DALLAS, TX.- A collection that had been tucked away for decades in a garage in Boston sparked a frenzy of competitive bidding for an assortment of fresh-to-market coins, lifting Heritage's The Boston Collection US Coins Showcase Auction to $987,789 September 11.

The collection included boxes that were postmarked as early as 1942, including correspondence from the U.S. Mint, that remained unopened until this auction.

"The collection was put together in the 1940s, '50s and '60s by the grandfathers of the consignors, who discovered it in a garage," says Sam Foose, Senior Consignment Director at Heritage Auctions. "Much of the material in this collection has never been offered at auction before, and the aggressive bidding underscored the significance of this collection.

Among the highlights in the auction were boxes of Proof sets. A box of 25 unopened mint-sealed Proof sets led all lots when it soared to $60,000. A 1952 box of 50 unopened mint-sealed sets brought $28,800, while another 1951 box of 25 sets drew a winning bid of $27,600. A box of 100 1955 Proof sets sold for $16,200.

"These Proof sets had been stashed away in the garage for decades," Foose said. "Unopened, mint-sealed sets always are in high demand because the coins in the sets often are so well-protected, and the opportunity they represented was shown in the aggressive bidding that drove their results far beyond pre-auction expectations."

A 1909 Half Eagle MS66 NGC brought the top result for an individual coin when it closed at $26,400.

Other top lots included, but were not limited to:

• A 1945 Wells Fargo Original BU Roll of Half Dollars: $12,000

• A box of 25 1954 Proof Sets: $11,400

• A box of 25 1955 Proof Sets: $10,200