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PCGS Selects “Ten Most Famous U.S. Ultra Rarities” For Set Registry^SM

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The Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) is expanding its popular Set RegistrySM program to include a special section entitled, “Famous U.S. Coins.” This new addition will feature high profile coins in various combinations, and the first “set” is described as “The Ten Most Famous United States Ultra Rarities.”

“Collectors frequently see references to ‘the Eliasberg Collection,’ or the ‘Norweb’ or ‘Neil’ collections, but sometimes they don’t realize the historical significance, great rarity or fantastic quality of many of the coins with those pedigrees,” said David Hall, PCGS Founder. “We have created the PCGS Top Ten Most Famous United States Ultra Rarities Set Registry to showcase these renowned coins.”

The initial Top Ten list includes coins from the collections of Louis E. Eliasberg, Adolphe Menjou, Will W. Neil, Waldo Newcomer, the Norweb Family, and the Smithsonian/National Numismatic Collection.

The PCGS Board of Experts – including David Hall, John Dannreuther, Gordon Wrubel, Bruce Amspacher, Ron Howard, Jim Halperin and Anthony Terranova – reached a consensus opinion on the coins in the PCGS Ten Most Famous U.S. Ultra Rarities (in order of denominations):

• 1913 Liberty Head nickel

• 1894-S Barber dime

• 1876-CC twenty-cent piece

• 1838-O half dollar

• 1804 $1 (Original or Restrike)

• 1870-S Seated Liberty dollar

• 1885 Trade Dollar

• $4 “Stella” (1879 or 1880) Coiled Hair

• 1907 Ultra High Relief Saint-Gaudens $20

• 1927-D Saint-Gaudens $20

The interactive PCGS Set Registry was launched in February 2001 as an online forum for collectors to list and build their collections. The Registry ranks sets in order of grade point average, completion and overall rating. There are more than 11,500 sets now registered encompassing every major U.S. coin series, Canadian, British and Euro coinage, according to BJ Searls, Set Registry Manager.

Here is a capsule summary of six celebrated collections that each contained all or many of the coins in the PCGS Top Ten Most Famous U.S. Ultra Rarities list:

Eliasberg:

Baltimore banker Louis E. Eliasberg accomplished what many collectors have tried to do and failed: he built a complete collection of United States coins that included every date and mintmark combination known to exist at the time. As a result, he also owned every one of the Top Ten Most Famous U.S. Ultra Rarities. No one else has come even close; not the Norwebs, not Neil, not even our own National Collection! Plus, many of Eliasberg’s coins were exceptionally nice. “What an accomplishment! What a role model!” said Hall.

The Ultra Rarities list Eliasberg coins are a 1913 Liberty Head nickel (Proof-66); 1894-S Barber dime (PR-66); 1876-CC twenty-cent piece (Mint State-65); 1838-O half dollar (PR-64); 1804 $1 Type I original (PR-64); 1870-S Seated Liberty dollar (AU-50); 1885 Trade Dollar (PR-65); $4 (1879 or 1880) Coiled Hair (PR-66); 1907 Ultra High Relief $20 gold (PR-67); and 1927-D $20 (MS-65).

Neil:

Will W. Neil’s collection of U.S. coins was sold in 1947 by B. Max Mehl, a flamboyant Texas dealer. The Neil auction catalog, containing seven of the top ten coins on the PCGS list, was rated “A+” by numismatic expert John Adams (who has examined all of the early U.S. coin catalogs for content and quality). Neil’s 1913 Liberty nickel was an exceptional Proof-64 from the King Farouk Collection. He also owned an 1804 dollar and examples of both the Flowing Hair and Coiled Hair 1880 Stellas. “Neil’s numismatic legacy lives through Mehl’s catalog and the memory of his fabulous collection,” said Ron Guth, PCGS’ Director of Numismatic Research.

The significant Neil coins include a 1913 Liberty Head nickel (PR-64); 1894-S Barber dime (PR-60); 1876-CC twenty-cent piece (AU-55); 1838-O half dollar (PR-63); 1804 $1 Type III restrike (PR-50); 1870-S Seated Liberty dollar (AU-50); and $4 Coiled Hair (PR-64).

Menjou:

Adolphe Menjou was an acclaimed, debonair American actor whose wonderful coin collection was sold in 1950 by legendary dealers Abe Kosoff and Abner Kreisberg. It was billed as “the most comprehensive listing of United States coinage ever offered at public auction.” Although unknown to many collectors today, Menjou’s name and coins “rose like thick cream on the top of fresh milk” when the PCGS Ten Most Famous U.S. Coin Rarities list was compiled. “The Menjou catalog contained five of the ten coins on our list, including an 1894-S dime and an ultra-rare 1885 Trade Dollar,” said Guth.

The Menjou coins on the PCGS “Ultra” list are 1894-S Barber dime (PR-60); 1876-CC twenty-cent piece (MS-65); 1838-O half dollar (PR-60); 1870-S Seated Liberty dollar (VF-30); and 1885 Trade Dollar (PR-64).

Newcomer

Baltimore banker Waldo Newcomer's collection of U.S. Colonial, regular issue, and Pioneer and Territorial gold coins was perhaps the finest collection NEVER to appear at a public auction. In 1932, Texas dealer B. Max Mehl purchased the Newcomer collection intact (except for the pattern coins) and immediately advertised his intent to auction the coins with the following caveat, "I am not making any promises as to just when the catalog will be ready." Unfortunately (for researchers today), the catalog never appeared, as Mehl sold all of the gold coins and other important rarities directly to Colonel E.H.R. Green in the summer of 1932. “Recently, PCGS purchased a complete inventory listing of the collection, giving us an unprecedented look at Newcomer's accomplishments: gathering together six of the Top Ten Most Famous U.S. Ultra Rarities is quite a feat in our eyes!,” said Guth.

Newcomer’s coins now on the Ultra list are an 1894-S Barber dime (PR-60); 1876-CC twenty-cent piece (MS-63); 1838-O half dollar (PR-63); 1804 $1 Type III restrike (PR-58); 1870-S Seated Liberty dollar (AU-50); and 1885 Trade Dollar (PR-64).

Norweb Family

Like father, like daughter. As a young girl, Emery May Holden learned the love of coins from her father, Albert Holden, publisher of the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper and an active collector from 1910 to 1913. Decades later, Emery May and her husband, Ambassador R. Henry Norweb, resumed collecting in a big way, expanding the family collection with purchases from great sales such as the Palace Collection of Egypt’s deposed King Farouk in 1954. “They assembled one of the classic numismatic collections of the 20th century, including fabulous rarities not included in the PCGS Top Ten list,” said Guth.”

The Norweb’s “Ultra” list coins are a 1913 Liberty Head nickel (PR-55, cleaned); 1894-S Barber dime (PR-62); 1876-CC twenty-cent piece (MS-65); 1838-O half dollar (PR-64); 1870-S Seated Liberty dollar (AU-58); 1885 Trade Dollar (PR-63); and 1907 Ultra High Relief $20 gold (PR-68).

Smithsonian/National Numismatic Collection

Now at the Smithsonian Institution, the National Numismatic Collection was formed in 1838 with coins set aside by Mint employee, Adam Eckfeldt. New coins were added each year as they were made, but no attention was paid to mintmarks until much later. “That’s why you won’t find an 1876-CC twenty-cent piece or an 1870-S Seated Liberty silver dollar in the National Collection,” said Guth. “However, you will find six of the Top Ten Most Famous U.S. Coins in a collection worthy of our nation’s pride.”

The top National Collection coins are a 1913 Liberty Head nickel (PR-55, cleaned, ex Norweb); 1838-O half dollar (PR-63); 1804 $1 Class I Original (PR-63) and Class II and III Restrikes (both PR-63); 1879 and 1880 Coiled Hair Stellas (both PR-64); 1907 Ultra High Relief $20 gold (PR-68); and 1927-D $20 (MS-65)

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