Auction Highlights

The year 2024 was great for the coin market. Many stellar coins were bought and sold by dealers and collectors, while the U.S. Mint also introduced several popular coins that delivered excitement to the coin market. Many rare and unusual coins and banknotes were also sold at auction realizing strong prices. Here are just a few examples that recently garnered significant prices.

1876-CC 20 Cents, PCGS MS65

The first coin on our auction highlights list is none other than a rare 1876-CC 20 Cents. This coin should not exist today, but thankfully, a numismatic hero saved some examples from the melting pot about 150 years ago. The 1876-CC 20 Cents was produced during a pivotal time when the country was in dire need of coinage. However, the 20 Cents were not well received by the public, leading to the demise of the coin in 1878. Consequently, all 1876-CC 20 Cents that were in inventory were ordered to be destroyed. However, 15-20 examples are believed to have survived the melting pot, making the 1870-CC 20 Cents a numismatic treasure. This coin seldom appears in the marketplace, yet on August 14, 2024, a PCGS MS65 example was offered by Heritage Auctions that fetched $690,000.

1909/8 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle

In 1909, the U.S. Mint produced a Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle with a prominent overdate. Today, there are lots of examples available for most collectors to obtain. However, this popular variety is hard to come by in grades of MS65 and higher. At PCGS, we have graded only 17 examples in MS65 and just eight others in higher grades. Examples in MS65 or better tend to make an appearance at auction maybe once or twice a year. So, collectors were lucky to see a nice PCGS MS65 example show up at a Heritage Auctions event in 2024, where it sold for $45,600.

1873. Fr. 1146 $10 National Gold Banknote - Stockton, California, PCGS Choice VF35

The First National Bank of Stockton opened for business on April 1, 1873, issuing these gold banknotes that were redeemable in gold coins, hence the term “gold banknote.” The color of these National Gold Banknotes is a somewhat yellow tint, indicating “Reedamable in Gold Coin.” This differentiated them from other non-gold redeemable notes. National Gold Banknotes are scarce in almost any condition, but especially in VF or better and with few impairments. Today, these iconic banknotes are a rare physical reminder of a time in American history when one could walk into a bank and exchange a paper banknote for physical gold coins. On August 14, 2024, Stack’s Bowers Galleries offered a PCGS VF35 example that sold for $43,200.