'One of US coinage's rarest designs' stars at $9.7m Sacramento show

Heritage's recent Signature® ANA sale was led by this exceptional $207,000 1796 Half Dollar

It was a 1796 Half Dollar, 15 Stars AU58 PCGS, a stunning coin featuring one of the rarest designs in all of U.S. coinage, that emerged from spirited bidding as the top lot in Heritage Auctions' March 17-20 Signature® ANA U.S. Coin Auction. Its final price was $207,000.

Overall, the auction realised more than $9.682m, not counting continuing After Auction sales, (with all shown prices including 15% Buyer's Premium).

"These are excellent results!" said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions.

Leader of the sale: the 1796 Half Dollar, 15 Stars AU58 PCGS

"We're especially pleased with the high sell-through rate, and the overall prices significantly exceeded expectations, bolstered by the fine performances by early American silver and copper, as well as a few key gold pieces that showed the enduring strength of that market."

More than 5,200 collectors competed for the 5,378 lots in the auction, adding up to the $9.86m total, which translates into a 93.410% sell-through rate by dollar value.

A famous Colonial rarity, the Breen example 1C Washington Roman Head Cent, PR64 Brown PCGS, occupied the second spot in the overall tally of the Sacramento auction, bringing $100,625 from an erudite collector.

And in second place... The 1C Washington Roman Head Cent

"This is an important coin and collectors clearly responded with a price that exceeded the $100,000 mark," said Rohan.

"Given that the exact number of surviving Washington Roman Head cents is unknown, although the total is clearly small, this is a smart buy that will now occupy a prized spot in an advanced collection."

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Half-eagles were some of the earliest coins minted for an independent America

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Image: Heritage Auction Galleries