1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR66 Deep Cameo PCGS....

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1879 Flowing Hair Stella, PR66 Deep Cameo
Judd-1635, JD-1
Stunning High-End Example

1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR66 Deep Cameo PCGS. Ex: Superior Galleries. One of the most fabled and yet eminently collectible gold rarities in the U.S. series is the stella, an odd-ball four dollar denomination struck as a pattern to promote its adoption as an international trade coin to Congress. Despite its technical pattern status, the gold examples are widely collected as part of the regular federal series. Four major gold variants are known, comprising Flowing Hair and Coiled Hair coins for both 1879 and 1880. Three of these variants are major rarities rarely seen and even more rarely acquired by successful bidders. However, the 1879 Flowing Hair in gold is plentiful enough to be collectible overall. It does become conditionally rare in high grade, though. In fact, merely a handful of Deep Cameo specimens are known in PR66 or better grades. Heritage is proud to offer one of the most attractive surviving specimens in this landmark offering. It is a coin not seen at auction for more than two decades.

Fantasy Turned Numismatic Delight
The concept of a four dollar gold piece with metric weight inscriptions was the brainchild of Dr. William W. Hubbell, who proposed to resolve perceived challenges with the international trade system as it pertained to exchangeable gold coinage. The United States monetary system did not have a denomination that could trade on par with the French 20 francs or its equivalent European counterparts, which had a value roughly equal to $3.88 at the time. In concept, Hubbell's four dollar gold piece would have filled a perceived need, but in practice it was highly impractical.

Hubbell eventually managed to gain the support of the chairman of the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measurements, Alexander H. Stephens, which fueled a prolonged exploration of the stella proposal in Congress, involving as well the Mint itself. Numerous pattern pieces were designed, dies engraved, and struck -- at considerable expense -- to produce pattern coins for the pitch to Congress.

It is believed that 425 Flowing Hair stellas with the 1879 date were struck for distribution to members of Congress. In an article in the Spring 2015 issue of the Journal of Numismatic Research, Roger Burdette suggests: "The demand by the Committee for more than 400 sets was likely less a response to some widespread appeal of these pattern coins or the metric ideas to members of Congress than to Hubbell's promotional goals."

It is clear that the stella proposal and various associated appeals from Hubbell gained more traction in Congress than they ultimately had support to justify, but what came from the whole situation was a series of rare patterns, of which the gold strikings are now major numismatic relics and the favorite items of many major collectors.

The Present Coin
Some of the finest known 1879 Flowing Hair stellas are awarded monikers for prominent namesake collections they have appeared in, such as the Simpson coin -- graded PR67 Deep Cameo PCGS that realized $576,000 in our August 2021 ANA Signature -- or the Childs specimen, graded PR67 Deep Cameo PCGS and last appeared in 1999. This coin is still in search of a pedigree nametag. Currently, it is known as the Superior Galleries piece, calling attention to its one-off public auction appearance in Superior's August 2004 Pittsburgh Elite. Today, it appears among the offerings of the spectacular Costa Family Collection. We believe, going forward, this remarkable example will be known as the Costa specimen.

The Costa specimen ranks among the finer-known Deep Cameo examples of the 1879 Flowing Hair stellas. By far the largest percentage of the PR66 and finer survivorship resides in the non-Cameo or Cameo categories, leaving just a few of these top-tier condition rarities with Deep Cameo strike quality. PCGS and NGC combined report 16 grading events in PR66 and finer Deep or Ultra Cameo grades, but these figures undoubtedly include duplications, potentially many. We have only ever handled four distinct Deep or Ultra Cameo pieces this fine, one of which appeared in our auctions on two occasions. Without reservation, we consider any PR66 or better piece to be a Condition Census example within the specific Deep Cameo category. These are the most eye-catching stellas surviving.

The Costa specimen displays liquidlike mirroring in the fields that yields rich orange-gold color when angled into a light but falls to near-black upon tilt away. Frosty, well-contrasted luster adorns the pristine devices, and the often weak striking on Liberty's portrait is at a minimum on this piece, with above-average definition. Unlike many stellas, which show much less contrast on the reverse than on the obverse, this piece is uniformly "black-and-gold," yielding eye appeal befitting its grade status and collection association. The Costa 1879 Flowing Hair stella is, undeniably, spectacular in every metric.
Ex: Pittsburgh Elite Auction (Superior Galleries, 8/2004), lot 973.(Registry values: P1)
From The Costa Family Collection, Part I.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 28AZ, PCGS# 98057, Greysheet# 8783)

Weight: 7.00 grams

Metal: 86% Gold, 4% Silver, 10% Copper

View all of [The Costa Family Collection, Part I ]

View Certification Details from PCGS