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: 3307
Auction: 422  
1930-S $20 MS66 PCGS. Ex: Price. Apparently, all but a few handfuls of the 74,000-piece mintage of 1930-S double eagles wer...
  • 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)
Make Offer:
You now 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.
Ended: Jan 3, 2007
 
Buyer's Premium: 15% of the successful bid (minimum $9.00 per lot)
Description
Rare and Outstanding 1930-S Double Eagle


1930-S $20 MS66 PCGS. Ex: Price. Apparently, all but a few handfuls of the 74,000-piece mintage of 1930-S double eagles were melted, with the surviving coins probably obtained directly from the Mint in 1930. Walter Breen, in his Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, asserts that: "Possibly 25 survive, almost all Unc. with bag marks; most came from European banks about 1960." David Akers, in his 1998 catalog of the Dr. Thaine Price Collection, estimates 50 to 60 pieces to be extant (see below). This latter estimate is in line with PCGS/NGC population figures, that show slightly more than 50 certified coins that reveal a modal grade of MS64.
Akers sheds light on the 1930-S double eagle rarity level in the Price catalog: "...the 1930-S is one of the greatest rarities in this ever popular series. Since virtually all of the relatively few known specimens are mint state, it is obvious that this issue never saw actual circulation, and it is more than likely that the entire mintage (74,000 pieces, very small by Saint-Gaudens standards) was melted. The specimens that exist today were, in all probability, obtained by collectors or visitors directly from the Mint in the year of issue. In terms of the total number of specimens known, there are undoubtedly fewer 1930-S double eagles than there are examples of any collectible regular issue in this series other than the 1927-D. In other words, all grades considered, there are more examples of the 1920-S, 1921, 1927-S, 1931, 1931-D, and 1932 around than there are examples of the 1930-S. This is in contrast to its relative rarity ranking of 50 years ago when the 1930-S was considered to be only the fourth rarest S Mint issue of the series after the 1924-S, 1926-S and 1927-S. It was also felt to be significantly less rare than the 1926-D, 1921, and the 1931-D. It is difficult to say for sure, but the total number of 1930-S double eagles known is probably in the range of only 50-60 pieces. Some are quite nice with Choice and Very Choice Uncirculated being perhaps the most typically encountered grades, but true Gems...are of extreme rarity with no more than 6-8 such examples known."
The 1930-S we offer in this sale comes out of the above-mentioned Thaine Price Collection. We quote some of Akers' remarks in his cataloging of the Price specimen (lot 119): "This is a fabulous coin, at least equal to any I have ever seen, maybe even the finest, with its only rivals being the gorgeous Gem from Stack's March 1991 sale, lot 1221, and the coin from the Museum of Connecticut History sold by Heritage as lot 6031 in June 1995...The surfaces...have just a very slight natural haze, a hallmark of the coin's originality and the fact that it has never been cleaned, dipped or otherwise tampered with in anyway...When I purchased this coin for Dr. Price in the late 1980's, it had been off the market for more than 40 years. I...showed it to several dealer friends who are experts in this series, and their reaction was uniformly one of amazement at the beauty and phenomenal quality of the coin; all agreed that they had never seen another 1930-S double eagle quite like it."
To Akers' fitting overview of this wonderful Premium Gem, we add the following. Both faces are enlivened with dazzling luster that radiates from richly colored orange-gold surfaces that are interspersed, especially on the reverse, with splashes of mint-green. A well executed strike has resulted in crisp definition on the intricately-designed panes on the Capitol building, on Liberty's face, fingers, and toes, on the olive branch, and on the eagle's plumage. All in all, an outstanding example of this classic rarity. Population: 5 in 66, 0 finer (11/06).
From The Kutasi Collection.(Registry values: N1) (#9191) View Entire Collection.

Auction Name: 2007 January Orlando, FL (FUN) Signature Coin Auction #422
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.)

Signature Floor Sessions
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: 5 Internet/mail bidders, 795 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 1114, Lot 2129 Sunday, August 3, 2008 66 PCGS $253,000.00
Auction 398, Lot 2080 Wednesday, December 14, 2005 66 PCGS $253,000.00
Auction 392, Lot 6709 Thursday, November 3, 2005 66 PCGS $207,000.00
Auction 352, Lot 7818 Saturday, August 21, 2004 66 PCGS $161,001.15
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 - $694,358,030 sold at auction and in private treaty sales over the past 12 months.

Our 265,663 Coin bidder-members and 480,234 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 Mike Sadler or call
1-800-872-6467 x1332

Video Video: Why Consign?

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

In The News

sss