Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Long Beach Currency Auction

One of the largest offerings of Continental currency and Colonial paper money to be auctioned off in decades will highlight the Official Currency Auction of the September 2009 Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo conducted by Heritage-Currency Auctions of America, Sept. 9-13, at the Long Beach Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802. The auction will consist of four floor sessions along with one online-only session. The lot viewing will take place in Room 104A and the auction itself will be held in Room 103C.

“We have four fine collections anchoring this auction,” said Dustin Johnston, Currency Consignment Director at Heritage, “all of which, taken together, offer an excellent survey of American Currency from the Colonial era through current Federal Issues. We’re quite excited to offer these great examples.”

The Midnight Ride Collection includes an extensive quantity and variety of Colonial material, including many rare pieces. Numerous scarce and seldom seen Texas Nationals are included in the Lone Star Collection, while the notes in the Kim Fisher Collection include a wide variety of material. The small size holdings in particular include many finest known, only known and highest serial number known examples. Many of the Mexican Specimen notes being offered from the Giana Lynn Samantha Rose Collection are unlisted in the Krause price guide.

Session One, Wednesday evening, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. PST, consists of 981 lots of Colonial material and features the aforementioned Midnight Ride Collection, an important assemblage of Continental Currency and Colonial Notes and one of the largest collections of Colonial material ever offered at auction.

“The Continental set is complete, and many of the Colonial notes are rarely seen at auction,” said Johnson. “All of the notes have been third-party graded, with a large number of finest knowns represented. Included in the collection are a number of notes from the popular North Carolina April 2, 1776 Issue, an Issue with 56 different varieties, the largest number of varieties seen in any issue of American paper money.”

Notes printed by Benjamin Franklin and also Paul Revere are among the important pieces of history included in the auction. Also featured are a number of notes signed by prominent Revolutionary War era personalities, including several New Jersey notes signed by John Hart. Among his many public service roles, Hart served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. John Morton and Francis Hopkinson, two other signers of the Declaration, are also represented in this collection. Also included are approximately 50 historically important Colonial era bills of exchange signed by Hopkinson or Michael Hillegas, the first Treasurer of the United States, including several payable in Madrid, and an extremely rare First Bill of Exchange.

Among the many Session One highlights are:

A marbled edge Continental Currency May 10, 1775 $20 PCGS Apparent Very Fine 20, Delaware June 1; 1759 20s PMG Choice Extremely Fine 45 EPQ printed by Benjamin Franklin; scarce allegorical Maryland July 26, 1775 $1 1/3 PCGS Apparent Fine 15; rare North Carolina May 4, 1758 20s PMG Very Good 10 NET; North Carolina April 2, 1776 $3 Beehive PMG About Uncirculated 50 EPQ; New Jersey March 25, 1776 18d John Hart PMG Superb Gem Uncirculated 68 EPQ signed by John Hart; Pennsylvania August 6, 1789 3d Bank of North America PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ; rarely seen Continental Currency September 27, 1785 Indent $1 PMG Choice Fine 15; Continental Loan Office Bill of Exchange First Bill- $30 Nov. 4, 1778 Anderson US-97/MA-5A. PMG Extremely Fine 40 EPQ one of two known, and Continental Loan Office Bill of Exchange Second Bill- $444 July 11, 1780 Unlisted in Anderson. PMG Very Fine 25.

Session Two will be held Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. PST. More than 900 National Bank Notes will be offered that evening, including the Lone Star Collection, which features dozens of important Texas Nationals from across the state. A number of significant Indian Territorial and Oklahoma Territorial notes are making appearances as well in addition to the many other remarkable Nationals being offered.

“The session is a rare opportunity to acquire many pieces that have never appeared at auction or have not been presented to the collecting community for decades,” said Johnston, “in addition to many Nationals that are unique to the bank and town.”

A few of the highlights from Session Two include:

A Seguin, TX – $100 1882 Brown Back Fr. 528 The First NB Ch. # (S)5097 one of two large publicly held; Carmen, OT – $10 1902 Red Seal Fr. 613 The First NB Ch. # (W)6719 unique Serial Number 1 and new to the census; Camden, AR – $50 1882 Brown Back Fr. 512 The Camden NB Ch. # (S)4066; Lake Arthur, NMT – $10 1902 Red Seal Fr. 615 The First NB Ch. # (W)8584 one of only three notes known on the bank; Havana, NY – $5 1875 Fr. 401 The Havana NB Ch. # 343 unique for the bank and location; Sausalito, CA – $10 1902 Plain Back Fr. 635 The First NB Ch. # 12453 first ever public offering; Fairbanks, AK – $5 1902 Red Seal Fr. 587 First NB Ch. # (P)7718 rare Alaska Red Seal, and San Francisco, CA – $20 1875 Fr. 436 The First NB Ch. # 1741, one of less than 10 known 1875 $20 National Gold Bank Notes.

Session Three will be held on Friday, Sept. 11 at 12 Noon PST, and will include Small Size, Errors, Fractionals, Encased, Obsoletes, Confederates, MPCs, Misc., Canadian, and World material. The Giana Lynn Samantha Rose Collection of Mexican Specimen notes, including many unlisted examples will be one of the highlights.

Among the many notes being offered are:

A Fr. 2221-G $5000 1934 Federal Reserve Note. PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ; finest known Fr. 1950-K* $5 1928 Federal Reserve Note. PMG Superb Gem Unc 67 EPQ; scarce Bison error Fr. 121 $10 1901 Mule Legal Tender Inverted Reverse Fine+; obstructed printing error with obstruction Fr. 1976-A $5 1981 Federal Reserve Note. PMG Choice About Unc 58 EPQ; one of the finest known Fr. 1339sp 50¢ Third Issue Spinner Type II Wide Margin Back PMG Gem Uncirculated 66. Milton 3P50R.3; obsolete with popular polar bear vignette Boston, MA- Continental Bank $3 G6a; Confederate T5 $100 1861 PF-1 Cr. 5; scarcer variety DC-13a $1 1898; unlisted China – The Chung Hwa Republic – 100 Dollars (1896) (Pre-Republic) Pick UNL S/M UNL, and Mexico 1000 Pesos El Banco Yucateco (1903) Pick S473s4 Specimen.

Approximately 500 Large Size notes will be offered at Session Four on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. PST and include the following:

Ex: Philpott and one of the finest known Fr. 172 $100 1880 Legal Tender PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ; tied for finest known Fr. 161 $50 1880 Legal Tender PMG Superb Gem Unc 67 EPQ; highest graded Fr. 99 $10 1878 Legal Tender PMG Superb Gem Unc 67 EPQ; Fr. 151 $50 1869 Legal Tender PMG Very Fine 20; Fr. 245 $2 1891 Silver Certificate PCGS Superb Gem New 68PPQ; Fr. 246 $2 1891 Silver Certificate PCGS Superb Gem New 68PPQ; Fr. 270 $5 1896 Silver Certificate PCGS Superb Gem New 67, and Fr. 1214 $100 1882 Gold Certificate PCGS Gem New 66PPQ one of two at this grade level offered in this auction.

The lots included in the Non-Floor Session of the September 2009 Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo will be available for viewing in Long Beach. The online auction will close on Heritage Live on Sunday, Sept. 13, starting at 12 Noon CST. The Non-Floor Session will contain approximately 1200 lots.

To discuss consigning coins or currency to our upcoming January 2010 FUN Auction in Orlando, FL, please call the Heritage Consignor Hotlines at 800-872-6467 ext. 1000 (Coins); or ext. 1001 (Currency).

Heritage Auction Galleries is the world?s third largest auction house, and by far the largest auctioneer of rare collectibles, with annual sales more than $700 million, and 450,000+ registered online bidder members. For more information about Heritage’s auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.