Coins & Money

The Top Trophy Coin Sales of 2021 (Over 20 at $1 Million or More)

The year 2021 was a year of trophy coins selling for record prices. Trophy coins are exciting because on top of the usual high-end coin buyers they have started to attract investors who may not have previously been among the top coin buyers. The list of $1 million and higher coin sales of 2021 covers key sales that are known.

Collectors Dashboard evaluates high-end collectibles as an alternative asset class. The same capital that could have been invested into stocks or bonds is being used to buy high-end collectibles. Numismatic collectors may have a passion to own certain coins and numismatic items for quite a long time. The investor class within collectibles would be solely buying coins to sell for a hopeful profit at a later date. The reality is that collectors and investors are now routinely fighting for who can win in auctions.

As there are potential million-dollar deals that happen outside the publicity of auction houses, what has also not been included is whether or not any of these trophy coins have made it into the fractional ownership platforms that sell shares in these just as if they were stocks.

What is not included in this list is the so-called “Baby Cas” of the 25 Bitcoin embedded within a coin that sold for about $1.7 million. That and other embedded crypto coins will have to be done on its own features as they are not the traditional coins that true numismatists would go after. Other sales which may not be covered are if they came from other non-U.S. auctions or if they came from private transactions which were not well publicized (or not made public at all).

Lastly, as some auction houses have not made their formal announcements, this list is preliminary and could be subject to change in order by dollars or if any adjustments have been made.

These are the key trophy coin sales we have tracked over 2021 with sale prices over $1 million.

1933 Double Eagle Gem Brilliant Uncirculated PCGS MS65 CAC sold for $18,872,250 on June 8, 2021. Sotheby’s from the Stuart Weitzman Collection, image below by Sotheby’s.

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 1. The 1933 Double Eagle.

1787 DBLN New York-Style Brasher Doubloon EB on Wing MS65 NGC CAC sold for $9,360,000 on January 21, 2021 after 69 bids. Heritage Auctions. (Image below by Heritage Auctions, courtesy of NGC Photo Vision)

Colonials, 1787 DBLN New York-Style Brasher Doubloon, EB on Wing, MS65★ NGC. CAC. W-5840....

1822 Capped Head Left Half Eagle AU-50 PCGS sold for $8,400,000 on March 26, 2021. Stacks Bowers (Image below by Stacks Bowers).

1804 Draped Bust Silver Dollar Class I Original Proof-68 PCGS sold for $7,680,000 on August 18, 2021. Stacks Bowers (Image below by Stacks Bowers).

1861 $20 Paquet MS67 PCGS CAC sold for $7,200,000 on August 18, 2021 after 75 bids. Heritage Auctions (Image available at sale site and via GreatCollections.com).

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1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, MS66+ PCGS CAC sold for $6,600,000 on August 18, 2021 after 54 bids. Heritage Auctions (Image below by Heritage Auctions).

Early Dollars, 1794 $1 B-1, BB-1, R.4, MS66+ PCGS. CAC....

1804 $10 Plain 4 PR65+ Deep Cameo PCGS CAC sold for $5,280,000 on January 20, 2021 after 60 bids. Heritage Auctions (Image below by Heritage Auctions).

Proof Early Eagles, 1804 $10 Plain 4, BD-2, JD-1, Judd-33, High R.7, PR65+ Deep Cameo PCGS. CAC....

1907 Saint-Gaudens Ultra High Relief sold for a record $4.75 million in a private transaction between GreatCollections Coin Auctions of Irvine, California and Heritage Auctions of Dallas, Texas. (Image below by GreatCollections)

Photo of Close-Up of 1907 Ultra High Relief UHR Saint-Gaudens Obverse, Purchased by GreatCollections

1907 $20 Ultra High Relief Normal Edge Lettering PR68 NGC sold for $3,600,000 on February 24, 2021 after 30 bids. Heritage Auctions (Image below by Heritage Auctions).

Proof High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 Ultra High Relief, Normal Edge Lettering, PR68 NGC. JD-3, Low R.7....

1792 Silver Center Cent SP67 Brown PCGS CAC sold for $2,520,000 on January 20, 2021 after 52 bids. Heritage Auctions (Image below by Heritage Auctions)

Large Cents, 1792 P1C One Cent, Judd-1, Pollock-1, High R.6, SP67 Brown PCGS. CAC....

1937 Edward VIII gold Proof Pattern 5 Pounds PR67 Ultra Cameo NGC sold for $2,280,000 on March 26, 2021 after 42 bids. Heritage Auctions.

Great Britain, Great Britain: Edward VIII gold Proof Pattern 5 Pounds 1937 PR67 Ultra Cameo NGC,...

Republic Chang Tso-lin silver Pattern “Mukden Tiger” Dollar Year 17 (1928) MS62 NGC sold for $2,160,000 on December 11, 2021 after 28 bids. Heritage Auctions.

China, China: Republic Chang Tso-lin silver Pattern "Mukden Tiger" Dollar Year 17 (1928) MS62 NGC,...

1786 DBLN Brasher Lima Doubloon MS61 NGC CAC sold for $2,100,000 on January 21, 2021 after 78 bids. Heritage Auctions.

Colonials, 1786 DBLN Brasher Lima Doubloon MS61 NGC. CAC. W-5820....

1885 T$1 Trade PR63+ Cameo PCGS CAC – a ‘ Trade Dollar’ sold for $2,100,000 on January 20, 2021 after 29 bids. Heritage Auctions.

Proof Trade Dollars, 1885 T$1 Trade PR63+ Cameo PCGS. CAC....

These are the remaining $1+ million sales that were seen in 2021, again noting that the list is a preliminary list that may not be complete before year-end:

  • 1921 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle PR64+ NGC CAC sold for $2,010,000 on August 18, 2021 after 38 bids. Heritage Auctions.
  • 1880 $4 Coiled Hair PR67 Cameo NGC sold for $1,860,000 on February 24, 2021 after 27 bids. Heritage Auctions.
  • 1870-CC $20 AU53 PCGS variety 1-A sold for $1,620,000 on November 11, 2021 after 46 bids. Heritage Auctions.
  • 1839 Victoria Gold Proof “Una and the Lion” 5 Pounds PR66 Ultra Cameo NGC sold for $1,440,000 on August 19, 2021 after 21 bids. Heritage Auctions.
  • 1796 $2 1/2 Stars on Obverse MS65 PCGS CAC sold for $1,380,000 on January 20, 2021 after 32 bids. Heritage Auctions.
  • 1792 Quarter Dollar AU58 NGC sold for $1,260,000 on April 24, 2021 after 64 bids. Heritage Auctions.
  • Hsüan-t’ung silver Proof Pattern “Long-Whiskered Dragon” Dollar Year 3 (1911) PR63 NGC sold for $1,200,000 on December 11, 2021 after 19 bids. Heritage Auctions.
  • 1776 Continental Dollar VF35 NGC CAC sold for $1,140,000 on April 22, 2021 after 40 bids. Heritage Auctions.
  • 1866 $1 No Motto PR63+ PCGS CAC sold for $1,050,000 on April 23, 2021 after 58 bids. Heritage Auctions.

This large amount of $1 million (plus) sales in trophy coins sets the stage for the coming Long Beach Expo starting February 17, 2022. The Expo and Heritage have already started taking consignments for that event.