Goldberg’s History The
“A Family Tradition Since 1931”
Isador Goldberg, circa 1930
1931 Isador Goldberg, Ira & Larry’s Grandfather, forms Superior Stamp & Coin Company in Downtown Los Angeles.
With a combined total of over 100 years in the numismatic business, Ira and Larry are reliable, seasoned professionals. Expertise, enthusiasm, and integrity have been a Goldberg family tradition since 1931. See how we’ve evolved and view some of our family’s highlights, including building world-renowned collections, record-breaking sales, and historic, numismatic discoveries.
1944 Marshall Goldberg enters WW II. Returns from Europe in 1945 with two purple hearts and joins his brother Harold at Superior.
1965 For the Stansbury family of Long Beach, we begin selling over 1 Million BU silver dollars. Included are bags of BU “CC” Mint and scarcer date dollars.
1950-55 Cousins Ira and Larry work for their fathers cleaning floors, emptying ashtrays, soaking stamps off covers, and making stamp packets, while developing a keen interest in coins.
1944 Harold Goldberg enters the Pacific Theatre, returning to Harold Superior at Goldberg War’s end. c. 1940s
1969 After years of notable private purchases and sales, Ira and Larry conduct Superior’s first public coin auction, the Dr. A. F. Pradeau sale.
1971 We purchase the Dr. Charles Ruby collection for $1 Million, and auction it in three memorable sales.
1958 Ira and Larry begin to build a collection of U.S. and World Coins for Edwards Huntington Metcalf. Larry Goldberg c. 1959 1973 We auction Parts I, II & III of the ‘Gilhousen’ collection, belonging to Edwards Huntington Metcalf, the grandson of Railroad Tycoon Henry E. Huntington.
From left to right: Mark, Marshall, Ira, Harold, and Larry Goldberg circa 1960’s
1960 Larry becomes a fulltime employee at Superior. Ira joins him in 1962, and together they head the coin department. 1974 We negotiate the private purchase of the Henry Clifford Collection of U.S. Territorial gold and sell to Don and Art Kagin.
1962 We acquire a fabulous collection of world crowns from Abner Kreisberg & Jerry Cohen for over $1/2 Million, one of the largest coin purchases at the time. The coins are part of the Von Furstenburg Estate.
1975 We are awarded the ANA auction in Los Angeles, which sets many records.
1976 Superior moves its headquarters to Wilshire Blvd in Beverly Hills.
George Bennett, Larry & Ira Goldberg c. 1971
1978 Ira, Larry, and Mark Goldberg become equal partners at Superior. Marshall Goldberg 1945
1991 We sell 51% of Superior to Bruce McNall. Harold and Mark sell out their remaining interest in Superior. Ira Goldberg, 1973
1985 We sell the Collection of Dr. Jerry Buss, setting records with a 1913 Liberty 5 Cent, 1894-S Dime, and an 1804 Dollar.
1985 Marshall Goldberg is bought out of his interest in Superior.
1991-92 We auction the celebrated Abraham Bromberg Collection of Ancient Jewish Coins for world record prices.
1985 The Goldbergs build the Superior building on Olympic Blvd in Beverly Hills.
1992 We auction the Roger S. Cohen Jr. Collection of Half Cents, a landmark sale.
1986 We auction the Hoagy Carmichael and Wayne Miller Collections, setting many records.
1992 We auction the “Connoisseur Collections”, including a 1918 “Inverted Jenny” Block of 4 Stamps for $577,500.
1987 We auction the Buddy Ebsen Collections and begin building a world-class ancient Jewish Coin Collection for a local buyer.
1989 We auction the Jascha Heifetz Collection.
1992 We auction the Ed Trompeter Collection of U.S. Gold, Part I, a nearly complete run of proof U.S. gold.
1990 We auction the Boy’s Town Collection for $21 Million, setting a world record unmatched for 15 years.
1992 We auction The Bruce Lee Collection of his personal memorabilia to a standing-room-only crowd of over 500 bidders.
1990 We auction the world renowned King of Siam Set for $3.1 Million, setting a record price for a single numismatic item.
1991 We auction the Irving Goodman Collections of Russian & Chinese Coinage.
1994 Superior Stamp & Coin Company Inc. is sold to A-Mark Financial, and Ira and Larry become employees of the “new” Superior. Superior Downtown circa 1970
1993-95 Ira serves as President of the Professional Numismatists Guild.
1998 Ira and Larry leave Superior to form Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles.
2002 Harold Goldberg passes away after a short illness.
1999 We auction the 1907 Ultra Hirelief, for a record $1.2 Million, the first U.S. Gold Coin to sell for over $1 Million at auction.
2005 We auction a newly-discovered 1792 Judd-2 copper penny for $437,000, a worldrecord price for a pattern cent.
Celebrating the “Ship of Gold” Purchase
September 2008 July 2008 The Ted Naftzger Our Millennia Collection Part I & Collection Catalogue wins the Ohringer the NLG’s Auction Family Trust, Part II Realized: Catalogue of the Year Award. $24,381,342
2001-2 We auction the renowned Dr. Benson Collection of U.S. Coins, Parts I, II, & III, setting many records.
2002 We announce the discovery of the Mexican 8 Reals of Carlos and Johanna (1535-6). This is the first silver dollar struck in the New World.
2005 We, for the third time, sell the world renowned King of Siam Set, this time for $8.5 Million, setting a new record price for a single numismatic item.
2005 We auction The Naftzger Family’s Hancock Collection of U.S. Stamps, bringing record prices.
Harold Goldberg (1919-2002)
2006 Ira & Larry edit and guide the creation of an innovative book titled “Money of the World - Coins That Made History.”
2000 We are principals in the acquisition of the S.S. Central America,“Ship of Gold.” To date, this is the largest single purchase in numismatic history.
Goldbergs Sell King of Siam Set
2007 “Money of the World - Coins that Made History” wins the NLG Award for Best World Coin Book of 2007.
Mark Goldberg
2007 Michael Shubin, Ancient Coin & Antiquities expert with the Goldbergs for over 25 years, passes away. May 2009 Mark Goldberg passes away after a long illness.
August 2010 The Dan Holmes Part 1 Catalogue wins the NLG’s Auction Catalogue of the Year Award.
2007 Chris McCawley & Bob Grellman, The Copper Experts, leave Superior and are reunited with the Goldbergs.
2007 We auction Buzz Aldrin’s Lunar Module Checklist for $220,000 in our Space Sale.
Michael Shubin
September 2009 The Dan Holmes Collection Part I, Realizes nearly $16 Million, with world-record breaking prices for Large Cents, including a 1795 Reeded Edge Cent realizing $1,265,000, a world record for a penny at auction.
May 26, 2008 The Auction of the Millennia Collection sets many world record prices, including the highest-grossing single-day Ancient & World coin auction in history: $23,024,765
Ira & Larry Goldberg with Dan Holmes, Chris McCawley & Bob Grellman 2009
January 2011 The American Numismatic Society of New York honor Ira and Larry Goldberg with a Lifetime Achievement Award for their years of service Ira and Larry Goldberg and contributions to the Receive Lifetime Achievement Awards from the ANS Numismatic Community.
May 2011 The EAC Presents a Literary Award to the Goldbergs for the Dan Holmes Collection Parts I-IV.
May 26, 2008 We auction a gold Aureus of Severus Alexander for $920,000, the highest price ever paid for a Roman Gold coin.
February 2010 We acquire the only complete 1937 King Edward VIII 13-Piece Proof Set in private hands for $2.2 Million, the most valuable of all British Proof Sets.
June 2011 The Goldberg offices move to larger, custom auction facilities in West Los Angeles.
August 2011 The Dan Holmes Part II-IV Catalogues win the NLG’s Auction Catalogue of the Year Award.