The example arguably most famous of the 1804 Class III Draped Bust dollars and widely recognized as “the king of silver dollars” headlines an exceptional private collection that will be offered in Heritage’s registered trademark FUN US Coins Signature Auction Jan. 14 through 18.

The offered 1804 Class III Draped Bust dollar is one of just 16 known examples of the 1804 silver dollar. The coin in the January sale is one of just seven Class III examples, and one of four Class III coins not housed in a museum collection.

“This is an incredible coin, because of its historical significance and its utter rarity,” says Todd Imhof, executive vice president at Heritage Auctions. “Very few examples exist. Six are in museums, meaning this is one of just 10 examples worldwide in private hands. It’s an incredibly rare and significant coin, and one that immediately will become a centerpiece of a new collection.”

Several of the Class III 1804 dollars are among the most famous of all 1804 dollars and represent several of the museum pieces known today. Among the most notable are the famous DuPont coin, stolen in 1967 from the DuPont family estate by a band of thieves, later recovered in the early 1980s and subsequently donated to the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, and the Idler coin, which last appeared at auction in 1985 and was subsequently donated to the ANA.

The Adams-Carter coin, offered in this auction, is arguably the most prominent fixture among the Class III coins, boasting one of the longest known provenances of any of them and ranking for decades as the finest Class III dollar still in private hands. This was the 1804 dollar owned by many of the most prominent collectors, with stints in some of the most significant numismatic collections. Its history began with Captain John W. Haseltine, and it later held spots in several elite collections, including but not limited to those of Phineas Adams, Amon G. Carter Sr., Waldo Newcomer and “Colonel” E.H.R. Green.

The FUN auction will mark the second time the extraordinary Adams-Carter Class III 1804 dollar has been offered at Heritage, where it sold in 2009 for $2.3 million then graded by Professional Coin Grading Service as Proof-58, at the time the finest available.

This is just one of the exceptional offerings among the 41 lots from the Presidio Collection that Heritage will be offering at FUN.

The Presidio Collection boasts an enhanced type set of U.S. coins based on condition and rarity and including several coins that are listed in Jeff Garrett’s 100 Greatest U.S. Coins book. Part I is offered in the FUN auction; Heritage will offer Part II of the Presidio Collection in its CSNS Auction April 29 through May 3.

Also among the collection’s highlights being offered is the third-finest 1854-S Coronet Liberty quarter eagle, graded PCGS Extremely Fine 45 with a CAC green sticker. The 1854-S quarter eagle is one of the landmark rarities of the United States gold series. The coin was created during the height of the California Gold Rush, in the infancy of the San Francisco Mint, and released into circulation far from any numismatic eyes that might have taken notice. Of the 246 pieces struck, most have disappeared over their decades of use in the hard-money West. Currently only 13 examples  are known.

Complete details are found at ha.com.

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