A unique 1839 No Drapery Quarter PR65 NGC, the Boyd-Pittman-Kaufman coin, one of only two No Drapery Proof Quarters known will be offered at the Eugene H. Gardner Collection II Signature Auction in the Duke of Windsor Suite at The Waldorf Astoria on Oct. 27, 2014. Like the first offerings from the Gardner Collection this summer, the auction consists of more than 630 lots, all non-gold offerings.
Heritage Auction described the coin as:
"Its mirrorlike fields highlight the motifs on both sides, and despite minor softness in a few localized areas, the design elements exhibit sharp detail. The toning is absolutely superb deep grayish-blue, with subtle gold undertones and whispers of lighter blue iridescence at the margins. There are myriad signs of die polishing throughout the fields, especially on the reverse and around Liberty's head and the date, and heavy horizontal die polishing lines or die file marks are visible below the date. A few minute marks scattered about are totally within the parameters of the grade designation.
"This piece is an extreme rarity with undeniable eye appeal. Indeed, we believe it may well be unique, a coin that most connoisseurs of Seated Liberty proof coinage can only dream of owning. The mere existence of a single proof 1839 quarter is remarkable, but its survival in Gem quality is absolutely amazing."
"'Once in a lifetime'" is an overused phrase in numismatics, but the expression really applies to this opportunity," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions, "and I mean that not just in the context of the 1839 No Drapery Quarter, but on the grander scale as it applies to the entire Gardner Collection. Both this coin and this collection represent opportunities that we may not see again in our lifetimes."
Chief among them are a 1796 50C 15 Stars MS62 NGC, a coin that is rare in all grades and very much in-demand with collectors of Type, Date and Variety and an 1838 H10C No Drapery PR67 PCGS, Proof, ex: Pittman, the finest certified coin of its kind, as designated by both major grading services.
An 1842 25C Small Date PR65 PCGS, ex: Eliasberg, the second-finest of five available of this classic American silver coin, is an impressive example sure to pique the interest of some of the top collectors in the hobby, while an 1823/2 25C MS61 NGC CAC, a classic unsung rarity of American numismatics, and a 1927-S 25C MS65 Full Head PCGS CAC, a remarkable strike rarity and series key, are both already attracting significant interest and creating buzz in the hobby.
Further highlights include an 1853 $1 Restrike PR66 Cameo NGC, ex: Pittman-Kaufman, a splendid rarity tied for the finest of 10 known survivors, an 1845 25C PR66 NGC, the former Adolph Menjou-John Pittman-Phil Kaufman example, clearly the finest example of this coin, and an 1871-CC 10C MS65 NGC, ex: J. Stack, possibly the sole finest graded coin of this key date and a capstone of the Gardner Collection, all of which present rare opportunities to the erudite collector to acquire these important coins.
Source: Heritage Auction
