The Historic Coins & Medals auction at Sotheby's New York totaled $5,1 million, with an incredibly strong 98,5% of all lots sold. Of the 202 pieces offered today, 89% realized prices above their high estimates.
The sale centered on the Ralph and Lois Stone collection – one of the finest collections ever formed, with exceptionally high levels of preservation. The Stone Collection also had the two best lots of the sale; one silver dollar, 1884-S, PCGS MS 67 CAC and one silver dollar, 1893-S, PCGS MS 65 CAC, each selling for $735.000, winning the second-highest price ever for a Morgan dollar at auction.
From the collection of Ralph and Lois Stone: Silver Dollar, 1884-S, PCGS MS 67 CAC, estimate $300/500,000 Sold for $735,000
One of the rarest silver dollars to find so perfectly preserved. There are no auction records of any example anywhere near as good as Stone's example ever to appear at public auction. This was purchased from the collection of a legendary man in silver dollar collecting circles, Jack Lee.
From the collection of Ralph and Lois Stone: Silver Dollar, 1892-S, PCGS MS 67 CAC, estimate $300/500,000 auctioned for $735,000
This is one of the best known examples of this classic rarity. Only 100.000 were struck, making it the rarest date struck for circulation in the series. The date is one of only two included in Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth's standard book, 100 Greatest US Coins.
Silver Dollar, 1892-S, PCGS MS 67 CAC, estimate $250/350,000 awarded for $495,000
This extraordinary coin was once called by the founder of PCGS “the best 92-S I have ever seen”. It was in the collection of the late silver dollar collector Dr. George Bodway, and was part of the PCGS 1990-1991. Tour of the “World's Most Beautiful Silver Dollars” exhibit, which brought together the best known examples from more than two dozen collections.
