Heritage’s Aug. 10 offering of the Harry W. Bass Jr. Core Collection, Part IV, will build on the success of Heritage’s first three auctions, which have realized nearly $63 million.

The proceeds of the sales, featuring material on display in the American Numismatic Association Money Museum for the past several decades, will benefit Dallas-area nonprofit organizations supporting education and literacy.

Among the littlest offerings in the auction is an 1855-O Indian Head gold dollar graded Mint State 64+ by Professional Coin Grading Service and carrying a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker. It represents the Small Head (Type Two) design, which was produced at the New Orleans Mint only in 1855.

Just a few Mint State survivors remain from an original mintage of 55,000.

The roster of significant examples included in Heritage’s cataloging cites the Bass example as the second finest-known, trailing one graded MS-65+ by Numismatic Guaranty Corp. that realized $75,000 at a 2021 Heritage sale.

Bass acquired his example in 1967 from John Rowe and Mike Brownlee.

Heritage writes, “This satiny near-Gem has brilliant yellow-gold luster and hints of orange toning on each side with an exceptional strike for the issue,” observing only a “few scattered, grade-limiting marks,” that prevent a Gem grade.

Unique Proof 1832 $2.50?

An apparently unique 1832 Capped Head, Reduced Diameter $2.50 quarter eagle graded Proof 63 by PCGS is the sole example designated Proof by PCGS.

John Dannreuther wrote in his book United States Proof Coins, Volume IV: Gold, “The Harry Bass Core Collection coin has been doubted by some, but its choice condition belies those who question its striking status, as it is a special coin. It was even questioned by Bass, who was very conservative in declaring coins Proofs, especially when they were very rare in that striking status.”

Bass was known for being conservative when he made a numismatic call about whether one of his coins was Proof (or not).

As Ron Guth and Jeff Garrett have observed, “This is another date where fantasy and reality diverge, where true Proofs and Prooflike early strikes are difficult to tell apart. Because of the extreme rarity of Proofs of this date, there is intense pressure to elevate Prooflike examples to full Proof status.”

Dannreuther speculates that it may have been part of the U.S. Mint Cabinet at one time, as this date is missing from that collection, while surrounding Proof issues are included. It was purchased by Bass in a March 1978 auction by Superior Galleries.

Such luster on 1803/2 $5

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful pieces in the present Bass offering is a PCGS MS-66 1803/2 Capped Bust, Heraldic Eagle $5 half eagle that is considered the finest-known, and the sole MS-66 at either PCGS or NGC. It was acquired by Bass on Feb. 29, 1972, in a private transaction by Bowers and Ruddy.

Cataloged as the BD-3 variety, it is of a late die state and extensive die cracks on the obverse suggest that it is among the last pieces struck from this die. Four die varieties are recorded for this date, each of them featuring the 3/2 overdate.

Heritage writes, “It will come as no surprise that this superlative survivor is immaculate in every sense of the word. Mint luster is frosty and vibrant, the green and yellow-gold surfaces are virtually unabraded, and the strike is razor-sharp.” Imperfections are limited to a few hairlines and superficial ticks, while a “few light splashes of coppery color” are seen on both sides, further confirming the originality.

Final date of design type

Two distinct types of the digit four complete the date on the 1804 Capped Bust, Heraldic Eagle $10 eagles: BD-1 exhibits a Crosslet 4 and was used on circulation strike coins and BD-2 features a Plain 4 and appears on the extremely rare Proof strikes of the date.

The offered BD-1 coin, graded MS-63+, is the second finest-known, with both sides featuring multiple die cracks that identify it as die state b/b.

Today around 100 survive, and it is in demand as the final-dated issue of the design type.

Mintage figures are open to interpretation for the issue, with the “Red Book” using 3,757 as the mintage, representing the last two deliveries of the denomination in late December 1804.

The offered piece was acquired by Bass in 1982 at the Bowers and Ruddy’s auction of gold coins from the collection of Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. Of it, Heritage writes, “This brilliant green-gold example shows satin luster with delicate coppery-orange overtones. A few trivial obverse marks prompted an obverse grade of MS63 in the Eliasberg catalog, while the pristine reverse was graded MS65 to MS67 in that catalog,” noting that the 1982-sale pre-dates third-party certification.