Heritage Readies FUN Auction

There is no doubt that the hobby as a whole watches the goings-on of the official auction of the January Florida United Numismatists (FUN) show. As the first major numismatic event of the year, Heritage Auctions’ offerings and their performance tend to set the tone for the remainder of the year.

The same will be the case for its 2020 sale, set to take place during the 65th annual FUN Convention at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

The selection of coins up for sale promises to generate much interest in the marketplace. Heritage’s Signature Auction of U.S. coins is scheduled for six sessions between Jan. 8-12, with its Platinum Night scheduled for 5 p.m. CST on Thursday, Jan. 9.

1927-D double eagles are, without a doubt, the stars of any auction in which they appear. Platinum Night features just such a coin, graded MS-65+ by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), ex: Dr. Steven Duckor. Far and away the rarest collectible Saint-Gaudens double eagle, this date boasts only seven confirmed examples available to the collecting public, with an additional four examples in museums and two more whose locations are unknown, according to Heritage.

Highlighting Heritage’s official auction of the 65th anniversary Florida United Numismatists Convention is a 1927-D Saint-Gaudens double eagle gold $20 graded MS-65+ by PCGS. It hails from the Rollo Fox Collection. (All images courtesy Heritage Auctions, www.HA.com.)

While the MS-65+ assigned grade is not especially high for the issue, the sheer rarity of the date promises to push the sale price well past the seven-figure mark, according to the firm. This coin comes from the Rollo Fox Collection of $20 Saint-Gaudens Gold – a complete collection of the collectible dates in this ever-popular series, lacking only the uncollectible 1933. The coins from this collection will be offered at the beginning of the Platinum Night session on Jan. 9.

Another highlight of the sale is the 1796 quarter eagle with the No Stars obverse, unique among American gold coins for its uncluttered fields. It is extremely popular as a one-year type coin, according to Heritage. With only 963 examples struck, the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) MS-63 coin “will undoubtedly be under heavy demand from type collectors as it crosses the Platinum Night auction block,” Heritage said in its sale preview. Fewer than a handful of examples exceed this coin’s assigned grade.