@CaptHenway said:
My boy, let me let me talk to you about original Proof sets. John J. Pittman was on and off the ANA Board so much that he never exhibited competitively, but he would usually put out a one-case non-competitive exhibit with a silk ribbon that just say "SELECTED NUMISMATIC RARITIES."
One year (late 1970's? Early 1980's?) he displayed FOUR complete Proof sets, including gold, from the 1840's in their original leather presentation cases. Nothing between you and them but the glass of the exhibit case, and maybe a little drool from previous viewers. If those sets were broken up when his collection was sold it was a numismatic crime.
Another year he had TWO 1877 $50 Half Union pieces in gilt copper, one of each die variety. I can't remember the other patterns in that case.
Those 1843; 1844; 1845 and 1846 Proof sets were auctioned only as sets when sold by David Akers in 1997 and 1998 and brought $412,500; $440,000; $522,500; $756,250 respectively. There was also a complete 1848 set including gold sold individually, maybe because it did not have a case and was pieced together. That 1848 totaled about 589k. The descriptions indicate that while the holders may be original, some of the coins may have been pieced together into the sets later, particularly some of the gold coins and may or may not be the exact original coins for the set.
However, all those sets have since been broken up since 1998. Looking at Heritage, a number of the gold coins have sold there or are listed in rosters under non-Pittman examples as having been auctioned at other companies since the Pittman auctions.
Don't know if any non-gold portion of any sets have remained intact either.
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Links to ex-Pittman coins or roster info showing the four sets have been broken up since 1998:
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Did not realize until looking into these sets reselling that the 3 Pittman catalogs are now up on the Newman Numismatic Portal. They were issued at around $150 or more per softbound set and none given free to dealers or people already on his mailing list. They all had to buy them if they wanted them which caused some grumbling at the time and left them being a scarcer catalog. I have only passively acquired all but the Part 1 catalog. Softbound sets still bring over $100 and individual catalogs usually $30 to $50 or more. I guess taking 27 years and still incomplete means I'm not in a big hurry, though came close in bidding on the catalogs a few other times.
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. https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/auctioncompanydetail/510215
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Empty 1843 Proof Set Modified Original Case Ex: Pittman (possibly others of his holders were modified to add the gold coins although some may have included gold slots as the original pricelist for the 1844 set mentions them) :
Thanks for the listings. Those were something to see in the flesh.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
Comments
Those 1843; 1844; 1845 and 1846 Proof sets were auctioned only as sets when sold by David Akers in 1997 and 1998 and brought $412,500; $440,000; $522,500; $756,250 respectively. There was also a complete 1848 set including gold sold individually, maybe because it did not have a case and was pieced together. That 1848 totaled about 589k. The descriptions indicate that while the holders may be original, some of the coins may have been pieced together into the sets later, particularly some of the gold coins and may or may not be the exact original coins for the set.
However, all those sets have since been broken up since 1998. Looking at Heritage, a number of the gold coins have sold there or are listed in rosters under non-Pittman examples as having been auctioned at other companies since the Pittman auctions.
Don't know if any non-gold portion of any sets have remained intact either.
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Links to ex-Pittman coins or roster info showing the four sets have been broken up since 1998:
https://coins.ha.com/itm/proof-liberty-quarter-eagles/1843-2-1-2-pr66-ultra-cameo-ngc-jd-1-high-r7-pcgs-97869-/a/1298-3845.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515
https://coins.ha.com/itm/proof-liberty-eagles/1844-10-pr63-cameo-ngc/a/1219-5404.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Auction-Archive-ThisAuction-120115
https://coins.ha.com/itm/liberty-quarter-eagles/quarter-eagles/1845-2-1-2-pr67-ultra-cameo-ngc-jd-1-r8-pcgs-97871-/a/1356-3829.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515
https://coins.ha.com/itm/proof-liberty-half-eagles/1846-liberty-head-half-eagle-pr64-cameo-ngc/a/1151-5336.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Auction-Archive-ThisAuction-120115
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Did not realize until looking into these sets reselling that the 3 Pittman catalogs are now up on the Newman Numismatic Portal. They were issued at around $150 or more per softbound set and none given free to dealers or people already on his mailing list. They all had to buy them if they wanted them which caused some grumbling at the time and left them being a scarcer catalog. I have only passively acquired all but the Part 1 catalog. Softbound sets still bring over $100 and individual catalogs usually $30 to $50 or more. I guess taking 27 years and still incomplete means I'm not in a big hurry, though came close in bidding on the catalogs a few other times.
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https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/auctioncompanydetail/510215
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Empty 1843 Proof Set Modified Original Case Ex: Pittman (possibly others of his holders were modified to add the gold coins although some may have included gold slots as the original pricelist for the 1844 set mentions them) :
https://coins.ha.com/itm/miscellaneous/1843-modified-case-for-a-10-piece-proof-set-pcgs-98779-/a/1298-3905.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515
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Here is just one of the sets, the only one with an original price list:
https://archive.org/details/1997johnjaypittmanpart1akers/page/178/mode/2up
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"To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin
Thanks for the listings. Those were something to see in the flesh.
WOW. Thanks for sharing... that's once in a lifetime for sure!
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.