A  selection of rare and historic gold dollar coins soared to $3.28 million in a special Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction held Sept. 12, presented on behalf of the United States Mint.

Featured was a group of seven Judd-2190 pattern Proof 2000-W Sacagawea .9167 fine (22-karat) gold dollars that traveled nearly 2 million miles in orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in July 1999, on the first shuttle flight to be commanded by a woman, USAF Col. (now retired) Eileen Collins. (The Judd-2190 cataloging reference is to J. Hewitt Judd’s United States Pattern Coins, published in its 10th edition in 2009.)

Two of the seven Proof 2000-W Sacagawea gold dollars each sold for $550,000, new records across several categories. These are now tied as the most valuable U.S. gold dollars struck since the Civil War and the most valuable space flown federal coins sold at auction. They are the most valuable Sacagawea dollars ever sold, even surpassing records for the rare Sacagawea quarter mule errors and examples of the famous “Cheerios” variety. Additionally, they are the most valuable coin of any denomination with a W Mint mark (from West Point Mint). These record results represent more than 300 times the coins’ gold bullion value at the time of the sale.

Professional Coin Grading Service graded all seven of the coins as Proof 69 Deep Cameo prior to the sale. The lowest price among the space-flown pieces at auction was $360,000. All price records included an additional $1 to compensate the U.S. Mint for monetizing the previously unreleased coins.

Also featured in the special auction was the very first struck Proof 2025-W Sacagawea 25th Anniversary 24-karat (.9999 fine) gold dollar, produced for collector sales to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the series. This #1 struck coin sold for $120,000, confirming its status as one of the most important Sacagawea dollars struck in the 21st century. This price was more than 60 times the gold bullion value and more than 50 times the original issue price for the regular coins distributed by the U.S. Mint. Sales opened for the Proof 2025-W Sacagawea half-ounce .9999 fine gold dollar limited-edition 7,500-coin issue in July, priced at $2,175 each.

This sale is the fourth U.S. Mint special auction through Stack’s Bowers Galleries, following the firm’s $7.5 million sale of the 1933 Saint-Gaudens $20 in July 2002, the $4.6 million sale of the 35th Anniversary American Eagle coins in September 2022 and the $8.2 million sale of specially marked 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair coins in December 2024.

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