BLUESHEET: NGC-CERTIFIED CONFEDERATE HALF DOLLAR SELLS FOR RECORD $960,000

RARE PIECE LEADS HERITAGE’S $3.7 MILLION NEWMAN PART IX LIVE AUCTION

SARASOTA, FLA. (November 2, 2017) — An 1861 Confederate Half Dollar certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) led the way in Heritage Auctions’ sale of Part IX of the Eric P. Newman Collection on Wednesday, Nov. 1. It realized a record $960,000.

Newman IX contains 427 NGC-certified coins, tokens and medals, the latest in a series of auctions of the numismatist’s legendary collection. (Wednesday’s live auction featured 116 of the most valuable NGC-certified coins in Newman IX.)

The auctions of Newman’s coin collection, which has been entirely certified by NGC, have achieved nearly $59 million, including $3.7 million for Part IX thus far.

The Confederate Half Dollar was one of only four struck at the New Orleans Mint in the short time it was operated by Confederate forces. The obverse reused an 1861-O Seated Liberty die, while the reverse features a shield surrounded by the words CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA.

It is graded NGC PF 40 and was previously owned by collectors Waldo Newcomer and “Col.” E.H.R. Green.

Two other Confederate Half Dollars have been sold recently: one graded NGC PF 30 and pedigreed to the Partrick Collection was sold by Heritage for $881,250 in January 2015. Another, graded NGC PF 40, was sold by Stack’s Bowers in March 2015 for $646,250.

The remaining specimen is in the collection of the American Numismatic Society.

Another highlight of Wednesday’s Newman IX auction was a 1795 Small Eagle $5, which realized $336,000. Graded NGC MS 64, it is a high-grade example of this rare, one-year type — one of the first gold coins struck by the US Mint.

The highest price for a Newman coin was achieved by a phenomenal 1796 Draped Bust Quarter graded NGC MS 67+ that sold for $1,527,000 in Newman Part II in 2013.

Another 1796 Draped Bust Quarter, this one graded NGC MS 64+, was among the top performers in the Newman IX auction, realizing $264,000.

Rounding out the top five prices realized in Newman IX are an 1861 Confederate Cent (graded NGC PF 63+; realized $186,000), and a 1797 Draped Bust Half Dollar, which is among the finest (graded NGC AU 55; realized $168,000).

Prominent numismatists Stuart and Maureen Levine, who serve as advisers to the nonprofit Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES), said, “We are thrilled by the results of the Eric P. Newman Collection, Part IX. NGC’s accurate and consistent grading gave bidders the confidence to again pay strong prices for the NGC-certified selections from the Newman Collection.”