Two exceptional collections of rare early American coins initiated a bidding frenzy for Dallas-based Heritage Auction House, generating over $7 million in a single day of sales.
The “Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection” of coins featured dozens of extremely rare early gold coins known as “half eagles” (worth $5 back in the day), many of them one-of-a-kind.
Two of the top pieces – a 1797 example in good condition and a standout 1834 coin – each sold for $268,400 after lively bidding, according to a press release from Heritage. Another 1828 gold coin set a new record at $256,200; only one other exists in the world, and it’s locked away in the Smithsonian Museum’s archives.
Jacobson spent years hunting down these treasures, filling in gaps of his collection that even famous collectors couldn’t.
“I am very pleased with the results of the auction…Heritage did an excellent job marketing the collection and achieving excellent results in the auction,” Jacobsen said after the sales were finalized, praising the auction team.
“Elite collections of exceptional coins produce extraordinary results, and that is exactly what happened with these two magnificent collections,” added Todd Imhof, Executive V.P. at Heritage Auctions.
The other big draw was the “COL Steven Ellsworth Collection” of large cents – those big old copper coins from the 1790s that have now become very desired by collectors.
Ellsworth built his collection over four decades, including every main type of large cent from those early years, plus some ultra-rare varieties. The star seemed to be an extremely rare 1795 cent that brought strong interest from multiple bidders, while a prized 1793 “Liberty Cap” cent went for $134,200.
“I’ve done about 40 shows a year for 40 years, and this is the best collection I could put together,” COL Ellsworth said. “The promotion, advertising, and marketing Heritage did for this was really good, the auctioneer was terrific, and the catalog will be a reference book for the next 100 years.”
These sales highlight why Dallas remains a hotspot for serious coin collectors, with Heritage Auctions leading the way on those big-ticket coins.
For perspective, while $268,400 is some serious money for a single coin, it doesn’t come close to the all-time high sales for collectors.
The most expensive coin sold at auction is the legendary 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, which fetched a jaw-dropping $18.9 million in 2021, per The Smithsonian. Right behind it sits the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, which sold for over $10 million in 2013, according to the Professional Coin Grading Service, and is believed to be one of the very first silver dollars America ever minted.