United States Coin of the Week: Exceptional Gem Mint State 1811 Half Dollar Shines in Our May 2013 New Orleans ANA Sale

Article by Frank Van Valen, Numismatist and Cataloger, U.S. Coins. Based on the catalog description by John Salyer, Numismatist and Cataloger and James Matthews, Senior Numismatist and Consignment Director.

One of the finest known 1811 half dollars recently crossed the auction block in our New Orleans May 2013 ANA Sale, creating quite the bidding war when it came up for bid. Graded MS-66 by PCGS and adorned with a CAC sticker, this attractive Gem realized $49,938 – 99,876 times face value – after the buyer’s premium was added.

Originating in a New England Museum collection and out of the numismatic marketplace for decades, this Overton-110 half dollar is one of the Small 8 varieties of the date. The richly toned Gem exhibits bold gold, orange, green, and blue toning along with nicely struck design features that are soft in just a few small areas. It is also among the finest certified examples of Overton-110 seen to date by NGC, as well as one of the dozen finest of the date available according to our cataloger.

On the whole, our New Orleans ANA Sale was a smashing success. The room was crowded throughout the sale, and the action was fast and furious. The New England Museum Collection brought numerous rarities and other delicacies to the numismatic marketplace, including such classics as an 1895 Proof-only Morgan dollar, the “King” of the Morgan dollar series. We were delighted by the action on Lot 337, the 1811 half dollar. It opened at what many considered a reasonable figure and was quickly bid up to a level where only two interested bidders remained, turning heads as they went, until the hammer price of $42,500 was reached.

It is satisfying for catalogers and everyone at Stack’s Bowers Galleries to see the exciting prices realized for the New Orleans ANA Sale. And, we look forward to even more exciting Stack’s Bowers auctions in the near future, including the upcoming Chicago/Rosemont ANA Summer World’s Fair of Money show that will be held in August of this year. Many world-class coins have already been consigned to this event, and there is still time for you to consign your collection – or parts of it – to the sale. Just make a call to Stack’s Bowers and one of our consignment experts will be happy to assist you!