New Jersey Copper Leads Coltrane Sale
A 1788 New Jersey copper, graded MS-63 Brown, sold for $192,000 to lead Heritage Auctions’ Estate of Mike Coltrane Collection of U.S. Coins Signature Auction to $2,445,498 on Nov. 2….
A 1788 New Jersey copper, graded MS-63 Brown, sold for $192,000 to lead Heritage Auctions’ Estate of Mike Coltrane Collection of U.S. Coins Signature Auction to $2,445,498 on Nov. 2.
The event’s top lot is the finest known Maris 50-f and the only Mint State Head Left Copper.
“Mike Coltrane was a longtime student of numismatics and a delightful person, a true gentleman of the highest ethics,” said Jim Halperin, co-founder of Heritage Auctions. “His father was a banker, and Mike’s interest in collecting coins and currency dates all the way back to his childhood.”
A 1793 half cent graded MS-64+ Brown, CAC, drew 43 bids before selling for $180,000. Once a part of the Donald G. Patrick Collection, it was one of seven lots in the auction to reach six figures.
Achieving the same $180,000 result was a prime example of the Augustus Humbert United States Assay Office $50s that are icons of American coinage, a beautiful, octagonal 1852 Assay Office $50 graded AU-55+, CAC. They originally were introduced in 1851, and various iterations of the octagonal design were manufactured through 1852.
A 1794 half cent graded MS-64 Red and Brown, CAC, among the finest known examples, reached $168,000. The Breen-Hanson Condition Census, now nearly three decades old, includes 11 examples from this die pair that grade uncirculated – just six of which have a recorded provenance that ends 60 or more years ago.
A 1797 half cent, MS-65* Brown, CAC, arguably the finest surviving example from these dies and immediately identifiable by the misplaced “1” that is too close to the bust, drew a winning bid of $144,000.
One of the most memorable and important Colonials that once was a part of the collection of Eric P. Newman, a 1792 Washington President cent, graded XF-40, CAC, closed at $132,000. Featuring the “T” below Washington’s shoulder, this is a singular piece that holds considerable historical significance. There are two major types of the Washington President cents distinguished by their reverses, featuring either the eagle and 13 stars that appear on this example or the General of the American Armies.
Among the other top lots are:
• A 1861-D gold $1 AU-50, CAC gold sticker: $90,000
• An 1853 Assay Office $20, MS-61, CAC: $78,000
• An 1808 Close 5D half eagle, MS-64+, CAC: $70,800
• A 1795 small eagle $5, AU-55: $66,000
• A 1792 Getz pattern cent, AU-53: $50,400
For complete auction results, visit HA.com/1350.
