Opening Bid :
Current Bid:
Reserve Amount:

Notice: You are the current high bidder on this lot, but the next highest bid is within one increment. That means that any additional bids on this lot will outbid you. To increase your chances of winning, enter your highest maximum bid.

You are the current high bidder on this lot with a secret maximum bid of %s.

You are the current high bidder on this lot.
(Sign-In to see your maximum bid)

Your secret maximum bid of %s has been outbid.

Your secret maximum bid of %s does not meet the reserve.

You have been outbid on this lot.
(Sign-In to see your maximum bid)

Your secret maximum bid does not meet the reserve.
(Sign-In to see your maximum bid)


Previous Lot | Auction Home | Next Lot      Jump to Lot:
Lot: 2132
Auction: 1114  
1931-D $20 MS66 PCGS. CAC....
  • Track this lot. You are tracking this item ... updating ... (stop tracking)
  • Add to MyWantlist
 
 
 

BP - Buyer's Premium

A "Buyer's Premium" is charged in addition to the successful bid according to the rate defined in our terms and conditions.

Opening Bid

The opening bid is the minimum amount required to begin bidding, and is generally a percentage of the low estimate.

Bid Information

For your convenience, the bid information on this page automatically refreshes with the most up to date data so you don't have to refresh/reload this page.

Minimum Bid

Bid increments determine the lowest amount you may bid on a particular lot. Normally, bids must be at least one bidding increment over the current bid. However, podium, fax, phone and mail bidders submit bids at various times without knowing the current bid and must be on-increment or at a half increment (called a cut bid). Any podium, fax, phone, or mail bids that do not conform to a full or half increment will be rounded up or down to the nearest full or half increment. However, for Internet bids, these increments only apply to the current bid. Internet bids greater than one increment over the current bid can be any whole dollar amount. It is possible under several circumstances for winning bids to be between increments, sometimes only $1 above the previous increment.

Number of Bidders

This number represents the number of individual bidders prior to the close of Internet bidding on each lot. An individual who bids more than once is still counted only once. During the live session, only the winning bidder is included in this number, although detailed records are kept of all forms of bids.

Status

Reserve (If Any) Not Posted Yet:
Although many lots will not get reserves, this signifies that we have not yet posted any reserves to this entire auction. Reserves are usually posted approximately 3 days prior to the closing for Internet-only auctions, and approximately 7 days prior to the live session for Signature auctions.
Consignor Has Not Yet Submitted a Reserve:
Although the consignor's agreement allows a reserve on this lot, the deadline for submitting such a reserve has elapsed. If consignor submits a reserve post-deadline and the item fails to meet that reserve, we may charge the consignor a higher reserve fee.
No Reserve:
This lot is being sold without a reserve. (Note: By law, consignors may still bid under certain conditions, but they are responsible for paying the full Buyer's Premium and Seller's Commission if they do.)
Reserve Not Met:
A reserve has been posted on this lot, but no bids have met the reserve. The current bid has been set to the reserve amount, and the next bid will meet the reserve.
Reserve Met:
Reserves have been posted for this auction, and there is a reserve on this lot that has already been met.

What's This?

Our Auction Results Archives are not only the best resource for market research, but now you have the opportunity to acquire very rare items that may not be auctioned again for some time by making an anonymous offer that will make the owner sell. Items labeled "Buy Now" indicate that the owner has set a price that would make them sell.

Please note that the winner of this Heritage auction lot may or may not still own this item and may or may not be willing to sell. This service is free to the buyer, protects the identity of both parties, and allows offers and counter-offers. You will receive a response within 72 hours.


View Larger Image

Sold for: Sign-in or Join (free & quick)
Ended: Jul 30, 2008
 
Buyer's Premium: 15% of the successful bid (minimum $9.00 per lot)
Description
The Price-Morse 1931-D Double Eagle, MS66


1931-D $20 MS66 PCGS. CAC. Ex: Price. With hindsight and a smidgen of knowledge about American history, one could easily predict that there would be little demand for twenty dollar gold pieces in 1931. That year was two years into the Great Depression, and as it turned out, 1931 was also the nadir of that massive economic downturn. Demand for all denominations was minimal; while cents and dimes were struck in all three mints, nickels were only produced in San Francisco, and twenties were struck only at Philadelphia and Denver. The 1931-D double eagles marked the end of a quarter-century of gold coin production at that Mint; they would be the last gold coins struck there until the Olympic ten dollar commemoratives of 1984.
With 106,500 pieces struck of the 1931-D twenty, one would assume that these coins were produced for export. But it appears that few were actually shipped overseas, as no substantial hoards have been found in Europe. The best guess is that almost the entire mintage was held in Treasury vaults, melted in 1937, and converted into gold ingots. It is generally thought that today only 100 to 150 examples survive of the 1931-D. That low survival rate places it at the top of both absolute and condition rarities in the Saint-Gaudens series. The only hoard of note was a group of 15 to 20 pieces that turned up in the Midwest in 1984. There is also the tantalizing story of four other pieces that is mentioned in Dave Bowers' American Coin Treasures and Hoards:

"In 1960 a Sidney, New York, businessman took from his bank safety deposit box four 'ordinary' $20 pieces and brought them to a coin dealer [Bowers], for he had heard there was a premium above face value for all gold coins.
"The dealer glanced at them, found they were all of the extremely rare 1931-D variety and in blazing gem Mint State, showed him the listing in The Guide Book, and expected that the finder would be delighted. Just the opposite occurred. Uncertainty set in--what were they really worth? Could they be sold for more elsewhere? Maybe they shouldn't be sold after all.
"Back into the safe deposit box the rare 1931-D $20 pieces went. Had they been common dates they would have been sold for the current market value at the time, which would have been between $40 and $50."

What happened to those four coins?

The present piece is tied for the finest known in the combined certified population. The data from the two foremost services states that NGC has just one listing in MS66, while the PCGS Population Report shows three such pieces (6/08). An apparent duplicate in the NGC Census Report apparently has been removed since November 2007. The Garrett-Guth reference states that "The finest known examples are a pair that PCGS graded MS-66, and one of each in the collections of the American Numismatic Society and Smithsonian." This is the Price/Morse coin and this magnificent piece realized $184,000 in November 2005. It had formerly sold for $79,750 when Dr. Thaine Price's collection sold in May 1998.
The 1931-D is one of the best-produced issues in the Saint-Gaudens series, and this exemplary survivor showcases the 1931-D at its best. The lovely surfaces on this coin are bright and the mint luster shows a mixture of light rose and lilac on each side. Fully struck throughout. The only flaw of any significance is shallow and located between the TY of LIBERTY and the arm of Liberty. Any impact on the overall visual appeal is minimal.
From the Stephen Stokely Collection, Part Five.(Registry values: N1) (#9193) View Entire Collection.

Auction Name: 2008 July-August Baltimore, MD (ANA) US Coin Signature Auction #1114
Description: Heritage Numismatic Auctions offers U.S. and World coins, medals, and tokens in our Signature Auctions & Final Session Sales, held in conjunction with some of the largest numismatic conventions. These sales feature award-winning cataloging and photography. Call or e-mail one of our Consignment Directors to learn about selling through Heritage.
Auction Type: Signature: !! Heritage Live: After Internet bidding closes, live bidding will take place through www.HA.com/Live. Your secret maximum bid placed prior to the live event will compete against the live bids. To maximize your chances of winning, enter realistic secret maximum bids on our site. Many of our proxy bidders are successful at winning lots in these auctions, and usually below their secret maximum. You can also place last minute bids directly with us by e-mailing Bid@HA.com or calling 1-866-835-3243. (Important note: Due to software and Internet latency, live bids may not register in time, so enter realistic proxy bids.)

This lot is in:  Signature Floor Session (Live Floor, Live Phone, Mail, Fax, Internet, and Heritage Live) (lots 1-3497)
Internet bidding ends at 10:00PM CT the night before the floor session for this lot. During the live auction event, bidding in person is encouraged, and Heritage Live includes streaming audio and often video during the event.

Item Activity: 7 Internet/mail bidders, 1,242 page views


The Coinage of Augustus Saint-Gaudens: as Illustrated by the Phillip H. Morse Collection
By James L. Halperin, Mark Van Winkle, Jon Amato and Gregory J. Rohan
The Coinage of Augustus Saint-Gaudens is an issue-by-issue examination of these two artistically inspired series of gold coins. Each date and mintmark is reviewed with up-to-date information, much of which has never been previously published. The book is based on the extraordinary collection of Phillip H. Morse. When Morse's collection was sold in November 2005 it brought $19.2 million with many records broken for both rare and common coins.
Order Now! Just $75


Previous Prices from Heritage Auctions
Lot Date Grade Service Realized
Auction 444, Lot 2087 Sunday, August 12, 2007 66 PCGS $210,000.01
Auction 422, Lot 3309 Saturday, January 6, 2007 66 PCGS $230,000.00
Auction 392, Lot 6713 Thursday, November 3, 2005 66 PCGS $184,000.00
View prices realized from this item in other grades (you must be signed in)
PLEASE NOTE: All prices realized reflect the final hammer price PLUS the buyer's premium in auctions that charge a buyer's premium. Each item has a notation at the top of the listing indicating whether that lot included a buyer's premium. Example: A item that sells with a final hammer price of $100 and a 15% buyer's premium will display with a price realized of $115. All information listed is intended to be as accurate as possible, but errors are possible. Please use this guide carefully and inform us of any inaccuracies.

Previous Prices from Heritage Auctions
Sign-in or Join (free & quick)

Price Guide
Sign-in or Join (free & quick)

Population Guide
Sign-in or Join (free & quick)

Find Auction Prices for Comparable Items
Heritage Auction Archives

Prices realized from past auction lots.
Great valuation tool!

Photographs

Sign-in or Join (free & quick) to see the full image

Previous Lot | Auction Home | Next Lot      Jump to Lot:
Go to Top


Add Item to MyWantList™
Description Grading Service Low Grade High Grade  

Please Wait

Loading.......

Heritage delivers Value - $694,500,693 sold at auction and in private treaty sales over the past 12 months.

Our 265,587 Coin bidder-members and 480,027 Heritage bidder-members overall (from 164 countries) enjoy all these free benefits:

  1. Bid on-line
  2. Free Collector newsletter
  3. Want List with instant e-mail notifications
  4. Auction Archives (prices, photos, full descriptions, etc.)
  5. Hall of Fame
  6. Reduced auction
    commissions when
    you resell your
    winnings 

Members Sign In


Free Newsletter and Announcements!

Quality Consignments Wanted

Only 34 days left to consign to the 2010 February Long Beach, CA Singature US Coin Auction!

We expect to have one of our Consignment Directors visiting your area soon. Please call to arrange an appointment.

E-mail Leo Frese or call
1-800-872-6467 x1294

Video Video: Why Consign?

View traffic of HA.com vs. other auctions on Compete.com

In The News

sss