A rich variety of coins including many collector favorites sold at Scotsman Auction Co.’s Nov. 3 Collectors’ Auction at the Saint Charles Convention Center in Missouri. A few higher-end gold coins failed to meet their reserves, including a 1930-S Saint-Gaudens $20 double eagle, graded Mint State 63+ by Professional Coin Grading Service and bearing a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker, that was estimated to bring $85,000 to $100,000. However, popular collector coins including a nice group of Morgan dollars performed admirably in the auction, which totaled $1,374,140.

Here's one of those Morgan dollars from Scotman’s sale:

The Lot:

1882 Morgan silver dollar, Proof 68 Cameo

The Price:

$33,523

The Story: 

Among the most beautiful offerings in the Scotsman auction was an 1882 Morgan dollar graded Proof 68 Cameo by PCGS that is counted among the finest Proof dollars of the date known. Scotsman writes, “One can scarcely envision it being a technically better example,” before observing, “The contrast between mirrors and textured devices rivals that of many so-called Deep Cameo Morgan dollars.”

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Finding a flaw on Proofs at this grade level requires both patience and magnification. As the cataloger notes, “A tiny lint mark flutters well out in front of Liberty’s lips and provides a suitable pedigree marker, which is fortunate since there are virtually no other aberrations that can be found otherwise.”

Mysterious zinc cent discovered in antique store. A 1982 Lincoln cent and cent blanks encased in acrylic are possibly employees’ souvenirs from when the Ball Corp. began supplying the Mint with cent planchets.

Both sides display just a bit of apricot-gold color at the rims. The well-preserved Morgan dollar carried an estimate of $32,000 to $36,000 and sold for $33,523, perhaps destined for an impressive type set.