F.U.N. Show auctions.

Maywood

I haven't heard much about the auction(s) at the F.U.N. Show that's coming up which seems unusual to me. I checked at Heritage and it seems as though the sale is smaller than usual, although I did notice that they're listing some of the Bass collection and they'll also hold an auction in NY City about the same time. Does this seem right, that the auction is smaller, or is it just my perception?? As a side-thought, I miss the "old days" when Heritage sent out catalogues to regular customers, but I imagine those are gone to posterity.

Maywood.

NJCoin

Yup. Not only that, but the auction is not even going to be onsite. During the pandemic, they discovered that they do just fine without the hassle and expense of onsite auctions, so here we are. They will have lot viewing in Orlando, but the actual auction will be the following week in Dallas. The new normal. Get used to it.

Maywood

I noticed that with Stack's, lot viewing is in one location but the actual "live auction" is at their CA headquarters. You're correct, the new normal.

coinbuf

I'm sure it would be larger and much more promoted if Heritage had been selected to auction the Blay collection.

keyman64

@coinbuf said:
I'm sure it would be larger and much more promoted if Heritage had been selected to auction the Blay collection.

I wonder if Ian will showcase some of the pieces at FUN.

Floridafacelifter

According to the FUN website “FUN 2023 Schedule of Events” the Bass Sale Part II will be held on site at the Convention Center Room N230B at 7pm, Thursday, Jan. 5.

Anyone who will be around the OCCC that evening can enjoy what is becoming an increasingly rare event. Pre-Covid I always used to sit in on these rooms watching the bidding.

Desert Moon

@keyman64 said:

@coinbuf said:
I'm sure it would be larger and much more promoted if Heritage had been selected to auction the Blay collection.

I wonder if Ian will showcase some of the pieces at FUN.

He usually does...........

2ndCharter

I miss the "old days" when Heritage sent out catalogues to regular customers, but I imagine those are gone to posterity.

Mine arrived last Friday.

Sunshine Rare Coins

The Heritage auction has a smaller number of lots, but there are some amazing coins being auctioned. Check out the Bass and Bender collections!

NJCoin

@Floridafacelifter said:
According to the FUN website “FUN 2023 Schedule of Events” the Bass Sale Part II will be held on site at the Convention Center Room N230B at 7pm, Thursday, Jan. 5.

Anyone who will be around the OCCC that evening can enjoy what is becoming an increasingly rare event. Pre-Covid I always used to sit in on these rooms watching the bidding.

Yup. The balance of the FUN auction, which is always a multi-day event, is being held in Dallas from January 11-15. Maybe they had a deal with Bass that requires the sale to be held at the show? If not, why break this one session out from the others, even the other Platinum ones?

lilolme

There is a lot of good 'stuff' in this FUN auction. Below is a screenshot of some noted 'collections'.

Part of the reason the auction might seem smaller (and is) is due to HA now having many more auctions weekly and monthly and specialty. So many of the 'smaller' items are in other auctions and some of the better ones in specialty auctions.

Don't know about Bass but the Part 1 was also onsite or at the show. Also it is a for charity auction. Don't know if that has anything to do with the difference.

lilolme

@2ndCharter said:
I miss the "old days" when Heritage sent out catalogues to regular customers, but I imagine those are gone to posterity.

Mine arrived last Friday.

I have not read it yet but did glance, the special 1870S catalog looks impressive and informative.

johnny010

I’m still very disappointed they are selling the Bass collection

winesteven

I also received the auction catalogs. The Bender Collection II has some phenomenal Indian Head Cents and $3 Gold, with CAC stickers.

Steve

lilolme

I was reading through the HA catalog - Famed 1870-S Rarities - for the upcoming FUN auction(s). I have not found this catalog on the HA website but it is not really an auction catalog per say. Perhaps I am missing it though.

There are 17 pages upfront that write about mint information, cornerstones at mints (P, CC and S) with more detail on the SF cornerstone associated with the $3 1870S. Then more information on various cornerstone coins. I would scan these and post them but something says - Not. Don't know why HA does not have it listed (again unless I am missing it) as I think it would be good publicity and show the good work of their writers / catalogers.

The write up then notes the assortment of 1870-S coins available in the HA FUN auction. The remainder of the catalog (21 pages)reprints the other auction catalog information and descriptions (with some added photos) of the 1870-S coins in the HA FUN auction.

I thought I would list them here in the order they appear in the catalog (in case anyone is wanting to do an 1870-S collection).

1870-S Three Dollar Gold, SP50
Legendary San Francisco Mint Rarity
Only Available Example
Ex: Woodin-'Colonel' Green-Eliasberg-Bass
https://coins.ha.com/itm/three-dollar-gold-pieces/three-and-four-dollar-gold/1870-s-3-sp50-893-engraved-pcgs-unique-pcgs-7992-/a/1355-9013.s?ic4=ListView-Thumbnail-071515

1870-S Seated Liberty Half Dime, MS64
The Fabled Only Known Example
A Treasure of Numismatic Mystery and Intrigue
https://coins.ha.com/itm/seated-half-dimes/half-dimes/1870-s-h10c-ms64-pcgs-cac-pcgs-4397-/a/1356-3341.s?ic4=ListView-Thumbnail-071515

1870-S Seated Dime, F-101, R.3, MS66
The Eliasberg-Bender Coin
One of the Top Two Certified Examples
https://coins.ha.com/itm/seated-dimes/dimes/1870-s-10c-misplaced-date-f-101-r3-ms66-pcgs-pcgs-538254-/a/1356-3383.s?ic4=ListView-Thumbnail-071515

1870-S Half Dollar, MS65, Gold CAC
Dramatic Quality, None Graded Finer
Ex: Usibelli
https://coins.ha.com/itm/seated-half-dollars/half-dollars/1870-s-50c-ms65-pcgs-gold-cac-wb-101-die-pair-1-r3-pcgs-6329-/a/1356-3728.s?ic4=ListView-Thumbnail-071515

1870-S Seated Dollar, XF40
One of Only Nine Confirmed Examples
Rarest Regular-Issue U.S. Silver Dollar
Ex: Miles-Queller
https://coins.ha.com/itm/seated-dollars/silver-and-related-dollars/1870-s-1-xf40-ngc-oc-1-low-r7-pcgs-6965-/a/1356-3766.s?ic4=ListView-Thumbnail-071515

1870-S Gold Dollar, MS65+
Only One Example Graded Finer
Ex: Simpson-Bender
https://coins.ha.com/itm/gold-dollars/1870-s-g-1-ms65-pcgs-cac-pcgs-7570-/a/1356-3817.s?ic4=ListView-Thumbnail-071515

1870-S Double Eagle, MS63
Tied for Finest, Endorsed by CAC
https://coins.ha.com/itm/liberty-double-eagles/double-eagles/1870-s-20-ms63-pcgs-cac-pcgs-8959-/a/1356-3900.s?ic4=ListView-Thumbnail-071515

BillJones

@johnny010 said:
I’m still very disappointed they are selling the Bass collection

We should be grateful that the collection was on display at the ANA headquarters for as long as it was. That was a huge contribution to the collector community. There was also a very nice book that the ANA had published which organization sold at a reasonable cost.

Now other collectors will be able to enjoy the coins. It beats what happened to the Lilly Collection which was given to the Smithsonian in exchange for a tax credit. Now those coins are locked up in vaults where only a select few get to see them.

P0CKETCHANGE

Heritage has the lot viewing set up in the Orange County Convention Center as of 10am this morning, and seeing as I had the day off for observance of New Year’s Day, I decided to check it out.

There are a small number of lots in this and next week’s auctions that caught my eye, and even though I plan to be at FUN on Thursday afternoon, I wanted the luxury of time to have a few days to plan my bidding strategy (for the record, I fully expect to get blown away in the auction, but it’s fun to dream and a good educational experience).

Since the show hasn’t officially started yet, parking was free (note: there was a sign that said they no longer accept cash for parking payment), and there were very few people there—it was almost entirely staff, including a security contingent, although there were a few other fellow lot viewers.

The Heritage folks checked me in and answered some questions I had about their bidding and billing procedures, and then I was on my way. There are two separate sections. The “Platinum” auction (the Bass stuff) was behind a rope with additional security. I had to see a different attendant for the non-Bass stuff I wanted to view, but again it wasn’t busy so no worries.

I did request the 1870-S $3 gold, and when they brought that box out, there was just a placeholder slab in it that indicated it was behind another layer of security. The attendant called the manager over, and the manager retrieved it and brought a security agent over such that there were three people supervising my inspection of it. It’s the most valuable coin I’ve ever held, probably by at least a factor of 100, so that was very cool!

One thing that surprised me was the condition of the slabs themselves. I only looked at four Bass coins, but the majority had scratches in the plastic, including the $3, and one even had a small crack. I was under the impression that these were recently slabbed, and I was probably one of the earliest lot viewers, so not sure how they got beat up already.

I was also able to pick up the color catalogs, which I was happy about, because I did not receive any in the mail as some other forum members have (understandably so, as I have been a very occasional value HA client, and on lower value stuff).

I’m planning to attend the live auction on Thursday—I’ve wanted to see a high rarity auction since reading about the 1933 St Gaudens auction in the book Illegal Tender, and I’m excited to see what the energy is like when the unique specimens cross the block. Safe travels to everyone who is heading down this week.

CaptHenway

Did you look at the 1870-S Half Dime as well? I have handled both, but not at the same time.

OldIndianNutKase

@PocketChange Your post regarding the viewing of the Bass coins was very insightful. The thrill of having a unique coin in your hands will never be forgotten. If it had been me, I would have relished the enhanced security and the respect that I might be a bona-fide bidder for the 70-S. But if I had no intention of bidding on the coin I would not waste my time.

P0CKETCHANGE

@CaptHenway said:
Did you look at the 1870-S Half Dime as well? I have handled both, but not at the same time.

I only looked at the $3, although it would have been cool to hold both simultaneously. I know they’re both “unique”, but the more well-documented Bass coin with its associated provenances (Woodin, Eliasberg, etc.), hand punched mintmark, and engraving/graffiti is much more interesting to me. Now, just have to figure out my bidding strategy

lilolme

About 40 minutes until the auction starts and the 1870 S half dime is at Hammer $ 1,725,000.

redraider

The Indian Cents were going nuts! The prices exceeded what I was thinking on many of them. Was looking to be a buyer on a few, but got way too expensive for my blood really quick! 1870-s half dime live as of now as I type this!

lilolme

Hammer at $ 2,600,000.

TheGoonies1985

@lilolme said:
Hammer at $ 2,600,000.

Then add the juice of 20% over that $3,120,000 final price tag.

lilolme

Up next tomorrow in the platinum nights auction is the Unique:

1873-CC 10C No Arrows MS65 PCGS..t
Currently at Hammer $ 3,000,000.

Can this one out bid the 1870-S $3 at $ 5,520,000. all in?
That is Hammer $ 4,600,000.

Zoins

@2ndCharter said:
I miss the "old days" when Heritage sent out catalogues to regular customers, but I imagine those are gone to posterity.

Mine arrived last Friday.

I get catalogs as well.

lilolme

In case anyone want the link to the unique CC for tomorrow.

https://coins.ha.com/itm/seated-dimes/dimes/1873-cc-10c-no-arrows-ms65-pcgs-pcgs-4661-/a/1356-3671.s?ic4=ListView-Thumbnail-071515

Maywood

This coin has certainly "circulated" quite a bit during it's existence. It strikes me as being to valuable to own, so buyers hold it for a little while and then reap the profit. Also, two guys by the name of Waldo owned it!!