The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-07-14
GOLD COINS RISE IN PRICE
More Collectors Are Now in the
Field than Formerly.
Advances shown at Recent Sales.
Five-dOIIar Pieces Are Valuable.
California Gold Dollars Boom.


California Gold Dollars Boom.
There have been great advances In tbs
premiums paid by collectors for United
/ States gold coins of certain issues. say.
the New York Sun. This is dueto the ia
| creasing number OF collectors. Only a
few years ago barely half dozen col
| Iectors in this country made a speciality
Of gold coins; now there are many.
| No series Of gold coins fetches higher
prices than the $ pieces. An illustra-
/ ton Of this is obtained by comparing the
prices at the sale OF the collection OF
Col Cohen, Of Baltimore, in 1910; Of the
collection Of L. S. Parmalee. Of Boston,
In 1890; Of the Smith and Wilson col
lections. in Philadelphia last year and
this year, and of the Stamm collection
in this city in May Of this year.
\ fine specimen Of the 1915 S gold piece
Of which in 1919 only five were known,
brought at the Cohen sale just SS5. In
1890 a piece IN as good condition sold for
S235 81 the Parmalee sale. while last
year an equally fine specimen fetched
100 at the Smith sale
An 1919 half eagle, of which but nine
are known, in uncirculated condition
brought 50 in 1915. At the Parmalee sale
S42 was paid for a similar specimen, while
at the Smith sale last year the premium
was advanced 10 $50. This year an IN
circulated specimen sold for 500 at the
Wilson gale, an increase Of 500 in twelve
months.
Cohen's 1871 half eagle brought so.
Parmalee's sold for $40 while at the
Smith sale the premium jumped to $500.
The highest priced Of ali the gold coins,
the fS22 half eagle, sold for 5000 at the
Parmalee sale, whereas S2,I65 was paid for
a specimen last year by a Chicago numis-
matist. There are only three known
specimens of this variety.
An uncirculated 1924 half eagle In 1915
brought S.. Parmalee got so for his speci-
men, and the one sold at the Smith sale
in 1906 brought Sl20
The half eagle Of 1877, proof surface,
sold for $ in 1875, S44 in 1890. $3.50 in 1906,
and $40 IN the present year. An uncircu-
lated piece Of 1S2S. with perfect date
brought N359 in 1870, $40 in 1890 500 last
year, and $3.50 in 1907
The half eagle. dated 1879. proof con-
dition, sold for $3.50 at Cohen's sale, So
in 1880, $40 at the Smith sale, and $3.50 this
year at the Wilson sale. OF this coin and
that Of 1928 there are only four specimens
Of each known
An 1892 half eagle sold for $50 at the
Cohen sale, SS5 at the Parmalee sale, 500
at the Smith sale, $3.50 at the Wilson sale,
and al the Stamm sale. on May q. the
same coin sold for $40
The quarter eagles show a big advance
also. A proof specimen Of 1885, with stars
around the head Of Liberty. sold at the
Cohen sale OF SIG at the PaTmlIee sale
S6l50 was paid for il, and at the recent
S;amm sale another specimen brought
Su750.
The quarter eagles Of 1877 in uncirculated
condition brought $14 at the Cohen sale.
The same coin at the 1890 sale brought s3S.
while 500 was paid for a similar specimen
last year.
Last year the rare quarter eagle Of 1894.
with motto, perhaps the scarcest Of the
denomination Of later issue, brought $3.50
at the Smith sale, and last March this was
advanced 10 $3.50 at the Wilson sale
The three-dollar gold pieces are making
rapid advances in value, a proof specimen
of 1876, only forty-five Of which were
coined. bringing Sl35 at the Stamm sale.
whereas at the Parmalee sale proof set
of gold of the year, embracing the de-
nominations of $50. SO. IS, So. $3.50 and 81.
brought only S6l for the whole lot. The
three dollar piece. dated 1913. of which
twenty-five pieces were coined, sold for
50 ct the Parmalee sale. while the same
coin brought $3.50 at the Stamm sale.
The advance in the values of the one
dollar gold pieces has kept pace with the
others The rarest of these, the 1861
issue, struck at the Dahlonega Mint. of
which but four specimens are known,
brought $3.50 at the Wilson sale last
March. A New Yorker offered $500 for
the specimen ten minutes later and was
informed that not less than 500 would
buy it.
All kinds of gold coins are increasing in
and even the Bechtler pieces
struck in North Carolina have made big
jumps in value, several times the face
value of certain of these coins now being
paid. whereas formerly they would not
bring even face value.
The small California gold dollars.
halves, and quarters also share in the
boom. and as much as 300 and 400 per cent
increase is now being paid for these little
pieces which a few years ago went beg
ging at face value