Auction Action

$5 1849 Pacific Company Private Issue

The first coin on our list is an enigmatic $5 1849 Pacific Company gold piece. It was struck at a critical time in American history when large quantities of gold were being discovered in California. This resulted in numerous private companies and assayers producing their own coins. The $5 1849 Pacific Company examples were struck during this time. Many of the issues by the Pacific Company were later found to be underweight in gold and eventually met with destruction. Currently, there are two $5 1849 Pacific Company pieces believed to be in public hands, while two others remain unavailable to the public. Recently a PCGS AU58 example sold on February 4, 2025, for $1,260,000 – a deserving price for an important coin in American history.

1957 Washington Quarter, PCGS MS68

The second coin on our list is an amazingly toned 1957 Washington Quarter graded PCGS MS68. With a mintage of over 46 million quarters struck in 1957 by the Philadelphia Mint, this coin may give the impression that it is very common. However, if we think about it from a collector’s perspective, it is quite the opposite – it’s been almost 70 years since they were struck. And to this date, out of the tens of millions of coins struck, only two have managed to earn the MS68 grade from PCGS, with none grading higher. What makes this coin even more special is its beautiful and mesmerizing iridescent colors. This beautifully toned example sold for $11,400.

1857-S Liberty Head Double Eagle, PCGS MS67

The third coin we’d like to highlight is an 1857-S Liberty Head Double Eagle with the Bold S variety, graded PCGS MS67. Given its mintage of 970,500 coins, you may think the 1857-S Double Eagle would be fairly easy to find. However, over the years, many of these coins were shipped overseas, while countless others ended up being lost or melted. In fact, soon after it was struck, this particular coin was lost deep in the ocean. The coin was rescued from the wreckage of the S.S. Central America, which sank in the Atlantic Ocean in 1857. The S.S. Central America shipwreck contained over 7,000 coins that were recovered in 1988. To this day, the S.S. Central America coin hoard is considered to be one of the largest and most valuable shipwreck hoards to ever be recovered from the ocean. The 1857-S Liberty Head Double Eagle with the Bold S variety highlighted here is one of just two coins achieving the PCGS MS67 grade, with none grading higher. A true treasure of a coin, it was a privilege to see this piece come to light when it was sold on January 16, 2025 for $132,000.

1901 $10 Banknote Fr. 122. PCGS Banknote About Uncirculated 50

Many collectors are familiar with the extremely rare 1943 Bronze Lincoln Cent. Perhaps fewer individuals know of the 1944 Steel Lincoln Cents struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints. There are about 35 to 40 total known examples of 1944 Steel Lincoln Cents, making them rare overall. The majority of the 1944 Steel Lincoln Cents were produced at the Philadelphia Mint, and only two were struck at the San Francisco Mint. It is a very rare occurrence to witness a 1944-S Steel Lincoln Cent appear in the marketplace, and especially to see one of the finest-known examples. On January 5, 2025, the only example graded PCGS MS66 hammered for $490,500.

1944-S Lincoln Cent, PCGS MS66

The $10 1901 FR-122 Red Seal Banknote is popular due to its scarcity, nostalgia, and beautiful design. If we look at the front of the banknote, it’s adorned with white and black lettering, with attractive red seal designs. It also features the portraits of explorers Meriwether Lewis (left) and William Clark (right), with a large American bison toward the center of the banknote. The back of the banknote features attractive white and green colors, with the likeness of Columbia towards the center of the design. On January 30, 2025, a PCGS Banknote-graded About Uncirculated 50 example fetched $5,280 at auction.