A remarkable 1856 Flying Eagle Cent, graded PR67+ PCGS CAC, sold for a record-breaking $312,000 at Heritage Auctions’ U.S. Coins Signature Auction held from November 20-24. This stunning coin surpassed its previous auction record of $240,000, set in 2020 at Heritage Auctions. The Flying Eagle Cent was the star of an auction that achieved an impressive total of $14,144,452.
This auction has a wide array of famous coins, including early dollars, Seated and Trade Dollars, Shield and Liberty Nickel patterns and Proofs, as well as an outstanding selection of early copper and U.S. gold coins.
Another standout result came from a 1915 Buffalo Nickel graded PR69 PCGS, which sold for $240,001.20.The previous record was broken by this coin, which more than tripled the previous auction price that had been unchallenged for more than 19 years. With a mintage of just 1,050 pieces from the Philadelphia Mint, many of these coins were initially unappreciated and some were likely melted after failing to sell. Today, about 700 examples are believed to survive in all grades. The coin sold in this auction is the finest example certified by PCGS, and experts believe it is the same coin listed as PR69 in the NGC census.
The two top-performing coins were part of The Greensboro Collection, Part XI, a highly regarded numismatic collection that made its debut at Heritage Auctions during the 2012 ANA National Money Show in Dallas. This collection includes a superb set of Flying Eagle Cents, Indian Head Cents, and Buffalo Nickels, most in Proof condition. Many of these coins, which come in grades ranging from PR65 to PR69 such as Cameos, Red Cameos, and some of the most famous CAC-approved examples, have been preserved in older-generation holders.
Another highlight was a magnificent 1870-CC Liberty Double Eagle graded AU Details NGC, which sold for $216,000. There are only an estimated 55 to 65 surviving copies of this coin, which makes it a historic rarity in the Type Two Double Eagle series. It is considered the rarest issue in the series, both in terms of absolute and condition rarity.
A stunning PR63 Cameo NGC CAC evaluated 1879 Flowing Hair Stella fetched in $156,000. Due to its rarity and popularity as a numismatic prize, collectors highly value this famous pattern coin, which is defined as Judd-1635. From October 1879 to May 1880, just 425 1879 Flowing Hair Stella coins were submitted as part of three-coin pattern sets that also included the Goloid Metric Dollar and the 1879 Goloid Dollar.
Another coin that reached $156,000 was a 1931 Double Eagle graded MS64+ PCGS. With only 31 examples graded MS64 and five graded MS64+, this coin is one of the scarcer late-date Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles. Experts estimate that only about 110 examples survive in all grades, making it a rare treasure.
A 1915-S Panama-Pacific Fifty Dollar coin graded MS64 NGC sold for $114,000. This $50 “slug” is part of a five-coin commemorative set created for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Although 1,500 coins were authorized for each $50 variety, only 483 examples of the Round version were distributed, making it the lowest net mintage of any U.S. commemorative coin.
The auction also featured a 1795 Capped Bust Right Eagle graded AU58 NGC, which realized $108,000. This coin was part of the Carolina Classics Collection and is a significant piece of U.S. history, as gold coins for circulation were first minted in 1795. Only 5,583 Capped Bust Right Eagle coins were manufactured, and it is thought that some of them were made in 1796 using dies dated 1795. With an estimated 90–110 surviving examples in all grades, the coin offered at auction is an example of the BD-2 variation.
Visit the Heritage Auctions website at coins.ha.com for details more about the 1856 Flying Eagle Cent and other auction highlights.