A 1907 High Relief Flat Rim double eagle coin, MS66 NGC realized $64,625 as the top lot in Heritage Auctions' $10+ million Nov. 6-10 U.S. Coins Signature® Auction. The Ultra High Relief twenties were an intermediate (and impractical) design that bridged the striding Victory from the Sherman Memorial and the slightly more practical High Relief twenties.
"This is a coin that is on the wantlist of many collectors," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions, "simply because it's often considered the most beautiful coin produced by the US Mint. Two varieties of this coin exist: the Wire Rim, with a 'fin' around the rim, and the Flat Rim, a not entirely successful attempt to remove the extra metal and make the coins stackable. The Flat Rim is scarcer and more desirable, which lent to the final price realized."
A particularly high-end proof gold coin offered in Beverly Hills was a 1900 quarter eagle, PR68 Deep Cameo by PCGS, which sold for $64,625. PCGS has only certified one example finer, at Proof-68+ Deep Cameo.
"Gold proofs do not enjoy the wide-ranging demand of coins like the 1895 dollar or High Relief double eagle," said Rohan, "but their beauty and exceptional rarity ensure that they will bring high prices whenever they are offered."
A PCGS-graded PR64 Cameo Mint 1895 Morgan Dollar, a coin much in-demand from legions of Morgan dollar collectors looking to complete their date/mintmark sets, was the subject of spirited bidding and a final price realized of $58,750. Philadelphia Mint records state that 12,000 such dollars were struck for circulation, but none of these are accounted for. Numismatists differ as to whether the coins were melted or simply never struck with the 1895 date. The Proof 1895 dollar, therefore, is immensely sought after and examples sell for prices commensurate with their exceptional demand.
Source: Heritage Auction
