1843 Ten Dollar, PR64 Deep Cameo
Ultra-Rare 19th Century Gold Proof
Finest-Certified Example, Ex: Pittman
Sold For: $480000.00
Proof 1843 eagles began appearing at auction as early as 1880, but we can only trace the history of this coin back to 1939, when Maryland dealer John Zug sold it to famous collector F.C.C. Boyd, along with a proof quarter eagle and half eagle of the same date. These three gold coins, which form a complete gold proof set for the year, have been together ever since (the proof quarter eagle, half eagle, and original case are offered in separate lots in their respective sections of this catalog). Boyd sold most of his holdings, dubbed the World's Greatest Collection by Abe Kosoff, in a string of blockbuster auctions in 1945-1946. The three 1843 gold proofs were purchased by Jacob Shapiro (aka J.F. Bell) at the final sale, in January 1946. Shapiro marketed the coins extensively over the next two years, before selling them, along with the rest of his holdings, in the Memorable Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 3/1948). All three coins were acquired at the sale by John Jay Pittman, who soon united them with the silver and copper proofs of the year to form a complete 1843 proof set in the original case (the case is offered in the next lot). The set was a centerpiece of Pittman's fabulous collection, which was expertly cataloged and sold by David Akers in 1997-1998. None of the gold proofs have been publicly offered since, but the three coins were reportedly sold privately through Blanchard & Co. in 2009, for a $937,765. They are all highlights of the Joan Zieg Steinbrenner Collection today.
The present coin is a spectacular Choice proof, the finest-certified example of this landmark rarity. The sharply detailed, frosty design elements contrast intensely with the deeply mirrored fields to create a delightful gold-on-black cameo effect when the coin is angled in the light. The pleasing yellow-gold surfaces exhibit some minor hairlines in the fields and a few inconspicuous contact marks on Liberty's chin and jaw. A lint mark shows in the right obverse field, between Liberty's hair and star 12. Despite these minor flaws, overall eye appeal is outstanding. This particular coin has not been publicly offered since the Pittman Sale, almost 22 years ago. The last time any other example was auctioned was in 1984, and that coin was stolen in 2007 and is lost to the numismatic community. It is most unlikely that any comparable specimen will become available in the foreseeable future. This lot represents a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the 19th century gold specialist to acquire an example of this remarkable rarity. Population: 1 in 64 Deep Cameo, 0 finer. CAC: 1 in 64, 0 finer (6/19).
Roster of 1843 Proof Eagles
Pedigrees for the 1843 gold proofs are notoriously difficult to compile and earlier researchers, like David Akers and John Dannreuther, did not have access to many resources on the Newman Portal today, like the Armin Brand notebooks. Thanks to John Dannreuther, Ron Guth, and Saul Teichman for their help preparing this roster. Grades are per the last auction appearance, unless a subsequent certification event is known. It is virtually certain that some coins have been submitted, or resubmitted, to the grading services since their last public offering. Grades of the Smithsonian specimens are per Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth.
1. PR64 Deep Cameo PCGS. CAC. Possibly John Zug; sold to F.C.C. Boyd in 1939, per David Akers; World's Greatest Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 1/1946), lot 648 (a proof 1843 quarter eagle and half eagle were also offered in separate lots in this auction, and in the two following sales); J.F. Bell (Jacob Shapiro); possibly 39th Mail Bid Sale (Hollinbeck-Kagin, 11/1946), lot 2271 (not sold); Memorable Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 3/1948), lot 546; John Jay Pittman; Pittman Collection, Part I (David Akers, 10/1997), lot 832, as part of a complete copper, silver, and gold proof set; Sil DiGenova and Mike Storeim; Ken Goldman (KGI) and Mark Yaffe (NGE); Blanchard & Co.; the three gold coins were reportedly sold privately by Blanchard & Company in May of 2009 for $937,765; Joan Zieg Steinbrenner; the present coin.
Note on the reassembled 1843 proof set: William Woodin owned a complete 1843 ten-piece copper, silver, and gold proof set in the original case after he bought Peter Mougey's collection in 1908. He split the set, selling the silver and copper coins, with the case, along with most of the rest of Mougey's collection, through Thomas Elder in 1910. He later sold the quarter eagle and eagle in the 1911 sale of his own gold collection, also through Elder, but retained the proof half eagle until later, and exhibited it at the 1914 ANS Exhibition. Woodin sold most of his half eagles (probably including the proof 1843) to Waldo Newcomer circa 1924. That coin probably went to "Colonel" Green, and was not included in the reassembled set. The quarter eagle went to Virgil Brand in 1911 and remained in the Brand Estate until it was sold by Armin Brand in 1943. We have not been able to trace it since. Likewise, the eagle from the original set went to Brand in 1911 and later went to Harry Bass. Someone, probably John Zug, reassembled the three-piece gold proof set before 1946, as F.C.C. Boyd had all three coins in his collection by that date, but none of the coins were from the original set. John Jay Pittman purchased the three gold proofs at the sale of the Memorable Collection, and united them with the silver and copper proofs of that date, which he purchased a few months later from Judge Joseph F. Sawicki, to reconstitute the complete 1843 proof set in the original case.
2. PR63 PCGS. A coin in the complete copper, silver, and gold proof set in the original yellow Morocco case reportedly presented by President Tyler in 1843 to an unnamed constituent; Fernand David Collection (Jacques Schulman, 3/1930), lot 112; purchased by an agent of B. Max Mehl at the Schulman sale in Amsterdam; Frank Stoddard; "Colonel" E.H.R. Green in 1932, via Mehl; Green Estate; B.G. Johnson; the set was offered to Ruth Green on 6/23/1943 for $1,000, returned; offered again to B. Max Mehl on 8/30/1944 for $1,000, returned; F.C.C. Boyd; purchased by B. Max Mehl; Will W. Neil; Neil Collection (Mehl, 6/1947), lot 2292; Amon Carter, Sr.; Amon Carter, Jr.; Carter Family Collection (Stack's, 1/1984), lot 630; Daniel Drykerman (per Walter Breen); Chris Napolitano; private collector; the set was stolen at the 2007 FUN convention and has not reappeared.
Note: Walter Breen incorrectly identified this set as the one in a "New York State private collection," meaning John Jay Pittman, but Pittman never owned this set.
3. Proof. A coin in the complete copper, silver, and gold proof set in the original red Morocco case reportedly presented by President Tyler in 1843 to his ward, Mrs. Octavia McMurray (per Frossard); Reverend T. Wilkinson Collection (Édouard Frossard, 2/1880), lot 651; purchased at the sale by George Cogan, probably acting as agent for Richard B. Winsor, for $100; Winsor Collection (S.H. & H. Chapman, 12/1895), lot 1067; purchased by Peter Mougey, bidding as "Gold"; William Woodin purchased Mougey's collection intact, after his death in 1908, and sold the majority of the collection through Thomas Elder in 1910, but he kept the three gold coins from the 1843 proof set; Woodin Collection (Thomas Elder, 3/1911), lot 1207; Lyman Low, acting as agent for Virgil Brand, journal number 57065; Horace Brand; Emillio Fontani Collection (Kreisberg & Schulman, 3/1965), lot 157; Miguel Munoz Collection, Part I (Superior, 6/1978), lot 1961; Harry Bass; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection at the ANA Money Museum.
4. PR65 Cameo. Mint Cabinet; National Numismatic Collection, Smithsonian Institution.
5. PR61 Cameo. Possibly "Colonel" Green or Ronnie Carr; Stack's; Josiah K. Lilly; donated to the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution in 1968.
6. PR. Vinchon, Paris, 1977; A-Mark; Richard Lobel; Fred Malone, per John Dannreuther.
Additional Appearance
A. Brilliant Proof. Hebeard Collection (H.P. Smith, 4/1883), lot 378.
From The Joan Zieg Steinbrenner Collection. (Registry values: P1) (NGC ID# 28EH, PCGS# 98779)
Weight: 16.72 grams
Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper