DALLAS, TX.- A rare double eagle that is among the most desirable classic U.S. gold coins will be one of the top attractions in Heritage’s July 16–18 Summer FUN US Coins Signature® Auction. Boasting more than 1,400 lots, the event will feature exceptional coins of all denominations, from Colonials to proof Trade dollars, Morgan dollars, patterns and gold.

An extraordinary 1888 Double Eagle, PR64 Deep Cameo PCGS hails from the 1888 proof mintage of either 102 or 105 pieces. Only 20-25 proofs remain, most of which are firmly held in advanced double eagle collections. The Cameo examples range from PR61 to PR66, with 16 examples listed. Deep cameos, including the one offered in this auction, fall between PR64 and PR66. This is one of just four carrying a PR64 grade.

“This is a remarkable coin that was designed by James B. Longacre, the former Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, and struck during the Gilded Age, when proof gold coins were a mark of distinction for collectors,” says Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President at Heritage Auctions. “The demand is only multiplied by the remaining population that has dwindled over the years because so many were lost, melted or impaired. Collectors building the finest type sets often seek a Deep Cameo proof because they represent the series at its artistic best — a description exemplified beautifully by this coin.”

A 1797 Draped Bust Half Dollar, O-101a, VF20 PCGS is a beautiful example of one of the rarest silver type coins, a treasure that ranks among the most desirable issues for early half dollar collectors. Housed in an early PCGS “rattler” holder, it is an example previously unknown at Heritage, and unlisted in the Amato reference — the Overton-101a, Tompkins-1 variety.





“This is one of the few unlisted Small Eagle half dollars, with no auction appearances we can confirm in the last quarter century,” says Imhof. “Fewer than 4,000 Draped Bust, Small Eagle half dollars were struck in 1796 and 1797 combined, and of those, only about 175 remain, making this an important piece that will assume a prominent place in a new collection once it crosses the auction block.”

Capped Bust dimes rarely are seen in proof format, which is helping to drive intense interest in a 1831 JR-2 Capped Bust Dime, PR67 NGC that will be offered in this auction and ranks at the top of Heritage’s roster of high-grade JR-2 proof dimes. Long ago, renowned numismatist David Akers estimated six to eight 1831 JR-2 proof dimes survive, while more recently, Early United States Dimes mentions at least three JR-2 proofs and an unspecified number of JR-4 proofs. PCGS estimates 15-20 proofs from 1831, but that total is regarded as generous. Heritage’s current roster lists eight 1931 proof dimes for all varieties combined. This type is believed to have been designed by former U.S. Mint assistant engraver John Reich.

Also in play is an 1861-Dated Confederate Cent, PR63 Brown PCGS. CAC. Coin dealer John W. Haseltine’s circa-1874 copper restrike is believed to have been struck from Robert Lovett’s dies, reportedly produced in New York in 1861 — the same year that coins were made for the Union in the same mints at New Orleans, Charlotte and Dahlonega. Actual coinage from the Confederacy was quite limited. For years numismatic texts called the 1861-dated copper-nickel coin an original, but the first example appeared in 1873, after which 11 more were revealed and marketed along with “restrikes” in bronze, silver and gold. This famous restrike is the Breen-8008, Bertram-B861-202 variety.

Collectors will have an opportunity to bid on the finest certified example of a 1932-S Quarter MS66+ PCGS. CAC. The 1932-S is one of the two key issues in the Washington series, more available in the top MS66 grade than its Denver counterpart, although it is still conditionally rare this fine. PCGS and NGC combined report only 20 examples graded in MS66, only three of which are endorsed by CAC. The coin offered in this auction is the only one that is Plus-designated, making it the sole finest 1932-S quarter certified. Most current high-ranking Registry Sets lack a 1932-S in MS66, opting instead for the more accessible MS65 or MS65+ grades.

The Fudd Collection

The auction includes 101 lots from the collection of John Erickson, who was given the “Fudd” nickname by his fraternity brothers at the University of Minnesota. Erickson built several collections, which also included troves of pocket watches and hockey memorabilia and the largest and finest date collection of Liberty double eagles — first by assembling the largest date collection of Liberty double eagles and then trading up in coin quality. Included among the highlights from the collection:

A 1930-S Eagle, MS64+ PCGS CAC is a beautiful example of an extremely rare issue that rarely reaches the auction block. Of the 96,000 examples of the issue that were struck, as many as 95,000 were melted down after 1933. Most branch Mint dates of post-1916 eagles and double eagles remained in Treasury vaults and were melted in the late 1930s, making them very rare today; 1920-S and 1930-S Indian Head eagles are exceedingly elusive. Most 1930-S eagles never left the Mint. Only an estimated 150-200 Mint State examples remain. The vast majority of survivors are in Mint State, and the example offered in this auction is in the upper range of that grade distribution.

An 1884-S Double Eagle, MS65+ PCGS CAC once resided in the collection of D. Brent Pogue and is the finest example at PCGS. Most San Francisco double eagles from the era follow a similar pattern, with examples carrying grades of VF through MS62 appearing with some frequency, while finer-graded examples are far more elusive, in part because gold circulated far more readily in the West than it did in the East. Double eagles were the American trade coin of choice, enjoying much higher mintages than the lower gold denominations due to their convenience — exporting one double eagle is easier than two eagles or four half eagles. This example appears to be one of the few non-exported survivors, or at the very least, one that miraculously survived without the bagmarks that are the hallmark of repatriated examples.

A 1920-S Double Eagle, MS62 is one of an estimated 80-120 survivors from an original mintage of 558,000. The 1920-S kicks off the final run of Saint-Gaudens issues, after a four-year production hiatus. The branch mint issues largely avoided exportation, as these Mints were physically further from the United States financial epicenter of New York than the Philadelphia Mint. These issues were almost entirely stored as reserves, either at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., or at the 12 Federal Reserve banks, so, when the double eagles stored by the government were melted in the late 1930s, it included almost the entire mintage of these branch mint issues. The 1920-S produced one of the smallest surviving populations in absolute numbers, with an estimated 40-60 each in circulated and Mint State grades.

Other highlights from the Fudd Collection include, but are not limited to:

• An elusive 1927-S Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, MS62 PCGS CAC
• The finest PCGS-graded example of an 1872-S Double Eagle, MS64 PCGS
• An 1861-S Double Eagle, AU55 NGC
• A 1920-S Indian Eagle, MS61 NGC
• An 1855 Wass & Molitor Twenty Dollar, Small Head, S.S. Central America #2 AU55 PCGS

Cole Carter Collection

The auction includes 116 lots from this assemblage that includes many key issues and varieties across multiple denominations. Among the highlights are three well-matched proof sets:

• An 1866 Nine-Piece Proof Set PR61 to PR65 PCGS
• An 1872 10-Piece Proof Set, PR62 to PR64 NGC
• An 1873 10-Piece Proof Set PR63 to PR 65 PCGS

Bellaire Collection

Also offered are 86 lots from the Bellaire Collection, which spans the range of denominations from cents to silver dollars, but strays from the blueprint of many top collections in that it contains no gold coins. Silver and copper issues dominate the assemblage, alongside a few Buffalo and Shield nickels. Early dollars, Gobrecht dollars, Seated dollars and Trade dollars provide many Choice examples, including several attractive early dimes and Bust dimes. Highlights include, but are not limited to:

• A 1794 V-4, LM-4 Half Dime, VF30 PCGS that is an earlier die state of this frequently seen 1794 variety

• A 1915-S Panama-Pacific Quarter Eagle, MS65 NGC that boasts an extraordinary medium yellow-gold color

• An 1895 JD-1 Proof Morgan Dollar NCS Proof AU Details FAM-2 JD-1 that is one of only 880 proofs distributed by the Philadelphia Mint; the low proof mintage was either an accounting error on the Mint report, or the coins were melted — none has appeared in numismatic channels

• An 1873-CC Seated Dollar, XF40 Details ANACS Details. XF40 Details that is rare in any grade — the Seated dollar date’s mintage of 2,300 was further diminished by a number of coins melted prior to pending introduction of the Trade dollar