After buying a Walking Liberty half at 8, Lane spent a lifetime building one of the best U.S. coin collections. In Heritage's February 8-11 Long Beach Expo US Coins Signature® Auction, his collection of early dollars of all dates and types will be one of the main attractions.
The best 1798 silver dollar was a 1798 Draped Bust Dollar, Large Eagle, Pointed 9, Close Date, B-27, BB-113, R.2, MS65 PCGS, according to the 2013 Bowers encyclo This superb piece may be the best due to PCGS MS65 and Stephen Herrman census top ranking. There are just two 1798 silver dollars PCGS MS65 and none better. Long Beach is the fourth sale in 70 years.
The 1798 Draped Bust Dollar Small Eagle with 15 Stars from the Eric Lane Collection is the third-finest example. From the Eric P. Newman Collection. Three Mint State 15 Stars Small Eagles are found by Heritage Auctions. Only six PCGS and NGC-certified Mint State Small Eagle coins, including both kinds, provide date or significant variation options for experienced collectors.
Also in the sale is the 82-lot Brighton Collection, a 60-year-old collection of high-grade Buffalo nickels, Walking Liberty half dollars, Standing Liberty quarters, and paper currency. Most lots in the collection are MS65 or higher with several Registry Set instances.
A 1926-S Buffalo Nickel, MS65 NGC, is arguably the collection's highlight. The 1926-S Buffalo nickel is the rarest non-variety issue in the series and has the lowest mintage, with only 970,000 pieces minted. Few MS65 coins survive, and just three NGC-certified coins are finer.
28 items from The James F. Holloway Collection average MS65, including the 1918/7-S Standing Liberty Quarter MS62 Full Head PCGS, CAC. Most collectors avoid all other varieties because the 1918/7-S Standing Liberty quarter is their favorite. Compared to the 1918/7-S, the lone Cherrypickers' variety in the Guide Book, the lower kinds are obscure.
The Holloway Collection auctions a 1927-S Standing Liberty Quarter MS64+ Full Head NGC, another prime series rare. Standing Liberty quarter series rarities with Full Head definition include the 1927-S, which is several times rarer than the 1916 and as uncommon as the 1918/7-S overdate.
It had the second-lowest series output of 396,000 pieces, which hurt its survival rate. There are only 47 Full Head pieces in all grades in the PCGS and NGC's combined population, which may be exaggerated by resubmissions. It is anticipated that just 10 Full Head specimens remain at the Gem grade level.
Rare proof-only three dollar gold coin from 1876 with a beautiful deep cameo design and PCGS certification (CAC). John Dannreuther thinks that there are no more than 16–20 instances of all grades of the JD-2 type remaining in the population, and this specimen reflects that rarer form.
An very rare 1797 Capped Bust Right Quarter Eagle, one of just 427 officially struck, graded AU55 by PCGS. In 1797, the national economy didn't see much use for quarter eagles for commerce since the coin's face value was too tiny to settle big accounts in overseas trade and too large for routine transactions.
Baker-19, W-10840, Musante GW-21, R.6 one of the most valuable Guide Book Washingtons. Many Washington types were designed between 1791 and 1792 to gain a Federal coinage contract with the emerging American government. George Washington abandoned these objectives by founding the Federal mint.
An 1867 Rays Shield Nickel PR66 Cameo PCGS. CAC. JD-3, R.7, one of Mint director Dr. Henry Richard Linderman's secret treats for himself and his associates. Linderman's replacement for William Millward affected the manufacturing of the 1867 With Rays Shield nickel proofs and other coinage issues, which became rare quickly.