Heritage FUN Auction a Real Compendium of U.S. Coins

The next auction catalog on my pile is the massive Heritage U.S. Coin Auction set for the FUN show with closing dates from January 9 through January 12. This sale offers nearly 6000 lots of U.S. coinage suitable for all tasted and pocket books.

Sections which seemed particularly strong to me include; a wide selection of Colonial coinage, good run of small cents especially the Indian Heads, six 1918/7 Buffalo Nickels in various grades, twenty-two 1937-D three legged Buffalos, a large run of Standing Liberty quarters, a vast number of Bust, Seated and Barber silver in all grades and denominations, a substantial offering of Trade Dollars including many proofs, a nice group of Walking Liberty halves, an impressive selection of U.S. Gold.

Of special interest are the large sections of Error coins and Patterns which highlight the middle of the catalog and pop up between Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th. A fascinating collection of double struck Indian Head cents is the center piece of the errors and offers the opportunity for a good start on a date set.

The selection of Patterns is outstanding, with some excellent designs represented as well as some very high rarity pieces. I have always been partial to patterns, so it is hard for me to pick just one to mention and illustrate here, but the 1/5 of a Dollar Judd-1396 offered as lot 3621 in this sale is a real beauty. Though the design has seen some debate amongst numismatists of note, I still find it attractive and this Proof-65 example is stellar.

One pattern which does not appear in the pattern section of the sale, but which is well worth looking for elsewhere is the exceptionally rare copper pattern of the 1860 Clark, Gruber & Co. Ten Dollar Territorial gold piece. This coin is beign offered as lot 5139 and has been graded MS-62 by PCGS. It's a rich chocolate brown and seems to catch the light very well. This pattern comes up for sale very seldom, so if you are interested in building a Pikes Peak collection, better throw your hat in the ring this Friday, or be prepared to be patient for a while.

This Heritage sale ends with some very off-beat odds and ends which most every collector will find interesting, so visit their website and have a look.