An example of an 1852 annular gold dollar pattern intended as a possible alternative for the inconvenient size of the Coronet gold dollar is among the lots to be offered in five sessions combined of United States coins and paper money Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 by Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers.

The five sessions comprise 2,191 lots, with the first 334 lots comprising the first session representing early U.S. copper coins from the Tom Reynolds Collection.

More than 600 additional lots of copper coin, half cents and large cents not from the Tom Reynolds Collection are being offered in the second session immediately following the Reynolds lots.

The first two sessions are being held at the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City at Beverly Hills hotel, 2151 Avenue Of The Stars, Los Angeles, on Jan. 31.

Sessions Three, Four and Five on Feb. 1 are to be held at the Goldbergs’ auction gallery at 11400 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 800, in Los Angeles.

A 17.5 percent buyer's fee will be added to the final closing hammer price of each lot won. Lots for sessions two through five can be found here.

Among the noncopper coins to be offered are an annular 1852 gold dollar pattern, a 1795 Flowing Hair half dime, and a Proof 1856 Seated Liberty dollar.

1852 gold dollar pattern

In an effort to make more convenient use of the gold dollar, the U.S. Mint produced annular gold dollar patterns as a possible alternative for the 13-millimeter coins.

The annular design allowed for the increase in diameter to 16.54 millimeters without changing the thickness.

The 1852-dated example offered Feb. 1 is copper-nickel with a plain edge, and attibuted as the Judd 140 variety in United States Pattern Coins by J. Hewitt Judd, edited by Q. David Bowers. It is graded and encapsulated Proof 66 by Professional Coin Grading Servcice and stickered by Certified Acceptance Corp.

The obverse depicts the letters U S A and the date 1852 on the obverse with the reverse that shows seven pairs of laurel leaves with two berries each around.

The Judd book identifies the Judd 140 piece as a restrike, having been produced circa 1859 for collectors.

A total of 12 examples of the pattern variety are reported extant.

The example in the Goldbergs’ sale is offered with an estimate of $8,000 to $9,000.

1795 Flowing Hair half dime

Graded and encapsulated PCGS About Uncirculated 50, the 1795 Flowing Hair half dime is identified as the LM-10 variety as attrobuted by Russell J. Logan and John W. McCloskey in Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837.

Although Flowing Hair half dimes exist dated 1794 and 1795, production at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia was all executed in 1795.

The combined mintage is 86,416, but there are no records existing that suggest exactly how many of each date were produced. 

Research suggests that 10 percent of the total reflect 1794-dated coins with the remainder dated 1795.

It is estimated that only 1,750 of the production dated 1795 were delivered by the coiner.

The example in the Goldbergs’ sale carries an estimate of $5,500 to $6,000.

1856 Seated Liberty half dollar

The Seated Liberty half dollar exhibits light blue toning on both obverse and reverse and is graded and encapsulated Proof 66 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp.

No more than 25 examples are believed to have been struck at the Philadelphia Mint.

Authors Randy Wiley and Bill Bugert indicate in The Complete Guide to Liberty Seated Half Dollars that fewer than 25 Proof 1856 Seated Liberty half dollars are known. Combined submissions to NGC and PCGS total three dozen, with some of the examples likely reflecting coins submitted more than once. PCGS CoinFacts suggests 20 to 25 examples are extant.

The coin in the Goldbergs’ sale carries a pre-sale estimate of $18,000 to $20,000.