The Midwest Summer Sale 2012
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Please Note: A 15% Buyers' Premium is added to the hammer price of all lots in this sale.
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(About The Images)
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Lot Title:
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1898 NGC PF-66 Ultra Cameo.
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Description:
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Mintage: 165. Numismatic history suggests that perhaps roughly half of the quarter-eagles from any proof run of this era tended to survive, the rest being lost to the ravages of time. That such a diminutive gold coin could last over a hundred years essentially without blemish is nearly a miracle! Not one single point of contact can be found anywhere across the entire face of either side of this specimen, with allowance given for perhaps a couple of exceedingly small ticks on the rim. This coin features gold-on-black contrast which is difficult to produce even with today's advanced technology, and in 1898, the mint had to contend with dies that rapidly lost their ability to impart contrast. In this case, the mirrors are so deep that only the lightest evidence of feathery luster twirls through the fields. Furthermore, the depth of reflectivity remains consistent edge-to-edge and from side-to-side, such that this is not just a "one sided proof", but rather represents the true pinnacle of proof coining technology of 1898. Superior frost decorates the devices, thinning ever-so-slightly just beneath Liberty's ear -- this was not the very first coin to come off these dies, but was probably one of the first dozen or so. Without doubt, the details are struck to the utmost exactitude, producing sharpness that practically jumps off the fields. Selecting a pedigree marker is difficult because the surfaces are just that perfect, revealing no singular identifying abrasions. Perhaps a microscopic hairline just above the eight star will have to do. An utterly devastating coin with ravishing eye-appeal, suited for the finest collection. (Available elsewhere: UCAM proof 1898 half-eagle, eagle and double-eagle.) (PCGS# 097924)
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Low Estimate:
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$20,000.00 |
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High Estimate:
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$30,000.00 |
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Lot Status:
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Bidding has been closed for this lot. |
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Hammered Price: |
$19,750.00
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Price Realized:
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$22,712.50 |
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Price history for items of the same classification:
| Lot # | Auction | Current Bid or Hammer Price | Description |
| 914 | The Midwest Summer Sale 2014 on 07/18/2014 | $600.00 |
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1898 NGC MS-63.
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Berry Tree Collection. Possibly undergraded, both sides offer the dead-on impression of gem quality, as there are scarcely any contact marks and certainly no copper spots to detract. Some... |
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| 915 | The Midwest Summer Sale 2014 on 07/18/2014 | $4,700.00 |
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1898 PCGS MS-66+.
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Exquisite details manifest over the entire coin, which shows evenly distributed medium-gold patina overall. Interestingly, both sides display substantial prooflike character, especially the obverse,... |
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| 720 | The Midwest Winter Sale on 02/12/2010 | $380.00 |
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1898 MS-60.
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Both sides are amazingly free from contact marks, and surface quality is satiny and fresh. The conservative grade is suggested by faint hairline friction across the devices. |
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| 950 | The Collectors' Auction 2007 on 10/19/2007 | $220.00 |
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1898 NGC MS-61.
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Planchet problems may be the culprit with regard to a few mulberry stains scattered across the reverse. The obverse displays none of the scattered marks expected of the grade, but a couple of... |
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