$3 Million in Fresh Consignments in Heritage's Feb. 2002 Long Beach Sale

Dallas, TX -- Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc. will conduct the official auction of the February 2002 Long Beach Convention. The five-session Signature Sale will take place February 21-23 at the Long Beach Convention Center and will feature U.S. coin rarities from Colonials through Territorial Gold, as well as selections of U.S. Currency cataloged and presented by Currency Auctions of America. "The Long Beach Convention is the largest commercial coin show in the country," stated Bob Korver, Heritage's Director of Auctions. "And that's great news for consignors as well as bidders. We anticipate that the show will be well attended, as always, and with many fabulous rarities and more than $3 million in fresh consignments to choose from, the realized prices should be strong. This sale is going to be the next link in the long chain of successful auctions that began in the mid-1980s with the forging of the Heritage-Long Beach partnership."

Among the Copper highlights in this sale is a 1793 Liberty Cap Half (http://www.heritagecoin.com/hnaiphoto300.asp?284059001), an example of the B-3 die marriage. An important one-year type, the coin is certified MS61 Brown by NGC. Also of note to Copper specialists is a previously unknown 1797 Reverse of 1797 Draped Bust Cent (http://www.heritagecoin.com/hnaiphoto300.asp?284116001). According to Heritage Executive VP Greg Rohan: "This spectacular coin was just recently repatriated into this country from England, where it has been 'hiding' since 1797. Both sides of the coin are lustrous with considerable, if faded mint red beneath glowing patina. The coin, certified MS63 Brown by NGC, is an example of the S-141 die marriage, which has a rarity rating of High R.4."

Heritage is pleased to be offering several visually stunning and desirable errors, not the least of which is a 1944 Lincoln Cent struck on a steel planchet (http://www.heritagecoin.com/hnaiphoto300.asp?284015007). Continued Rohan: "Although overshadowed by their 1943 Copper counterparts, the 1944 Steel Cents were produced in the same manner. Leftover steel planchets remained in the hopper when the Mint began production of 1944-dated Cents. According to David W. Lange, only 27 1944 Steel Cents from the Philadelphia Mint had been authenticated by the mid-1990s."

"The silver coin offerings include a historically significant 1873-CC No Arrows Seated Quarter certified XF40 by NGC (http://www.heritagecoin.com/hnaiphoto300.asp?284105002)," stated Korver. "For many years, only three examples of this issue were known from an original mintage of 4,000 coins. It has been assumed that the Carson City Mint melted virtually the entire mintage after the passage of the Mint Act of February 12, 1873. Recently, however, two circulated examples were confirmed, the present XF40 representative and another coin that was featured in the October 29, 1996 issue of Numismatic News. With just five coins known, the 1873-CC No Arrows Seated Quarter remains one of the classic rarities of U.S. coinage."

Also of note to silver coin enthusiasts is a pair of Draped Bust, Small Eagle Half Dollars, survivors of a brief two-year type with a combined original mintage of just 3,918 pieces. The first coin is a 1796 15 Stars graded Fine 12 by PCGS (http://www.heritagecoin.com/hnaiphoto300.asp?284030011), and the second example is a 1797 VF25 PCGS (http://www.heritagecoin.com/hnaiphoto300.asp?284030012). Early Dollars include a classic 1794 Flowing Hair (http://www.heritagecoin.com/hnaiphoto300.asp?284011048). Certified VF20 by ANACS, the coin is, according to the cataloger, "…toned in a pleasing light silver-gray shade with faint golden and lilac accents." With the help of Early Dollar specialist Dave Perkins, Heritage has determined that this coin has appeared in such sales as the Thomas L. Smith Collection, the Snyder Collection, the firm's own 1987 Dallas Sale, and, most recently, the Brooks Collection. Morgan Dollars are also well represented, with an astonishing 1893-O MS65 PCGS (http://www.heritagecoin.com/hnaiphoto300.asp?284001314) being of particular interest. "This is one of my favorite issues in the Morgan series," stated Rohan. "It's mintage of 300,000 coins is the lowest among all Morgan Dollars from the New Orleans Mint, and only 11 coins have been certified by PCGS at the MS65 grade level. This semi-prooflike representative should see spirited bidding."

According to Rohan: "Our gold offering at Long Beach are anchored by a fabulous group of Gold Dollars consigned by a Financial Institution. No less than 10 of the coins in this consignment are certified MS68 by NGC and PCGS: 1851, 1852, 1856 Slanted 5, 1864, 1866, 1869, 1870, 1874, 1877, and 1882. A further four coins grade MS67, and the key date 1870-S is an MS66 PCGS. Clearly, this is one of the most significant Gold Dollar collections that we have had the privilege to offer."

The Marion F. Hough Collection of Small Size Virginia National Bank Notes consists of almost 160 examples from 118 of the 151 national banks in Virginia that issued small size notes. This outstanding collection includes many rarities, including several notes that are one of only a few known surviving examples from their issuing bank. Impressive in its near completeness, this is one of the finest collections of Virginia small size Nationals to reach the market in decades. A few highlights include a 1929 Type 2 $5 from the First National Bank of Fries, Virginia, a 1929 Type 1 $10 from the First National Bank of Galax, Virginia, and a 1929 Type 1 $5 from the First National Bank of Poquoson, Virginia. According to CAA Cataloger Jason W. Bradford, "As is the case with many National Bank Notes, the opportunity to obtain notes from many of these rare banks might come around only once or twice in a generation. Many of these rare Virginia notes are likely to disappear into collections for years. I anticipate spirited bidding when collectors of Virginia Nationals witness the sale of this magnificent collection."

Full color images of every single-coin lot in the February 2002 Long Beach Signature Sale can be viewed at the Heritage website: www.HeritageCoin.com. Online bids are also being at this web address.

Additional Highlights

• 1892 Barber Quarter PR68 Deep Cameo NGC.
  
• 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter MS66 Full Head NGC.
  
• 1873 Arrows Seated Half Dollar PR66 NGC.
  
• 1879 Seated Half Dollar PR68 NGC.
  
• 1799 Draped Bust Dollar MS61 NGC. B-9, BB-166.
  
• 1852 Seated Dollar MS62 ANACS.
  
• 1873-CC Seated Dollar AU50 PCGS.
  
• 1846-C Liberty Quarter Eagle AU55 PCGS.
  
• 1855-C Liberty Quarter Eagle AU55 PCGS.
  
• 1894 Liberty Quarter Eagle PR65 PCGS.
  
• 1908 Indian Quarter Eagle PR65 NGC.
  
• 1808 Capped Head Left Half Eagle MS63 NGC. B. 4-B, Miller-107, R.3.
  
• 1810 Small Date, Small 5 Capped Head Left Half Eagle XF45 PCGS. B. 2-B, R.7. Ex: Bass.
  
• 1810 Large Date, Large 5 Capped Head Left Half Eagle MS64 PCGS. B. 1-A, Miller-109, R.2.
  
• 1837 Classic Half Eagle MS64 NGC.
  
• 1842-C Small Date Liberty Half Eagle AU53 PCGS.
  
• 1863-S Liberty Half Eagle AU55 PCGS. Ex: Bass.
  
• 1901-S Liberty Half Eagle MS67 NGC.
  
• 1867 Liberty Half Eagle PR64 Cameo NGC.
  
• 1885 Liberty Half Eagle PR64 Cameo NGC.
  
• 1908 Indian Half Eagle PR65 NGC.
  
• 1870-S Liberty Eagle AU58 PCGS. Ex: Bass.
  
• 1876 Liberty Eagle AU55 PCGS.
  
• 1892 Liberty Eagle PR64 Cameo PCGS.
  
• 1901 Liberty Eagle PR64 Deep Cameo PCGS.
  
• 1907 Wire Rim Indian Eagle MS66 PCGS.
  
• 1908 Indian Eagle PR65 NGC.
  
• 1851-O Liberty Double Eagle MS60 NGC.
  
• 1861-O Liberty Double Eagle AU58 NGC. Ex: Pittman.
  
• 1876 Liberty Double Eagle MS63 PCGS.
  
• 1907 High Relief Double Eagle PR64 NGC.
  
• 1895 Proof Set, including: 1895 Morgan Dollar PR65 NGC.
  
• 1914 Proof Set, including: 1914 Indian Quarter Eagle PR63 PCGS; 1914 Indian Half Eagle PR65 PCGS; 1914 Indian Eagle PR64 PCGS; 1914 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle PR65 PCGS.
  
• 1922 Grant With Star Half Dollar MS67 NGC.
  
• 1928 Hawaiian Half Dollar PR63 NGC.
  
• 1917 McKinley Gold Dollar MS67 NGC.
  
• 1915-S Panama-Pacific Quarter Eagle MS67 NGC.
  
• 1926 Sesquicentennial Quarter Eagle MS66 PCGS.
  
• 1915-S Panama-Pacific $50 Octagonal MS63 PCGS.
  
• Pattern 1876 Twenty Dollar PR66 Brown PCGS. Judd-1493, Pollock-1646, R.7.
  
• S.S. Central America Gold Ingot. Kellogg & Humbert. No 852 / 23.08 Oz / 861 Fine / $410.78.

The February 2002 Long Beach Convention Signature Sale will be conducted February 21-23, 2002. For more details, or for information on consigning to our upcoming auctions, please contact the Heritage Consignor Hotline (1-800-872-6467 Ext. 222) or bids@HeritageCoin.com. Or visit us at Heritage's website, http://www.HeritageCoin.com. Heritage's headquarters are at 100 Highland Park Village, 2nd Floor, Dallas, Texas 75205.