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A plethora of Higleys

raysrays Posts: 2,424 ✭✭✭✭✭
There are currently six Higley coppers up for auction on the Heritage website, two from an "Old New England Collection" and four from The Eric Newman collection, including this exceptionally sharp 1737:

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$1600 was quite a sum in the late 1940's.

Comments

  • shorecollshorecoll Posts: 5,447 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'd happily give $1650 today! image
    ANA-LM, NBS, EAC
  • SonorandesertratSonorandesertrat Posts: 5,695 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Waldo Newcomer died in the 1934, so the price he paid is even more significant.
    He sold most of his collection to B. Max Mehl in 1931. Mehl, in turn, sold the coins off to various collectors and dealers. Col. E.H.R. Green bought the gold coins and many colonials.

    George Fuld wrote an article for the Numismatist about the rare coins in Newcomer's collection, and noted that Newcomer owned 6 different Higleys.
    Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA

    RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'

    CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 29,070 ✭✭✭✭✭
    thats pretty neat.
  • coinsarefuncoinsarefun Posts: 21,749 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The one imaged in the original post is the highest grade known of the three hammer Higleys.
    I am anxiously awaiting the auction to see how it does and I think it will do quite well.

    This is a dream coin that few people can dream of owning and only one owner will obtain it.

    But at least I have a wonderfully executed electrotype of this spectacular piece.



    btw, I was searching for a large picture of this coin......thanks for posting it.



  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The coin in the OP is awesome.... thanks for the picture...Cheers, RickO
  • MidLifeCrisisMidLifeCrisis Posts: 10,550 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I might have to do what Pittman did.

    image
  • RaufusRaufus Posts: 6,825 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Amazing coin. Amazing photography.
    Land of the Free because of the Brave!
  • AnalystAnalyst Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭

    CoinsAreFun: <<The one imaged in the original post is the highest grade known of the three hammer Higleys. ... I am anxiously awaiting the auction to see how it does and I think it will do quite well.>>

    So do I, it is a coin of tremendous importance and the next Newman sale is very interesting.

    The Fabulous Eric Newman Collection, part 10: Colonial Coins and other pre-1793 American items

    Last year, I wrote a detailed article about Higleys. I covered the literature from which most all current knowledge of their origins derives. Moreover, I formulated a system for categorizing the major varieties without the need to consult reference books.

    I hope that beginning, intermediate and advanced collectors of Higleys, plus bibliophiles learned from this article. Of course, I invite criticism and I look forward to learning more about Higleys, about which I am fascinated. Also, I am aware of other relatively high grade Higleys in private collections, ones that have not been publicly seen in a very long time.

    Historically Important Higley Coppers Always Draw Attention!


    "In order to understand the scarce coins that you own or see, you must learn about coins that you cannot afford." -Me
  • metalmeistermetalmeister Posts: 4,594 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very nice. Thanks for sharing.
    email: ccacollectibles@yahoo.com

    100% Positive BST transactions
  • raysrays Posts: 2,424 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The first two of the six Higleys brought $25850 for ther VFish damaged one and $76375 for the 1737 graded 20 by NGC.
  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,933 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ......and to think others felt Higley was pulling a fast one trying to get three pence for a homemade halfpence
  • ConnecticoinConnecticoin Posts: 13,090 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The AU50 is up to $258k! image
  • raysrays Posts: 2,424 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Greg Reynolds has written a very interesting article on Higley auction records over the last 10 years:

    Coinweek Higley artice

  • raysrays Posts: 2,424 ✭✭✭✭✭
    All four Newman Higleys brought strong prices, IMO.

    The G-4 1739 brought $54.3K, the AU-50 1737 three hammer (finest known of its type) brought $470000.






    Yippee!
  • ConnecticoinConnecticoin Posts: 13,090 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wow, $470k!

    A LOT of these were made, but precious few survived.

    Makes me wonder if there is a "Copper Hill Hoard" lurking underground somewhere in East Granby (or maybe stashed in the attic or walls of an 18th Century colonial house).
  • AnalystAnalyst Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭

    Rays: <<All ... Newman Higleys brought strong prices, IMO. ...The G-4 1739 brought $54.3K, the AU-50 1737 three hammer (finest known of its type) brought $470000>>

    Certainly, three of the five brought strong or very strong prices.

    As I said in my auction review, which was published this morning, $470k was not that strong a price for the H-3P-CT. Collectors who did not have a chance to view the coin in actuality might be stunned the price. For a Higley, however, it is just awestriking. It is described in the article that Rays kindly cited in an earlier post to this thread. I expected the price realized to be a little higher.

    The very strong result was nearly $200k for lot #30368, X-Please-ND. For a Higley, this coin is exceptional, though it does have issues and there are a few better pieces. This result is more than twice the previous auction record for an Axe (X) type Higley. I really did not expect this coin to bring nearly this much. It was clearly not the best deal of the group.

    The $47k result for lot 30367, H-Please-IAGC, is moderate.It, too, looks better in actuality, than it appears in pictures. I tended to focus on the toning and the detail; the scratches are not that bothersome. As I pointed out in the article that Rays cited above, non-gradable Higleys have brought prices in the $47k range in the past.

    The Fabulous Eric P. Newman Collection, part 11: Auction Results for pre-1793 coins, patterns and tokens
    "In order to understand the scarce coins that you own or see, you must learn about coins that you cannot afford." -Me
  • coinsarefuncoinsarefun Posts: 21,749 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Excellent write up Analyst........thanks for the article link and what beautiful coins and tokens they are.
    Just wish I was able to obtain one but, alas I was outbid by a landslide on all of them.



  • robertprrobertpr Posts: 6,862 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Wow, $470k!

    A LOT of these were made, but precious few survived.

    Makes me wonder if there is a "Copper Hill Hoard" lurking underground somewhere in East Granby (or maybe stashed in the attic or walls of an 18th Century colonial house). >>



    An interesting thought, and certainly possible. Or at least a few high grade examples that have yet to be discovered.
  • mrdqmrdq Posts: 1,186 ✭✭✭
    Great articles.. I have a copy and didn't know what it was. came in a batch of foreign junk i bought

    --------T O M---------

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  • raysrays Posts: 2,424 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Now the Partrick collection has come and gone, 7 more Higleys (that's a lotta deers) go to new homes:

    5631 image
    1737 THREEPENCE Higley Copper, CONNECTICVT, VF30 NGC. Crosby VIII-18, Freidus 1.2-A, W-8200, R.7.
    Sold for $141,000.00


    5632 image
    1737 THREEPENCE Higley Copper, CONNECTICVT, VF30 NGC. Crosby Unknown, Freidus 1.3-A, W-8215, R.7.
    Sold for $141,000.00


    5633image
    1737 THREEPENCE Higley Copper, CONNECTICVT, VF20 NGC. Crosby Unknown, Freidus 1.3-A, W-8215, R.7.
    Sold for $76,375.00


    5634image
    1737 THREEPENCE Higley Copper, Good Copper -- Scratches -- NGC Details. XF. Crosby VIII-22, Freidus 3.2-B.a, W-8255, R.7.
    Sold for $44,650.00


    5635image
    (1737) THREEPENCE Higley Copper, Broad Axe, VF25 NGC. Crosby VIII-25, Freidus 3.3-C, W-8280, High R.7.
    Sold for $111,625.00


    5636image
    1739 THREEPENCE Higley Copper, Broad Axe, VF25 NGC. Crosby VIII-26, Freidus 3.3-D, W-8285, R.7.
    Sold for $76,375.00


    5637image
    (1739) THREEPENCE Higley Copper, THE WHEELE GOES ROUND, VF30 NGC. Crosby Unknown, Freidus 4-C, W-8295, Unique.
    Sold for $376,000.00



    Of these seven, I like the 1737 Broad Axe the best (lot 5635, finest of four known).
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 29,070 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>The AU50 is up to $258k! image >>

    and its not done yet image
  • AnalystAnalyst Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭

    Rays: <<Now the Partrick collection has come and gone, 7 more Higleys (that's a lotta deers) go to new homes:>>

    Yes, considering the large increase in the supply of Higleys, available to collectors, these fared well in this auction. I just analyzed the results of rarities in the FUN auction overall. Although I focused on U.S. coins, I talked about pre-1793 items, too, and mentioned Higleys.

    Rare U.S. Coins Fare Well in FUN Auction: Coin Market Levels Remain Stable

    Demand for Higleys must have increased, too. For many years, there were few Higleys available and many of those had severe problems.

    Higley Coppers Auctioned Over the Last Ten Years

    The Fabulous Eric Newman Collection, part 10: Colonial Coins and other pre-1793 American items

    Are there Higleys in the Kendall Collection that Stack's-Bowers will auction in March?
    "In order to understand the scarce coins that you own or see, you must learn about coins that you cannot afford." -Me

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