Heritage Auction today: 1854-O Liberty Head $20 Gold AU55 NGC sold for $348,000 w/bp
Goldbully
Posts: 18,034 ✭✭✭✭✭
That number is a lot lower than the PCGS Price Guide for what appears to be a nice example for a 55.
If I was the seller I wouldn't be happy.....what say you folks?
1854-O $20 AU55 NGC. Variety 1. The 1854-O Liberty double eagle claims a meager mintage of 3,250 pieces, the second-lowest production total of the series. The reason for the small mintage is easily explained by the opening of the San Francisco Mint in 1854, which drastically reduced the flow of gold deposits at the New Orleans facility. Before 1854, large amounts of gold dust and ore were deposited every year at the Southern mint, but the San Francisco facility was much more convenient to the great California gold fields, so deposits dwindled to a trickle once that location commenced coinage operations. As a result, the 1854-O is one of the rarest coins of any denomination ever struck at the New Orleans Mint.
Comments
350,000 a!
You could’ve had three bitcoins for that price if you ordered before this morning!
I say your photos are really funky looking.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
We need another set of pics
Um, they are Heritage photos.
‘54-Os and ‘56-Os are really, really hard to find nice and with a sticker.
Believe me.😉
How many NGC or PCGS examples have you seen sell for anywhere close to their PCGS price guide values? I did a quick check and didn't come up with much of anything. Even this PCGS/CAC example sold last year wasn't within $100,000 of the current PCGS price guide figure.
https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1B9CIZ/1854-o-liberty-head-double-eagle-winter-1-the-only-known-dies-ef-45-pcgs-cac
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
The riim chews don't help it and the video didn't show hardly any frost, unless the video didn't pick it up well which would not be unusual.
It brought about the same as its 2015 price of $340,750 and it failed to sell in 2016 with a $312,000 reserve.
A PCGS AU-53 sold for $336,000 in August 2025 and a PCGS AU-55 failed to bring a $600,000 reserve in May 2025. A PCGS XF-45 CAC brought $276,000 in April 2021.
This one sold between wholesale AU-50 and AU-55.
Overall it does not seem out of line with the current market. A few have been offered lately and they seemed to have peaked in price some time ago.
Have not looked at the rest of the auction to see if it indicates any new direction.
"To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin
I agree with you, but the PCGS price guide(grades 40 -58) are much too high then.
How are they determined on these super rare coins?
That - the PCGS price guide being much too high - was the point I was trying to make. If I remember correctly, the guide is based largely on dealer asking prices rather than actual sale prices.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
The holder certainly didn’t help the coin.
It appears AU55 in any other holder-PCGS or CACG.
How much more would this one have sold for if it was in one of the other two slabs?
peacockcoins
I don’t know how much it would have sold for in a PCGS or CAC holder but it’s extremely unlikely it would have sold for less.
I guess my comment went over your head.
Have you not noticed that the photos being posted on the forum are oddly compressed?
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
If your comment went over anyone’s head maybe that was becaise the images in this thread look normal - at least from my view. And probably, not everyone has experienced the image issue you referenced.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
I agree.
I took your original post to indicate you thought it would sell for more in PCGS or CACG platic than the NGC closing price. I see now I was incorrect in that assumption.
peacockcoins
I guess you are just very special then. Have you not read the two threads about issues with how photos look to many of the members?
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1117283/problem-with-seeing-and-uploading-images-to-posts#latest
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1117269/why-are-posted-images-small-distorted-irregular-now#latest
This is how the op's photos appear on my desktop and phone
Sorry that it went over your head as well.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
Yes, I’d seen those threads. But as I already mentioned, the images posted in this thread looked normal from my view and presumably, at least to some others. And not everyone has seen the other threads. Considering those factors, it’s easily understandable if someone didn’t get your “I say your photos are really funky looking.” comment, especially, since the photos weren’t even his.
It appears that you added to your original post to which I’d responded, by adding images and writing “Sorry that it went over your head as well.”
If it had gone over my head, I doubt that you’d be sorry. You’d more likely be thrilled. But regardless, it couldn’t have gone over my head because I didn’t even read your original post, only the subsequent reply to it.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
The images look fine from my cell phone so I thought you were just being funny last night @coinbuf
But looking at them today from my desktop they are definitely oblong.
Ok so just you just being the usual trolling nitpicker that you are, carry on. As you say you are aware of the issues with how photos are being seen by many members I would have thought you would be sharp enough to put two and two together. Now that you have cleared that up there will be no need for me to reply to any of your further drivel.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
Just because someone didn’t think your comment was as clever as you did wasn’t a good reason to pout 😕 and be hostile.
And there was certainly no need for you to reply to any of my “drivel” in the first place. But I’m glad you don’t feel a further need to reply further. Have a great day.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
peacockcoins
I just want say todays various episodes of dramatic soap operas appearing all over the U.S. Coin Forum have been top notch entertainment.
Kudos to who ever is writing, directing and producing these episodes.
"To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin