DALLAS, TX.- One of the most historically significant coins in American numismatics delivered a result befitting its extraordinary pedigree when a 1792 Half Disme, Judd-7, Pollock-7, R.4, MS68 PCGS crossed the block in Heritage’s Oct. 8–9 GACC U.S. Coins Signature® Auction. By the time the hammer fell for the final time, this magnificent coin from the Ronald Firman Collection rode 66 bids all the way to a record $2,928,000 to lead the event to $10,665,743.

That total, paired with Heritage’s Oct. 6-9 GACC U.S. Currency Signature® Auction that achieved $8,727,555, raised the combined total for the events to $19,393,298.

The result smashed the previous auction record for any half disme, which was $1.41 million set at Heritage in 2013.

“When the finest certified example of a coin with this much historical significance comes to auction, collectors take notice,” says Todd Imhof, Heritage Auctions’ Executive Vice President. “As the only example graded MS68 by PCGS, and a coin from the first federal U.S. issue struck for circulation under the 1792 Mint Act, it earned a result worthy of its place in the top tier of American numismatics.”

The magnificent silver rarity, from the Ronald Firman Collection, is believed to be the finest surviving example of the first federal U.S. coin struck for circulation under the authority of the Mint Act of April 2, 1792.

The $2.93 million half disme is a remarkable survivor from the earliest days of the United States Mint. Although traditionally classified among the experimental issues and patterns of 1792, the half disme holds a more important place in American history as the first circulating coinage produced under the authority of the newly established federal Mint. President George Washington himself acknowledged the issue in his November 1792 address to Congress, referring to the nation’s “small beginning” in coinage. The example offered at Heritage is the only 1792 half disme graded MS68 by PCGS, surpassing even the famous Starr-Rodriguez specimen, certified Specimen-67. Its brilliant mint luster, extraordinary preservation and rich natural patina, displaying silver-gray, rose, amber, gold and vivid blue toning, distinguish it from other survivors of this landmark issue.

The 1898 Liberty Double Eagle, JD-1, R.5, PR65 Deep Cameo PCGS that finished at $238,577 is an exceptional example of an issue with proof mintage of just 75 pieces. Numismatic researcher John Dannreuther estimates that only 35 to 50 survive in all grades, including two in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution and another in the American Numismatic Society collection, making the number available to private collectors even smaller. The example offered in this auction features deeply mirrored fields that contrast dramatically with richly frosted design elements, producing the coveted Deep Cameo appearance. Its lemon-yellow surfaces exhibit the orange-peel texture associated with the finest 19th-century proofs. Heritage previously offered this same coin as part of the Steinbrenner Collection in 2019, and opportunities to acquire an example of this quality remain exceptionally limited.

One of the auction’s most remarkable results came from an unexpected discovery: a previously unknown 1867-S Liberty Half Eagle, MS63 PCGS that sold for $97,600, more than quadrupling the previous auction record of $22,800, achieved twice, most recently at Heritage in 2021. The coin is the newly recognized finest-known example of the date, exceeding the next-highest-graded specimen by two full grade points. It is one of just two examples reported in Mint State, with fewer than 100 believed to survive in all grades. The story behind its discovery is nearly as compelling as the coin itself. During an estate evaluation in Buda, Texas, a green milk crate tucked into a bedroom closet was found holding an old cigar box and two shoe boxes. Inside the cigar box was the remarkable 1867-S half eagle, along with other coins from the period. According to the estate’s heirs, the coins came from family members in Columbus, Ohio, and are believed to have originated with their great-grandfather, a Union soldier who served during the Civil War. Passed down through generations, the collection remained largely undisturbed until its discovery. The emergence of this previously unknown Mint State rarity has fundamentally changed the recognized Condition Census for the issue, making its $97,600 result one of the auction's most noteworthy achievements.

Also reaching $97,600 was a 1907 Saint-Gaudens High Relief Double Eagle, Flat Rim, MS66 PCGS, an exceptional example of one of the most celebrated designs in American coinage. The coin traces its origins to President Theodore Roosevelt’s determination to improve the artistic quality of United States coins, a campaign that led to his collaboration with renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The original High Relief double eagles proved exceptionally difficult to manufacture, requiring three blows from a medal press and annealing between strikes, with production taking approximately 12 minutes per coin. The Mint eventually modified its production process to produce the Flat Rim variety, which displays improved detail near the rim. The example offered at Heritage is a Premium Gem with fully struck design elements, impeccable satin luster and attractive antique-gold surfaces, making it an impressive representative of a design included among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins.

Another important gold rarity was an 1861-O Liberty Double Eagle, AU53 PCGS CAC from the Christensen Family Collection that realized $91,500. Few American coins are as closely associated with the Civil War as the 1861-O double eagle, whose production spanned three different governing authorities. Of the 17,741 pieces struck, the generally accepted breakdown attributes 5,000 to the federal government, 9,750 to the state of Louisiana and 2,991 to the Confederate States of America. Because the entire mintage was produced using a single pair of dies, determining which authority struck any individual example remains an enduring numismatic mystery.

A second example of the nation’s earliest federal silver coinage also found a new home when a 1792 Half Disme, Judd-7, Pollock-7, R.4, VG10 PCGS sold for $85,400. Unlike the remarkable MS68 specimen that led the auction, this example bears the evidence of circulation that characterizes most surviving half dismes. Somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 were struck originally, with production beginning in the cellar of Philadelphia sawmaker John Harper before the first U.S. Mint building was ready for operations.

The Christensen Family Collection also produced an 1851 Augustus Humbert Fifty Dollar Gold Piece, AU58 NGC that achieved $76,250. One of the most recognizable forms of California Gold Rush coinage, the massive octagonal $50 piece was produced after Augustus Humbert arrived in San Francisco in January 1851 as the newly appointed United States Assayer of Gold. The Kagin-6 variety features a reeded edge, .887 fineness and the distinctive engine-turned reverse design created by engraver Albrecht Kuner. Numismatic researcher Donald Kagin estimates that approximately 75 examples of the variety survive, including about 10 in Mint State.

Another $76,250 result came from an 1886 Liberty Double Eagle, AU53 NGC, a significant rarity among 19th-century American gold coins. Only 1,000 business-strike double eagles were produced at the Philadelphia Mint that year, with no additional examples struck at San Francisco, Carson City or New Orleans. PCGS CoinFacts estimates that just 40 to 60 business-strike examples survive in all grades, making the issue one of the most elusive dates in the Liberty double eagle series.

U.S. Currency

The GACC U.S. Currency Signature® Auction included a magnificent example of the highest denomination of U.S. currency ever placed into public circulation, which claimed top-lot honors when it sold for $244,000.

The Fr. 2231-B $10,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note PMG Choice Uncirculated 63 that topped the auction is an exceptional survivor from the famed Binion Hoard, a group of 100 Series 1934 $10,000 Federal Reserve Notes. Bearing serial number B00003065A, the note features white paper, ideal inks and significant embossing visible on its reverse, including both serial numbers. Despite minor repairs, it has retained an impressive state of preservation for a note of its age and denomination.

The result was the highest among an extraordinary selection of nearly 2,300 lots that included rare National Bank Notes, historic fractional currency, gold certificates, error notes and significant named collections.

“High denominations always garner attention from the most serious collectors, and the $10,000 that led this auction is an extraordinary example that drew a result fitting of a note of this caliber,” says Raiden Honaker, Heritage’s Director of U.S. Currency. “The $10,000 and $5,000 Federal Reserve Notes are extraordinary pieces of American monetary history, but what makes this auction particularly exciting is the strength of the material across so many different collecting specialties. From an exceptionally rare fractional currency pair to a surviving piece of the D.B. Cooper ransom, collectors had opportunities to acquire notes with compelling histories and remarkable rarity.”

Another high-denomination treasure, a Fr. 2221-H $5,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note PMG Very Fine 30, drew a winning bid of $146,400. The St. Louis note, bearing serial number H00000397A, made its first recorded public auction appearance and is a new addition to the census, bringing the reported population for the Friedberg number to just nine examples. According to Track & Price, just 136 $5,000 Federal Reserve Notes have been recorded across both the 1928 and 1934 Series.

One of the auction’s most intriguing results came from a banknote connected to one of the most enduring mysteries in American criminal history. A D.B. Cooper 1971 ransom money $20 Federal Reserve Note — a surviving fragment of the money paid to the unidentified hijacker — realized $134,200. Bearing serial number L32796069A, its history traces to the November 24, 1971, hijacking of a Northwest Orient Airlines flight and the subsequent disappearance of the man known as D.B. Cooper. Nearly nine years later, in February 1980, eight-year-old Brian Ingram discovered three deteriorated bundles of ransom money along the Columbia River in Washington State. The FBI confirmed that the recovered $5,800 was part of the original $200,000 ransom. Measuring approximately 4.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches tall, the offered fragment retains an unusually substantial portion of the original note, including both serial numbers, Andrew Jackson’s portrait, the Treasury and Federal Reserve District seals and other identifying features. It was accompanied by an early PCGS identifying tag confirming that its serial numbers matched the FBI’s list, along with a copy of Richard T. Tosaw’s 1984 book D.B. Cooper Dead or Alive? The True Story of the Legendary Skyjacker.

Another fascinating piece of American history, a Gonzales, Texas, Dewitt's Colony $20 note dated October 15, 1825, sold for $79,300. The handwritten note, graded PMG Very Fine 30 Net, dates to the period when the Mexican government encouraged settlement in what is now Texas through its empresario system. Green Dewitt received a six-year contract in April 1825 to settle 400 families in a region bounded by the Guadalupe, San Marcos and Lavaca rivers. The offered note, bearing serial number 2, is the only example of its type presently known to Heritage.

National Bank Notes also produced notable results, including a Portland, Oregon, $50 1902 Red Seal from The First National Bank that reached $51,240. Only four Oregon banks issued $50 Red Seals, with a combined emission of just 3,900 notes. Of those, only three examples are reported today. One is held by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, while another, from the Merchants National Bank of Portland, has never been publicly offered. The example in Heritage’s auction, graded PMG Very Fine 25, made its first auction appearance and offered collectors an exceedingly rare opportunity to acquire this denomination and type from the Pacific Northwest.

Another exceptional National Bank Note, a Pensacola, Florida, $5 1875 First Charter note from The First National Bank, realized $48,800. Graded PMG Choice Extremely Fine 45, it is the finest of just four First Charter notes reported for the entire state of Florida, all originating from the same Pensacola institution. Its crisp appearance, strong margins, excellent color and dark signatures distinguish it among the few surviving examples.

The auction also delivered a significant result for one of its featured named collections. The William S. George Collection, an expansive 479-lot offering of fractional currency, specimens, experimentals and courtesy autographs, included a Fr. 1373a 50¢ Third Issue Justice Uncut Pair PMG Choice About Unc 58 EPQ that brought $48,800. The extraordinary pair is one of only two known uncut pairs of the Friedberg number, with just five additional single notes reported. Its history extends to the celebrated Monroe J. Friedman Collection, auctioned by S.H. and H. Chapman in Philadelphia in 1903. Originally part of an uncut block of eight, the pair subsequently passed through the collections of F.C.C. Boyd and John J. Ford, Jr. Graded PMG Choice About Uncirculated 58 EPQ, it stands as the highest-graded Fr. 1373a single note or pair certified by PMG.

Another exceptional California rarity, a Serial Number 1 San Diego $20 1882 Brown Back from The Consolidated National Bank, realized $46,360. The PMG Extremely Fine 40 note is the only reported example from the San Diego bank, which operated from 1883 until 1893, and one of just three reported Serial Number 1 $20 Brown Backs from California. Its distinguished ownership history includes noted collector Albert Grinnell, whose collection was dispersed in 1945. The note also retains bold pen signatures and vibrant ink colors, qualities that complement its remarkable scarcity.

Among other noteworthy results, a Fr. 284 $10 1878 Silver Certificate PMG Fine 12 reached $43,920. Only four serial numbers of this Friedberg variety are recorded in Track & Price, and the offered example boasts an extensive pedigree that includes the collections of Albert A. Grinnell, F.C.C. Boyd and Amon G. Carter, Jr. It is distinguished by the penned countersignature of J.C. Hopper for the Assistant Treasurer of the United States.

Also bringing $43,920 was a Fr. 2407 $500 1928 Gold Certificate PCGS Banknote Choice Uncirculated 63. The beautifully preserved note features white paper, bold inks, nearly perfect centering and traces of Treasury Seal embossing. High-denomination small-size Gold Certificates remain a challenging pursuit for collectors, and the offered example’s comment-free grade added to its appeal.