The Bruce Sherman Coin Collection
Bruce Sherman is one of the most successful money managers in the country. A generous philanthropist. Chairman and principal owner of the Miami Marlins.
"His hard work earned him immense success," Horatio Alger Association Executive Director Terrence J. Giroux said earlier this year, when Sherman was selected for membership in the prestigious organization.
Indeed, Sherman's professional accomplishments are well-documented. But behind the scenes, he is a passionate historian with a keen interest in numismatics, and the same drive that earned him success in the financial world has now turned a simple hobby of collecting coins into a prominent place in the annals of numismatic history.
Heritage Auctions is proud to announce that selections from his extraordinary assemblage will reach new collectors beginning early next year, during the January 15-19 FUN US Coins Signature® Auction. More will be offered during the CSNS US Coins Signature® Auction April 30-May 4.
"Bruce Sherman's coin collection stands as one of the most remarkable achievements in numismatics, a testament not only to his passion but to his extraordinary eye for quality and rarity," says Heritage Auctions President Greg Rohan. "We are immensely proud to present these treasures to the collecting community, as this once-in-a-lifetime offering is sure to captivate and inspire collectors around the world."
Sherman grew up in Queens, New York, taking mile-long walks and long rides on city buses to school. He parlayed his education into a career in the financial sector, forming Private Capital Management (PCM) in 1986, which grew into the largest independent asset manager in the southeast United States and one of the largest in the country. He led the ownership group that acquired the Marlins in 2017.
As a teen, Sherman also began collecting coins, and as his interest and knowledge grew, so too did his collection. What defines the Bruce S. Sherman Collection is not only its expansive scope and completeness, but the quality and rarity of its individual pieces. When selecting a representative of the Barber dime series, Sherman did not merely travel the usual path of acquiring a high-grade common-date coin. He also pursued the opposite extreme, selecting the single rarest issue in the series: the 1894-S, of which only nine examples are known. And not just any 1894-S dime was sufficient --- he sought out the Eliasberg specimen, regarded as the finest known. This is a tale told throughout the collection, culminating in a type set comprised in large part by the finest surviving examples of famous rarities --- a collection replete with what might be called trophy coins: the rarest of the rare.
"Coin collecting has been a lifelong passion of mine," Sherman says. "What started in my early teens has evolved into a collection of rare and significant U.S. coins. I am incredibly fortunate to have my name be included in the provenance alongside some of the hobby's most notable collectors."
Sherman's desire to collect coins was never driven by financial appreciation. He and his wife, Cynthia, are focused on philanthropic endeavors through the Bruce and Cynthia Sherman Charitable Foundation, the Miami Marlins Foundation, and other initiatives in medicine, childhood development, and the arts. During his career in money management, Sherman is particularly proud that PCM successfully managed assets for the endowments of some of the leading colleges and universities in the country.
Instead, Sherman's love of coins has been similarly driven by the pursuit of knowledge. He chose these great rarities for their importance to numismatic history, and because of the fascinating and often endearing stories they tell.
"I'm captivated by the history and the story behind each coin," Sherman says. "I've learned so much about the history of our country through collecting, and these stories ought to pass down from generation to generation."
Images and information about all lots in the auction can be found here.
View Sherman Collection, Part I / January 2025 FUN Auction
View Sherman Collection, Part II / May 2025 Central States Auction
January 15 - 19 FUN US Coins Signature® Auction | Dallas | 1380
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1792 Silver Center Cent
SPECIMEN 45+ Brown PCGS. CAC -
1895 Morgan Dollar
PR66 Deep Cameo PCGS -
1870-CC Double Eagle
XF45 PCGS -
1856-O Double Eagle
AU53 PCGS -
1849-C Open Wreath Gold Dollar
MS62 PCGS -
1802 Half Dime
VG8 PCGS -
1864 Small Motto Two Cent
PR65 Red and Brown PCGS -
1894-S Barber Dime
PR66 Branch Mint PCGS. CAC
Ex: Eliasberg -
1873-CC Seated Quarter
No Arrows, MS63 PCGS
Ex: Eliasberg -
1827/3 Bust Quarter
Original, PR63 PCGS -
1853-O No Arrows Half Dollar
Good 6 PCGS. CAC -
1884 Trade Dollar
PR65 PCGS. CAC
Ex: Legend -
1848 CAL. Quarter Eagle
AU53 PCGS. CAC -
1798 Small Eagle Five Dollar
BD-1, AU55 PCGS
Ex: Pogue
Dear Bidder,
Bruce S. Sherman's professional accomplishments are well-documented. He is one of the most successful money managers in the country and a generous philanthropist. He is Chairman and principal owner of the Miami Marlins baseball team. But behind the scenes, he is a passionate historian with a keen interest in numismatics. Sherman grew up in Queens, New York. Bruce says, "Coin collecting has been a lifelong passion of mine. What started in my early teens has evolved into a collection of rare and significant U.S. coins. I am incredibly fortunate to have my name be included in the provenance alongside some of the hobby's most notable collectors."
Focused in large part on the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins, the Bruce S. Sherman Collection accomplishes what most collectors can only imagine. It is said that owning one or two or three of the greatest U.S. coins is the hallmark of an impressive collection. To have 10 of the Top 100 places the owner well within the top echelons of coin collecting. But in only this, Part I of The Bruce S. Sherman Collection, we count more than two dozen of the Top 100 U.S. issues. Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. managed to include 59 of the Top 100 in his famous collection. We look forward to Part II of the Bruce S. Sherman Collection, to be offered in the upcoming 2025 Central States auction, for more Top 100 rarities.
This small sampling from the Bruce S. Sherman Collection comes from our upcoming 2025 FUN auction. It reads like a Who's Who and What's What of the most elite rarities known in the Federal series.
- Lot 4307: 1894-S Barber dime, PR66 PCGS. CAC. One of only 24 examples struck, possibly ninepieces known today, tied for finest known. Ex: Clapp-Eliasberg-Richmond.
- Lot 4339: 1884 Trade dollar, PR65 PCGS. CAC. A classic rarity with only 10 examples known. Thethird-finest certified, Ex: Legend-Jack Lee.
- Lot 4274: 1792 Silver Center cent, Judd-1, SP45+ PCGS. CAC. The famous, innovative early patternEx: Donald Groves Partrick.
- Lot 4362: 1856-O double eagle, AU53 PCGS. Winter 1. Only 27 pieces documented today. TheGarrett and Guth, Winter, and Crum Plate Coin. Spectacular New Orleans gold rarity.
- Lot 4353: 1798 Capped Bust Right half eagle, Rare BD-1 Variety, AU55 PCGS. Only six or seven examples exist. Ex: Farouk-Pogue.
Bruce's desire to collect coins was never driven by financial appreciation. He and his wife, Cynthia, are focused on philanthropic endeavors through their charitable foundation, the Marlins Foundation, and other initiatives in medicine, childhood development, and the arts. His love of coins is driven by the pursuit of knowledge, choosing these great rarities and other coins for their numismatic history and importance. Bruce says, "I'm captivated by the history and the story behind each coin. I've learned so much about the history of our country through collecting, and these stories ought to pass down from generation to generation."
Heritage is proud to offer The Bruce S. Sherman Collection in our multi-day 2025 FUN Show auction - presented at our Dallas World Headquarters the week after the Orlando, Florida FUN Show Convention. This standalone Platinum catalog presents Part I of the collection on Wednesday, January 15 Platinum Session (Floor Session 3), starting at 5:00 P.M. Central Time. It leads into our traditional Platinum Session (Floor Session 4), which follows immediately after the Sherman coins. January 15 promises to be quite the night to remember! We hope to see you there either in person or via computer, phone, or other device via the internet and real-time via HERITAGE Live ® .
Sincerely,