Heritage Auction on eBay Adds to Success of National Coin Week

Dallas, Texas: With total sales in excess of $521,000, Heritage's National Coin Week Auction on eBay closed April 22 amid considerable excitement at Heritage's Dallas world headquarters. "We opened the sale on www.eBay.com on April 16, with a link from Heritage's homepage. eBay featured it on their homepage as well, and on the Coin category page," noted Heritage co-Chairman Jim Halperin. "Needless to say, with all that exposure, bidding was brisk. By the time the sale closed on April 22, we sold 1,311 lots, or nearly 57% of those posted. While these figures are impressive in their own right, our greatest source of pride is the hundreds of new customers that participated in this sale. Six hundred bidders were first-time participants, and they accounted for 300 of the lots won. The National Coin Week Auction is another example of how Heritage is using the Internet to expand and diversify our customer base."

Bidder participation in Heritage's auction was strong throughout the week. "We noted a particular surge in bidding activity in the final hours of the sale," stated Heritage Numismatic Auctions Director Bob Korver. "Collector demand continues extremely strong, with cents, quarters, Barber half dollars, silver dollars, and patterns turning in the strongest performances. For example, an 1856 Flying Eagle cent MS 64 PCGS sold for $17,595, or almost $3,000 more than its Coin Dealer Newsletter (commonly referred to as the "Greysheet") bid. Equally impressive was the sale price of $9,250 that a bidder paid for an 1806 Draped Bust quarter MS 64 NGC. Finally, the gavel fell at $13,563 for an NGC certified Superb Gem 1880 Trade dollar. This coin is among the finest certified survivors of this popular and elusive proof-only issue."

Needless to say, gold coins also accounted for some impressive sales. A sum of $9,000 was required to purchase an 1801 Capped Bust Right eagle that NGC graded MS 61, and a stunning 1868 Liberty double eagle PR 65 PCGS dominated the sale with a realized price of $90,000.