NY City auction guest commentary

A quartet of twenty-five cent pieces took center stage as Heritage presented Part Four of the Eugene H. Gardner Collection in New York, October 28. This final section of the collection, devoted to Gene Gardner's duplicates, upgrades, and specialty pieces that were not part of his core sets, raised nearly $5.9 million overall. All prices include a 17.5% Buyer's Premium. Two highly-prized early Carson City quarters vied for top honors in this auction. A 1871-CC quarter, at AU55 PCGS the sole finest non-Mint State example, and the third or fourth finest of the date overall, sold for $79,312.50. Amazingly, one of the finer coins was sold in one of the earlier sessions of the Gardner collection! A second CC mint rarity, the 1873-CC with Arrows, also graded AU55 by PCGS, sold for $76,375. Only two coins have been certified any finer of this issue, the sole Carson City representative of the short-lived Arrow, With Motto subtype. Equaling the 1873-CC's result of $76,375 was an 1820 quarter, Medium 0, graded MS66 by PCGS. Only two 1820 quarters, regardless of variety, have been certified in higher grades, and this highly appealing example will undoubtedly bring a great deal of pleasure to its new owner. The final quarter at the top of the roster for this auction is the 1850 Proof, the second finest of only four known, graded Proof-65 by NGC. This coin bears a pedigree back to its original purchase from the Mint in 1850, and long resided in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.