More than 200 fine furnishings to adorn a comfortable home are offered in an online auction to be conducted by Jasper52 on Tuesday, Feb. 5. The emphasis is on silver including items by Georg Jensen and Tiffany and Co.
Georg Jensen, sterling silver compote, Denmark. Estimate: $1,500-$2,000. Jasper52 image
Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.
Fine carpets have long symbolized wealth, status and majesty. King Henry VIII of England, for example, not only graced his walls, tables and cushions with precious Turkish weavings. In his famed portrait by Hans Holbein, the monarch actually stands on one.
Though Persian carpets first reached Europe in the 16th century, most on today’s market date no earlier than the mid-1800s. Their creators not only employed age-old methods of design, dyeing and weaving. Like their forefathers, they also had access to high-quality, moist, glossy sheep fleece.
Fine, high quality Tabriz carpet (70 raj), northwest Persia, circa 1940-1950, wool/silk, 11 feet 11 inches x 8 feet, realized $15,944 in 2016. Image courtesy Henry’s Auktionshaus AG and LiveAuctioneers
These works of art were woven on traditional handlooms featuring horizontal silk, cotton or wool strands, called wefts, along with adjacent vertical strands, called warps. Interweaving warps with dyed wefts produced patterned flat-weave carpets. Tying dyed, single-looped knots between the wefts, then compacting and cutting them, produced patterned pile-carpets, those with perpendicular surface yarns. Since this looping process was so time consuming, creating a narrow runner might take months. Creating a room- or palace-size piece might take years—even if worked by teams of weavers.
Characteristics of Persian carpets, like designs, color combinations and knotting techniques, are often specific to certain towns, villages or tribal regions. These are named for their ethnic creators or places of origin.
Fine Tabriz carpet (50 raj), northwest Persia, circa 1920-1930, wool/cotton, 11 feet 5 inches x 7 feet 12 inches, impressive colors with green tones, realized $9,680 in 2016. Image courtesy Henry’s Auktionshaus AG and LiveAuctioneers
Carpets produced in Tabriz, one of the oldest weaving centers in modern-day Iran, however, are among the finest. Whether simple or complex, geometric or pictorial, pale or vivid, pile or flat-weave, all feature harmonious, formal designs, balanced use of color and exceptional quality.
Many depict delicate, detailed, overall repeating patterns of stylized palmettes, vines, florals or arabesques framed by dominant borders in complementary shades and patterns. Others feature round, ovoid, pendant, blossom, star or diamond-shaped medallions filled with kaleidoscope-like bouquets of flowers. These dominant forms, set against rectangular fields of overall floral motifs, may be flanked by bold, rectilinear outlines or complimentary architectural, artistic adornments. Whether wool or silk, they are edged by geometric or floral work borders in varying widths and complexity.
Magnificent Tabriz palace-size carpet, cool palette with lace-like border, 11 feet x 17 feet, circa 1900, realized $11,000 in 2009. Image courtesy of Nazmiyal Auction and LiveAuctioneers
While the usual measurement in judging the quality of a Persian rug is knots per square inch, Tabriz pile carpets are traditionally rated according to raj, a term that indicates their knotted density. Raj represents the number of knots across 2¾ inches (7 centimeters) of a Tabriz rug. Pieces labeled 40 raj, for example, feature some 400-500 knots to a 2¾-inch span, 50 Raj feature 500-600 knots, 60 raj feature 600-800, and 70 feature 800-1,000 knots. Because carpets with high-knot densities allow exquisitely minute detail and shadings, they often display attractive, intricate designs.
Carpets with exceptionally high knot-density, like those by Haji Jalili, a master weaver and innovative designer based in the Tabriz region in the late 19th century, feature exquisitely detailed motifs and hues in traditional, curvilinear patterns. Moreover, some say, they shimmer like fine porcelain.
Hadji Jalili Tabriz carpet, Persia, circa 1900, fine mansion size: 17 feet 10 inches x 27 feet 9 inches, excellent condition, weight: 205 pounds, realized $25,000 in 2018. Image courtesy of Material Culture and LiveAuctioneers
Jalili’s carpets are famed for exceptional craftmanship, finest vegetable dyes and exceedingly lustrous materials. Many, instead of classic Tabriz deep reds and blues, feature distinctive, finely drawn overall design elements in pale gold, gray or pink palettes, some with traces of indigo blue. These are often set against subdued ivory, wheat, terra-cotta or sand-colored fields scrolled with subtly toned vines and arabesques. Other Jalili rugs feature surprisingly bright, vibrant central medallions against muted, flowered fields.
Though Haji Jalili, or his workshop, created masterpieces in limited numbers, various sizes occasionally appear on the market. Since many tend to vanish into private collections, however, they are increasing difficult to find.
Rare high density, wool/gold Tabriz carpet with 3-D weaving. impressive central medallion with floral design with highly impressive colors, 7 feet 10 inches x 9 feet 6 inches, realized $5,900 in 2015. Image courtesy Tiroche Auction House and Live Auctioneers
While rarity is important in evaluating an antique Tabriz carpet, its designer, pattern, color palette, uniqueness, dye source, knot density, age, condition and size also affect its worth. Though these carpets may prove costly, they are finite in number. So, as time goes by, each tends to hold or even increase in value. As a result, many collectors, decorators, dealers and private clients treasure these creations as long-term investments.
Moreover, Tabriz carpets, like fine paintings or other works of art, are exceptionally beautiful. Those who appreciate their fascinating blend of art, culture and design find that they enhance all decors. Many, as of old, display them on walls, or draped across sofas, chairs, or tables. Others, like royalty, place them beneath their feet.
An exquisite pair of Murano Intarsio glass vases, two French sterling silver tea sets by Puiforcat and Tetard Freres and several extensive sterling silver flatware sets top the list of fine home furnishings in a Jasper 52 online auction Jan. 29 titled Table to Ceiling: Decorative Art and Silver.
Murano Intarsio glass vases designed by Ercole Barovier for Barovier e Toso, 8½ in. tall x 4 in. wide. Estimate: $12,000-$14,000. Jasper52 image
Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.
A large map charting American aviator Charles A. Lindbergh’s historic flights is one of more than 100 collectible and antique maps offered in an online auction to be conducted by Jasper52 on Tuesday, Jan. 29. Ernest C. Clegg (1876-1954) a British-born artist, illustrator and pictorial cartographer created the Lindbergh map shortly after Lindbergh made the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight, from New York to Paris in May 1927.
Phelps’s National Map of the United States, a Travellers Guide, 1847, cartographers: J.M. Atwood and H. Phelps, 21 x 25.4 inches. Estimate: $600-$700. Jasper52 image
Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.
NEW YORK – Exuberantly colorful, majolica is often decorated with naturalistic and animalistic themes. Monkeys, rabbits, fish, birds and a menagerie of critters run wild – often molded in high relief – on planters, humidors, teapots, platters, pitchers, umbrella stands, candlesticks, tureens, jardinieres, covered cheese keepers and more.
Mastering the art of function with decoration, majolica’s greatest appeal arguably lies in its whimsy. Collectors crave scarce pieces such as a teapot decorated in the form of a spiny blowfish, a monkey hugging a teapot (his tail forms the handle) or a compote held aloft by a camel.
This rare George Jones majolica Four Continents compote depicting Asia, circa 1875, one of four known, sold for $16,000 in October 2016 at Strawser Auction Group. Photo courtesy of Strawser Auction Group and LiveAuctioneers
“We have found that people collect in many different ways. There are teapot collectors and cheese dish collectors, some collect specific makers like George Jones or Minton, and many collect majolica in general without any specifics,” said Michael G. Strawser, president of Strawser Auction Group in Wolcottville, Indiana, which holds a specialty majolica auction annually.
“Animal pieces have always been desirable. Some of the most valuable pieces have been teapots, animals and other various forms. Value is based on condition and rarity,” Strawser said.
A rare pair of Hugo Lonitz falcons, circa 1880, achieved $60,000 in October 2016 at Strawser Auction Group. Photo courtesy of Strawser Auction Group and LiveAuctioneers
As with any antiques genre, taste is highly subjective. “We have had collectors who wanted tobacco-related majolica, including humidors and match strikers. Most of the collections I have seen over the past 30 years have been varied and not specific to shape or maker. Collectors should always buy what they like,” Strawser said.
A whimsical Minton game tureen and cover, circa 1878, made $22,000 in October 2016 at Strawser Auction Group. Photo courtesy of Strawser Auction Group and LiveAuctioneers
According to the Majolica International Society, majolica debuted on the world’s stage in 1851, when Herbert Minton aided by French chemis Leon Arnoux, showcased majolica at an exhibition held at London’s Crystal Palace. The roots of English majolica, however, owe much to its predecessor, French Palissy ware, which was developed by Bernard Palissy in the mid-16th century. After much trial and effort, Palissy formulated five colors of lead glazes, giving rise to majolica pottery.
“The excitement generated by the richly colored majolica inspired Minton artists to develop art revival styles parallel to those of the Renaissance, Palissy design, Gothic revival and medieval styles, naturalism (by far the most prolific), Oriental and Islamic styles, and figural pieces, both human and mythological,” says a commentary on the society’s website.
A rare, important, and monumental Minton ‘Prometheus’ vase, circa 1875, earned $38,000 in October 2015 at Strawser Auction Group. Photo courtesy of Strawser Auction Group and LiveAuctioneers
Including Minton, several English firms were renowned for majolica, and their best and rarest pieces are highly collectible to this day. Minton made pieces for both the garden and the home, especially dining pieces, which, at the height of the Art Nouveau era, featured a bevy of naturalistic designs. Perennially popular patterns included corn, pineapples, fish, leaves and lilies.
A decade after Minton introduced majolica, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons put its own stamp on the opaque tin-glazed pottery, fashioning pieces that were often more staid and traditional than Minton but still as colorful and sometimes just as whimsical. Its lobster and fish platters are much sought after.
Another name many veteran collectors chase, and whose pieces typically bring top dollar, is George Jones & Son, who learned well from Minton during his seven-year apprenticeship there. At once beautiful and ornate, yet indisputably amusing, George Jones pieces are as well made as any majolica made by Minton or Wedgwood. The best-loved George Jones majolica pieces include compotes, covered cheese keepers and game dishes.
While not very valuable, this creamer by Griffen, Smith & Hill in the Shell and Seaweed pattern is appealing for its shell decoration and creamy pink hue on the inside.
Following the U.S. Centennial in 1876, the American pottery movement embraced majolica – just about the same time it was falling out of favor in England. One of the leading American manufacturers was Pennsylvania-based Griffen, Smith and Hill, whose Shell and Seaweed pattern was well received. Majolica was also made by several firms in Trenton, New Jersey; Baltimore, Keene, New Hampshire; and Ohio.
Strawer noted that majolica that was made between the 1870s to 1890s seems to be the most coveted by collectors. “George Jones and Minton are the most desirable pieces of majolica, however other makers are also sought after, including Hugo Lonitz, which made some highly detailed animal and bird pieces,” he said. “Etruscan made by Griffen, Smith & Hill in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, is the most common American majolica company.”
A Hugo Lonitz majolica game tureen with a deer atop its cover brought $19,000 in January 2018 at Nadeau’s Auction Gallery. Photo courtesy of Nadeau’s Auction Gallery and LiveAuctioneers
While demand remains high for rare majolica, prices have fallen for the more common pieces. This further reinforces Strawser’s recommendation that collectors should buy what appeals to them, not what they think – rightly or wrongly – might increase in value.
The world’s top jewelry designers are represented in an exclusive Jasper52 fine jewelry auction to be conducted Wednesday, Jan. 23. Approximately 370 lots of gold necklaces, diamond earrings, brooches, charms and pendants will cross the auction block.
Vintage Tiffany 18K gold textured bangle bracelet, 51 grams. Estimate: $4,000-$5,000. Jasper52 image
Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.
The New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association (NHADA), one of the largest organizations of its kind, consists of nearly 300 knowledgeable members dedicated to integrity and fairness in all business dealings. The NHADA has teamed up with Jasper52 to present a January 24 auction featuring items consigned solely by members of the prestigious trade organization. Jasper52 helps select auction houses, dealers, galleries and now associations to conduct themed auctions whose goods are vetted by auctioneers and appraisers.
Dentzel carved goat carousel figure in original paint, 1910, Philadelphia. Estimate: $30,000-$35,000. NHADA and Jasper52 image
Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.
Liberty, Eagle, Morgan, Peace, Eisenhower and Sacagawea are a few of the better-known US dollar coins. Most are silver, but some are gold, while others are just “golden” in color. But to trace the origin of dollar coins, we must go back 500 years to a small town in Bohemia.
First, there was the Joachimsthaler …
By 1518, the Counts of Shlick in the town of Joachimsthal in the Kingdom of Bohemia were mining their own silver to create the Joachimsthaler, their own local silver coin. As the coin caught on elsewhere, it became known simply as a “thaler.” Over time,”‘thaler” was translated as “dollar,” which became the official currency adopted by the new United States and eventually by at least 20 other countries as far afield as Hong Kong, Australia and Liberia.
An early example of an original Dutch Thaler that stabilized the weight of silver, eventually becoming the dollar. Courtesy: LiveAuctioneers and Captain Ahab’s Antiques
Then, the ‘Piece of Eight’
Just as the US dollar is the most ubiquitous currency today, the Spanish dollar, or “piece of eight,” was the world’s currency beginning in 1598 and remained legal tender in the United States until 1857. It was equal to the thaler in size and weight but was more accessible. During the colonial era, England insisted that the colonies supply them with silver and reduced its silver coinage accordingly. The Spanish dollar filled the void until the Coinage Act of 1792 changed all that.
The United States adopts a currency
Once the US Constitution was adopted, the new Congress was able to provide more economic stability in the national economy through its standardized coinage. President George Washington signed the Coinage Act of 1792, which officially adopted the dollar as the national currency within a decimal system, making the United States the first country to do so.
Mint marks were added to coins to show which US Mint produced them. Initially, there were nine US Mints, beginning with Philadelphia (no mint mark until 1980 when P was used). Subsequent marks were: C for Charlotte, North Carolina; D for Dahlonega, Georgia (1838-1861); O for New Orleans; S for San Francisco; CC for Carson City, Nevada; D for Denver (1906-present); M for Manila, The Philippines; and W for West Point, New York.
Silver Dollars Were the First
A total of eight silver dollars have been issued by the US Mints since 1794, with the American Eagle being the most recent.
The first dollar minted after the Coinage Act of 1792, this Flowing Hair Dollar example sold for $1,800 in 2012. Courtesy: LiveAuctioneers and Kennedys Auction Service LLC
Flowing Hair Dollar (1794-1795; no mint mark)
The Flowing Hair Dollar was the first official dollar coin minted in the United States under the Coinage Act of 1792. It was intended to equal the Spanish Dollar in size and weight. It became known as the Flowing Hair Dollar in reference to Liberty’s long hair that flowed past her shoulders, as designed by Chief Engraver Robert Scot. The coin’s composition was 90% silver (more than the 89.2% was required per the Coinage Act of 1792) and 10% copper. Only 1,758 of these silver dollars were hand-pressed in 1794, with an additional 160,000 or so minted in 1795, the last year of production. There is no mint mark.
The Draped Bust Dollar (1795-1803; no mint mark)
Lady Liberty was featured on the obverse with flowing hair to the shoulders showing a more open bust draped with cloth, as was the fashion of the day. It’s said that the model was from a portrait, possibly by Gilbert Stuart, of socialite Ann Willing Bingham, but it is not certain. The reverse is characterized by a small eagle on coins that were minted from 1795 to 1798 and a more majestic heraldic eagle on those examples minted from 1798 through 1803. The composition returned to the original official composition of 89.2% silver and 10.8% copper authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792. There is no mint mark. Silver dollars were no longer minted after 1806. There was a Draped Bust Dollar with an 1804 mint date, but it was actually struck in 1835 and intended only for official overseas gifts as part of commemorative sets. None were circulated, and only six are known to exist.
Gobrecht Dollar (1836-1839; no mint mark)
Named for engraver Christian Gobrecht, the Gobrecht Dollar was the first silver coin to be reissued (in 1836) since the discontinuation of the Draped Bust Dollar in 1806. The design was a sitting Lady Liberty with a composition of 89.2% silver and 10.8% copper, as authorized by Congress in 1792. One of the rarest US dollars minted (about 1,000 may have been minted), the engraver’s name appeared prominently at first under Liberty, but later was reduced and finally eliminated altogether. It was discontinued in 1839, and is worthy of note that all Gobrecht Dollars struck in 1837 bore an 1836 date. There were restrikes in 1859 and 1860 that would show the eagle on the reverse flying straight rather than forward when tilted on its axis.
This design by Chief Engraver Christian Gobrecht shows Liberty seated for the first time. It was minted with two different reverses. The earlier version is shown here. Courtesy: Wikipedia, US Mint and Heritage Auctions
Seated Liberty Dollar (1840-1873; no mint mark, O)
In 1840 a new silver dollar was minted with a seated Liberty engraved by Christian Gobrecht. It’s composition returned to the 90% silver and 10% copper of the earlier Flowing Hair Dollar and were struck at the Philadelphia Mint until 1846 when production included the New Orleans Mint (O), the San Francisco Mint (S) and the Carson City Mint (CC) after 1858. In 1866, the motto “In God We Trust” was added to the Seated Liberty Dollar for the first time. Production ended in 1873.
Trade Dollar (1873-1885; no mint mark, CC, S)
The Coinage Act of 1873 stopped production of circulating silver dollars, putting the country firmly on the gold standard, where it would remain until 1971. A Trade Dollar was instead minted for use as currency, primarily for payment in trade to China and the Far East. It did circulate in the US as a coin for business transactions, but was unpopular because it traded for less than the $1 face value due to the low value of silver and was legal tender only up to $5. The circulation of Trade Dollars ended in 1878, with only proofs officially produced until 1883 (10 dated 1884 and 5 dated 1885 weren’t discovered until much later).
So named for Assistant Engraver George T. Morgan who, in 1878, designed the first circulating silver dollar since the Seated Liberty Dollar was discontinued in 1873. Courtesy: Wikipedia and Brandon Grossardt
Morgan Dollar (1878-1904, 1921; struck with no mint mark or with CC, S, O, or D)
Silver interests prevailed in returning the US to a silver coin with the Bland-Allison Act of 1878. It authorized the minting the first new legal tender silver coins for circulation since 1873. Assistant Engraver George T. Morgan designed a Liberty Head on the obverse from a profile of Anna Willess Williams of Philadelphia, and an eagle and olive branch design on the reverse. It remained in circulation through 1904 and was again minted in 1921. It was the longest-circulating of all US silver coins.
Peace Dollar (1921-1928; 1934-1935; struck with no mint mark or with D or S)
With the passage of the Pittman Act of 1918, silver interests again prompted government to strike a new silver dollar coin at a fixed price of $1 an ounce. About 270 million new silver coins were minted overall in the form of a Peace Dollar. So named for the word “Peace” under the bald eagle resting on a branch on the reverse, it symbolized the end of World War I in 1918. The coin’s designer, Anthony de Francisci used his wife, Teresa, as the model for Liberty on the obverse. Production was interrupted in 1928 until a new Congressional act allowed for additional coins, about 7 million, to be struck in 1934 and 1935, after which the dies were destroyed.
American Silver Eagle (1986-present; no mint mark for bullion, P, S, W for proof sets)
Although this new American Silver Eagle was minted at three US Mints (Philadelphia, San Francisco and West Point), no mint marks were added for the bullion strike (bullion coins were kept mostly for trade). Only the proof sets that were bought by collectors were struck with mint marks. From 2006 to 2008 and again in 2011, a series of uncirculated coins was struck with the W mint mark. Special Issues such as the “Philadelphia Set” of 1993, the “Legacies of Freedom” set of 2004 and 10 other different commemorative sets included the American Silver Eagle coin. A 2008 version was struck on a 2007 die and is considered a rare error coin.
1964-D Peace Dollar (1964-1965; D)
A reissue of the Peace Dollar in 1964 was intended as a new circulating dollar coin, but objections were raised that the coin was intended mostly for collectors and was therefore a waste of Mint resources if it didn’t circulate. About 316,000 of the new silver dollars were minted in Denver, but they were withdrawn and subsequently melted down. No known example is said to exist (a private mint later struck a base-metal commemorative one).
Dollar Coins Struck in Gold
Only three gold dollar coin designs were struck for circulation in the United States, and only between 1849 and 1889 (commemoratives were struck between 1909 and 1922, but never circulated). Each was minted in 90% gold (about .048 a troy oz) and 10% copper measuring only about a half-inch in diameter.
Liberty Head (1849-1854; struck with no mint mark or with C, D, O, or S)
After much debate through the years, a gold coin was finally struck in 1849. Called “Type 1,” it was designed by engraver James B. Longacre to show Liberty with a coronet facing to the left and surrounded by 13 six-pointed stars. On the reverse was an olive wreath (some minted open at the top; others closed), the year 1849 and the legend “United States of America” and “1 DOLLAR” in all caps. There are five different design variations, one with an “L” for Longacre on the obverse.
Liberty is engraved as a small Indian Princess with a coronet known as ‘Type 2’ and minted in 1854. Courtesy: Wikipedia and US Mint
Indian Head (1854-1859 small head; struck with no mint mark or with C, D, O, or S)
This coin, called “Type 2,” is similar in pattern to the Liberty Head, except the obverse shows a small head of an Indian princess with a feathered coronet on the obverse, with the legend “United States of America” along the rim instead of the 13 six-pointed stars. The reverse shows a larger wreath of cotton, corn, tobacco and wheat rather than the previous olive branches.
Indian Head (1859-1889 large head; struck with no mint mark or with C, D, O, or S)
Known as “Type 3,” the last gold dollar coin in circulation featured an Indian princess with a larger, more fully developed head with a fuller feathered coronet on the obverse (face). The reverse was very similar to the ‘Type 2’ design, both from Engraver James B. Longacre.
Dollar Coins Struck in Base Metal
There were four distinctive dollar coins struck in base metal, the Eisenhower Dollar, the Susan B. Anthony Dollar, and the two gold-colored ones known as the Sacagawea Dollar and the Presidential Dollar. None have circulated well and were discontinued after a relatively short time.
The first base-metal circulating dollar honored President Dwight Eisenhower, who died in 1970. It features the Apollo 11 moon landing on the reverse. Courtesy: Wikipedia and Brandon Grossardt
Eisenhower Dollar (1971-1978; 1975-1976 Bicentennial; struck with no mint mark or with D or S)
Newly authorized in 1970, a new circulating dollar coin featured a profile of President Dwight D. Eisenhower by engraver Frank Gasparro with the phrase “In God We Trust” on the obverse (a national motto adopted in 1956 during Eisenhower’s Administration).
On the reverse was a tribute to the Apollo 11 moon landing of 1969 (Eisenhower had created NASA in 1958). The design was based on the NASA mission patch depicting an eagle clutching an olive branch near the surface of the moon, except for the years 1975-1976 when a Liberty Bell design was substituted to celebrate the US Bicentennial.
The coin was a relatively large size at 1.5 inches and difficult for consumers and merchants to use. As a result, it was unpopular, except at casinos. There are silver and proof sets that collectors know as “blue Ike” (encased in a blue US Treasury presentation box) and “brown Ike” (encased in a brown presentation box with a silver Great Seal-type logo).
Susan B. Anthony Dollar (1979-1981, 1999; P, D, S)
A new dollar design was favored over the cumbersome Eisenhower Dollar with the image of 19th-century women’s rights advocate and anti-slavery activist Susan B. Anthony. Frank Gasparro was chosen to engrave her image on the new coin.
The new coin would be only about an inch in diameter, just a shade bigger than a circulating quarter, and thus was often confused by consumers. The reverse continued the Apollo 11 tribute from the previous Eisenhower Dollar, sparking criticism that it had no relevance to Susan B. Anthony at all. The coin had a unique 11-sided border. Overall, the coin was not well received and was used mostly by the post office, mass transit authorities and the vending machine industry.
The 1981 strike of this coin is more valuable because it was issued mostly for collectors. The 1999 proof series and some 1979 and 1981 mint marks are also of collector interest.
Sacagawea Dollar (2000-present; P, D, S, W)
It is nicknamed “the golden dollar” because of the shiny gold-colored manganese brass that covers the mostly copper coin. The obverse features a three-quarter profile of Sacagawea, the Shoshone scout for the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific in 1804, as designed by artist Glenna Goodacre.
The reverse was a flying eagle design with a wide spread-wing design by Thomas Rogers. This coin design (with a smooth edge) would be in circulation from 2000 to 2008. From 2009 to the present, the reverse would feature a new design each year depicting Native-American life by different artists with a lettered edge of stars, the motto “E Pluribus Unum” and the strike date.
As with the earlier base metal dollar coins, the Sacagawea Dollar was not popular in circulation even with a mass marketing program by the US Mint (even giving them away in boxes of cereal as prizes). However, they have proved useful for fare boxes and the vending machine industry.
Presidential $1 Coin Program (2007-2016; P, D)
Another “golden dollar” with a similar composition of manganese brass over mostly copper as the Sacagawea Dollar featured each of the presidents of the United States in order of election beginning with George Washington. The entire series lasted until the Ronald Reagan presidential coin was struck in 2016 (living persons are not featured on coins), after which the program was discontinued. Coins struck from 2012 (Chester A. Arthur) were minted only for collectors.
The reverse featured the State of Liberty by engraver Don Everhart with the motto “United States of America” and “$1.” Edging included the year, mint mark, 13 stars, and the legend “E Pluribus Unum” or “In God We Trust” from 2007-2009. Some Washington and John Adams dollars were missing the edging or had double edging, but there are relatively few, making them highly collectible.
Japanese swords and armor are joined by additional Asian antiques in a Jasper52 online auction that will be conducted Tuesday, Jan. 15. Among the impressive items being offered are Chinese paintings, Buddhist figures, carved jadeite and tsuba sword fittings.
Wakizashi made by a great swordsmith Echizen Yasutsugu in 1603. Estimate: $5,500-$7,000. Jasper52 image
Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.
Famous photographers of the 20th century and their equally famous images are presented in a Premium Gravures Auction by Jasper52 to be conducted Wednesday, Jan. 16. The auction will begin with two of America’s most famous photographers, Ansel Adams and Diane Arbus, followed by a beautiful image of Hollywood’s immortal starlet, Marilyn Monroe.
Cecil Beaton print, ‘Marilyn Monroe,’ 1956, limited edition portfolio, 100/1000, 6¾ x 7¼ inches. Estimate: $700-$1,000. Jasper52 image
Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.