LOT Bowers and Merena Auctions  /  The April 2008 Chicago Rarities Sale  / 

734

1879 Pattern Metric $20/Quint Stella. PR64CAM

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:675,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1879 Pattern Metric $20/Quint Stella. PR64CAM
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lot #734. 1879 Pattern Metric Double Eagle, or Quintuple Stella. Judd-1643, Pollock-1843. Rarity-7+. Proof-64 Cameo (NGC).</span>
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The obverse features a left-facing bust of Liberty that is similar to that which the Mint used to strike regular-issue 1879 Liberty Double Eagles. The date 1879 is below. Around the border is an expression of the composition * 30 * G * 1.5 * S * 35 * C * 35 * G * R * A * M * S *. The inscription is actually punctuated incorrectly, and the first 35 should actually read 3.5. The reverse design is also similar to that of the regular-issue Type III Liberty Double Eagle, but the motto DEO EST GLORIA has replaced IN GOD WE TRUST in the circle of stars over the eagle's head. Struck in gold with a reeded edge.
An extension of the Four-Dollar gold project proposed by U.S. Minister to Austria John Adam Kasson, the Quintuple Stella was intended to facilitate the acceptance of the United States' largest regular-issue gold coin in the avenues of foreign trade. By producing the coin in a metric gold alloy that also included some silver, it seems likely that the federal government also intended the coin to help lessen some of the rivalry between proponents of these two precious metals--a rivalry that dominated domestic politics in this country during the late 19th century until culminating in William Jennings Bryant's delivery of his famous "Cross of Gold" speech in 1896.
In the end, however, Congress decided that although the project had merit, the Quintuple Stella would not be produced in quantity as a regular-issue coin of the United States Mint. The decision was probably made with the knowledge that the standard Double Eagle had long been willingly accepted overseas and really did not require a metric-alloy replacement. The surviving patterns, therefore, are the only examples of this intriguing type available to today's advanced numismatic buyers.
Only five examples of the Judd-1643 Quintuple Stella struck in gold are known to exist. The list of specimens (with some obvious omissions due to the record being incomplete) in ascending order of quality reads:<p> 1. Ex: U.S. Mint; Dr. William Wheeler Hubbell; John W. Haseltine sale's of November 1881, lot 1490; H.P. Smith's sale of the Hebbeard Collection, April 1883, lot 458; H.P. Smith's sale of the Dr. Edward Maris Collection, June 1886, lot 230; Garrett Collection; Bowers and Ruddy's sale of the Garrett Collection for the Johns Hopkins University, March 1980, lot 1097; Superior's sale of the Ed Trompeter Collection, January 1989, lot 4026; Heritage's sale of the Jones Beach Collection, January 2007, lot 1594.
2. Ex: Virgil M. Brand; Amon G. Carter, Sr. & Jr.; Stack's sale of the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Family Collection, January 1984, lot 635; Superior's sale of the Ed Trompeter Collection, February 1992, lot 138; Heritage Rare Coin Galleries, February 1999.
3. Ex: Virgil M. Brand; Numismatic Gallery's sale of the Adolphe Menjou Collection, March 1948, lot 1813; King Farouk of Egypt; Sotheby's sale of the Palace Collection, February 1954, lot 294; 1958 ANA Sale, lot 1676; Stack's session of Auction '79, July 1979, lot 950; Stack's; Numismatic Collection in the Smithsonian Institution. <em>This piece is no longer obtainable for private ownership</em>.
4. Ex: Virgil M. Brand; B. Max Mehl's sale of the Olsen Collection, November 1944, lot 624; Wilkison Collection; Paramount; A-Mark; New England Rare Coin Galleries' sale of April 1980, lot 391; Stack's sale of October 2000, lot 1626.
5. Ex: H.P. Smith; John Story Jenks; Elmer Sears; J.M. Clapp; Clapp Estate; Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr.; Bowers and Merena's sale of the Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, May 1996, lot 313. <strong><em>The present example</em></strong>.<p>Lovely orange-gold color blankets both sides, the surfaces revealing some faint, intermingled, reddish-copper tinting here and there toward the rims. Fully struck and satiny, the devices contrast nicely with more reflective-finish fields. While there are some scattered hairlines, it is a series of tiny alloy spots on the reverse around many of the letters in the denomination TWENTY DOLLARS that helped us trace this coin's pedigree. One of the most important patterns that we have ever handled, this piece belongs in the finest numismatic holding.


<span style="font-size: smaller;">Cert Number: 1995246002 </span>
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<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" border="1" id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates"
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width: 350px; border-collapse: collapse;">
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<tr class="AuctionTitleDetail" style="background-color: E0CA7A;">
<td class="AuctionListingsHeadings" valign="top" style="height: 20px; white-space: nowrap;">
Purchase Amount
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<td class="AuctionListingsHeadings" align="right" valign="top" style="width: 75%;">
Postage And Insurance
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl02_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$0.00 to
$200.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl02_PostageAmountTemplate">$6.50</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl03_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$201.00
to $300.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl03_PostageAmountTemplate">$9.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl04_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$301.00
to $1,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl04_PostageAmountTemplate">$10.50</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl05_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$1,001.00
to $2,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl05_PostageAmountTemplate">$13.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl06_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$2,001.00
to $3,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl06_PostageAmountTemplate">$17.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl07_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$3,001.00
to $5,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl07_PostageAmountTemplate">$18.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl08_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$5,001.00
to $10,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl08_PostageAmountTemplate">$23.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl09_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$10,001.00
to $25,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl09_PostageAmountTemplate">$27.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl10_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$25,001.00
to $50,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl10_PostageAmountTemplate">$42.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl11_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$50,001.00
to $75,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl11_PostageAmountTemplate">$55.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl12_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$75,001.00
to $100,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl12_PostageAmountTemplate">$70.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl13_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$100,001.00
to $250,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl13_PostageAmountTemplate">$100.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl14_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$250,001.00
to $500,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl14_PostageAmountTemplate">$175.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl15_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$500,001.00
to $750,000.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl15_PostageAmountTemplate">$250.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="LotDetailInformation">
<td class="AuctionListings" valign="top" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl16_PurchaseAmountTemplate">$750,001.00
to $99,999,999.00</span>
</td>
<td class="AuctionListings" align="right" valign="top">
<span id="ctl00_cntBody_FAQ1_grdShippingRates_ctl16_PostageAmountTemplate">$400.00</span>
</td>
</tr>
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<b><a name="About"></a>About Bowers and Merena</b>

Bowers and Merena Auctions was founded in 1983 and has grown to become the world's
preeminent numismatic auctioneer with more than half a billion dollars in rare coin
and currency sales. Bowers and Merena has handled four of the five most valuable
United States coin collections ever sold, including the Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. Collection,
the Harry W. Bass Jr. Collection, the Garrett Collection for The Johns Hopkins University,
and the Norweb Collection. </p>
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