DALLAS, TX.- An extraordinary 1888 Double Eagle, PR64 Deep Cameo PCGS sold for $170,800 to lead Heritage’s July 16-18 Summer FUN U.S. Coins Signature® Auction to $12,400,954.

The proof double eagle topped an expansive offering of more than 1,400 lots spanning the breadth of American numismatics, establishing a new auction record for an 1888 in the PR64 Deep Cameo grade. An 1861-S Paquet Double Eagle, AU55 NGC from The Fudd Collection finished at $128,100 to claim the event’s second-highest result.

The 1888 double eagle came from a proof mintage of either 102 or 105 pieces, of which an estimated 20 to 25 survive in all grades. Struck during the Gilded Age, the coin features glassy orange-gold mirrored fields surrounding richly frosted devices. Its smooth, watery fields distinguish it from some other 1888 proofs that exhibit an “orange-peel” texture caused by differences in planchet annealing. Deep Cameo survivors are especially elusive, and the offered example is one of just four carrying the PR64 Deep Cameo grade.

“This is exactly the kind of coin advanced collectors hope to find: rare, visually commanding and exceptionally well-preserved,” says Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. “The 1888 proof double eagle represents the Liberty Head series at its artistic best, and its result reflects the enduring demand for elite proof gold.

“The results throughout the auction clearly spotlight the continued strength of the market for important gold rarities, and Heritage’s position at the forefront.”

The 1861-S Paquet Double Eagle, AU55 NGC that realized $128,100 is one of the few collectible remnants of a fascinating experiment in U.S. coinage history. Anthony C. Paquet redesigned the double eagle reverse for the beginning of the 1861 production year, but the Philadelphia Mint quickly discontinued the design after determining that its rim was too narrow. News of the cancellation traveled slowly to San Francisco, where 19,250 Paquet-design double eagles already had been struck by the time the Mint received the order to stop production. An estimated 200 survive today. Most known examples are weakly struck and heavily marked, but the coin from The Fudd Collection avoided both problems. It displays only minimal bagmarks, retains nearly complete reverse feather detail and ranks among the finer surviving representatives of this important issue, which is included among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins.





Another major result from The Fudd Collection was a 1930-S Indian Eagle, MS64+ PCGS CAC that reached $112,850, also an auction record for a 1930-S in the MS64+ grade. Although the San Francisco Mint produced 96,000 examples, as many as 95,000 reportedly were melted after 1933. Most post-1916 branch mint eagles and double eagles remained in Treasury vaults and were destroyed during the late 1930s, leaving the 1920-S and 1930-S Indian Head eagles among the most elusive issues in the series. Only an estimated 150 to 200 Mint State examples of the 1930-S eagle remain, along with a handful of circulated survivors. The coin offered by Heritage occupied the upper range of the surviving grade distribution, with attractive yellow-gold surfaces, an excellent strike and only scattered abrasions.

A 1920-S Indian Eagle, MS61 NGC, also from The Fudd Collection, sold for $97,600 to break another record for the grade. The issue marked the resumption of San Francisco Mint eagle production following the World War I-era hiatus and was the only S-mint ten dollar gold coin struck for a decade, until the final 1930-S issue. Despite a mintage of 126,500 pieces, the 1920-S is among the most elusive Indian Head eagles. Most of the mintage appears to have been melted, leaving the issue behind only the 1933 and 1907 Rolled Rim among the series’ greatest rarities. The example in the Summer FUN auction offered ample luster across its orange-gold surfaces and a sharper obverse strike than is seen on many surviving pieces.

An exceptional 1795 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle, Small Eagle, BD-2, MS62 NGC rounded out the auction’s five highest results when it realized $94,550. The BD-2 is one of the rarest of the 12 known die marriages for 1795 Small Eagle half eagles, with an estimated surviving population of just 20 to 25 pieces. The coin is tied for the second-finest known example of the rare BD-2 variety and previously appeared in Heritage’s 2006 offering of the Antigo Collection before entering The Costa Family Collection.

Other significant results included an 1855 Wass, Molitor & Co. Twenty Dollar, Small Head, AU55 PCGS from the S.S. Central America that sold for $91,500. Struck during a period when the San Francisco Mint struggled to meet the region’s demand for coinage, the privately issued gold piece reflects both the economic demands of Gold Rush-era California and the risks of maritime commerce before completion of the transcontinental railroad.

A 1920-S Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, MS62 PCGS from The Fudd Collection also brought $91,500. The issue begins the final period of Saint-Gaudens double eagle production after a four-year hiatus. Unlike many Philadelphia Mint double eagles that were exported and later repatriated, most branch mint examples remained in government reserves and were melted in the late 1930s. Only an estimated 80 to 120 examples of the 1920-S survive across circulated and Mint State grades.

Also realizing $91,500 was a 1907 High Relief Double Eagle, Flat Rim, MS66 NGC. President Theodore Roosevelt’s drive to improve the nation’s coinage led to his collaboration with sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, whose medallic double eagle design required multiple blows from a medal press and repeated annealing of each planchet. The Premium Gem example offered in the auction displayed fully struck design elements, impeccable satin luster and extraordinary eye appeal.

A newly documented 1797 Draped Bust Half Dollar, O-101a, VF20 PCGS set another auction record for the grade when it sold for $91,500. Combined mintages for the 1796 and 1797 Draped Bust, Small Eagle half dollars totaled just 3,918 pieces, and nearly every surviving example has been traced. This coin was unlisted in the comprehensive Amato roster and could not be linked to an auction appearance during the previous quarter century. Its smooth wear, intact rims and strong remaining definition made it an important addition to the known population.

Two 1870-CC Liberty eagles from the inaugural year of the Carson City Mint each achieved $91,500. One, graded XF45 NGC and pedigreed to the Manhattan Collection, ranked well above the typical surviving example. The other, graded XF40 PCGS, represented one of the finer coins from a mintage of just 5,908 pieces. Estimates suggest only about 60 to 75 examples of the 1870-CC eagle survive in all grades, and no Mint State example has been certified by a major grading service.

An 1888 Liberty Eagle, PR64 Cameo PCGS realized $85,400. The proof mintage is recorded as either 72 or 75 pieces, with an estimated 18 to 22 survivors. Its sparkling orange-gold surfaces, deeply mirrored fields and frosted devices helped distinguish it as one of only a few Choice Cameo examples Heritage has offered in roughly 25 years.

A 1796 Capped Bust Right Eagle, Small Eagle, AU53 PCGS also closed at $85,400. Struck from a single die pair with a reported mintage of 4,146 pieces, the issue is considerably scarcer than its 1795 predecessor. The coin displayed partially prooflike fields, greenish-gold color and a strong strike, making it an important opportunity for advanced gold type collectors and early eagle specialists.