
- Lot 3432, 1852 Augustus Humbert $50 Gold, Reeded Edge, K-11, 887 THOUS, AU-55 (PCGS), realized $52,900
- Lot 3443, 1849 Mormon $2.50 Gold, K-1, VF-35 (PCGS), CAC—Gold Label, OGH—First Generation, realized $53,763
- Lot 3605, 1795 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle, Small Eagle, BD-8, MS-61 (NGC), realized $71,428 – From the Fab Five Collection of Early Half Eagles
- Lot 3606, 1797 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle, Small Eagle, BD-3, AU-58 (NGC), realized $138,000 – From the Fab Five Collection of Early Half Eagles
- Lot 3617, 1808 Capped Bust Left Half Eagle, BD-3, Normal 5D, MS-63 (NGC), realized $21,288
- Lot 3824, 1850-O Liberty Double Eagle, Open 5, AU-58 (PCGS), CAC, realized $32,200 – From the Windermere Collection
- Lot 3833, 1855-O Liberty Double Eagle, AU-55 (NGC), realized $50,025 – From the Windermere Collection.
For a complete list of prices realized for Bowers and Merena June 2010 Baltimore Auction, visit the firm’s Web site at www.bowersandmerena.com or call toll-free at 800-458-4646. Bowers and Merena’s next auction is the Boston Rarities Sale in August.
About Bowers and Merena Auctions
Bowers and Merena Auctions was founded in 1983 and has grown to become one of the world's preeminent numismatic auctioneers with more than half a billion dollars in rare coin and currency sales. They continue their service as Official Auctioneer of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expos three times every year. Bowers and Merena has handled four of the five most valuable United States coin collections ever sold, including the Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. Collection, the Harry W. Bass Jr. Collection, the Garrett Collection for The Johns Hopkins University and the Norweb Collection. In 2008, Bowers and Merena Auctions acquired Ponterio & Associates, Inc., which now serves as Bowers and Merena’s auction division for world and ancient coins and currency. Bowers and Merena Rare Coin Galleries offers direct buying and selling of exceptional quality gold and silver rare coins.
For more information about Bowers and Merena and Ponterio & Associates, or to consign to an upcoming auction, call 800-458-4646. For media inquiries, ask for President Steve Deeds for U.S. coins or Director of Currency Auctions Matthew Quinn for U.S. currency. Complete prices realized for all past auctions are available at www.bowersandmerena.com.