Auction Highlights

By Jaime Hernandez

The year 2023 started off very strong for the coin market. Many coins brought strong prices with some obliterating previous records. Other coins came out from hiding, as they hadn’t been publicly offered for decades. There are too many special pieces to list, but let’s highlight some of the coins (and a banknote) that recently brought robust prices at auction.

1870-S $3, PCGS SP50

The unique 1870-S $3 graded PCGS SP50, had been off the market since 1982, when Harry W. Bass, Jr. purchased the coin for what was then a record $687,500. Documents trace the coin’s provenance back to at least the early 1900s. This coin has it all – rarity, suspense, and excitement, and it is considered to be one of America’s greatest numismatic treasures. The coin was recently offered by Heritage Auctions, where the coin attracted much deserving attention before realizing an impressive $5,520,000 on January 5, 2023.

1958 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Cent, PCGS MS65RD

GreatCollections recently sold the “Red Copper Collection,” which contained some of the nicest examples in existence of Lincoln Cents and series varieties. Among the impressive lots was the 1958 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent graded PCGS MS65RD, an elusive variety yielding just three known examples. It is a true rarity of U.S. coinage, belonging to one of the most popular and widely collected series no less. This astonishing Lincoln Cent was offered by GreatCollections on January 22, 2023, hammering for an incredible $1,136,250.

1885 Liberty Head Double Eagle, PCGS PR67DCAM

Although it is estimated that about 77 examples of the 1885 Liberty Head Double Eagle were originally struck, there are only about 20 confirmed survivors. What's even more impressive is that the specimen profiled here is graded PCGS PR67DCAM, with none grading higher. Stack’s Bowers Galleries offered this coin in November 2022, when it realized $990,000.

1934 $1,000 Federal Reserve Mule, PCGS Choice Unc. 63 Fr. 2211-Lm

Finally, we’d like to highlight this 1934 Fr. 2211-Lm $1,000 Federal Reserve Note. Although there are still many different $1,000 notes in existence, finding an example of the mule note (one bearing two face designs not intended to be paired) identified as Fr. 2211-Lm in higher grades can be difficult. At PCGS, we have graded only one example in PCGS Choice Unc. 63, with none grading higher. In January 2023, Stack’s Bowers Galleries offered this example, which realized $9,600.