Historic 1792 Half Disme Smashes Records as Heritage Auctions’ Combined Sales Reach Nearly $19.4 Million

DALLAS, Texas — One of the most historically significant coins in American numismatics delivered a result befitting its extraordinary pedigree when a 1792 Half Disme (Judd-7, Pollock-7, R.4, MS68 PCGS) crossed the block in Heritage Auctions’ Oct. 8–9 GACC U.S. Coins Signature Auction. By the time the hammer fell for the final time, this magnificent coin from the Ronald Firman Collection rode 66 intense bids all the way to a record-shattering $2,928,000, leading the coin event to an impressive overall total of $10,665,743.

When combined with Heritage’s concurrent Oct. 6–9 GACC U.S. Currency Signature Auction, which achieved an outstanding $8,727,555, the combined total for the back-to-back major numismatic events reached an astonishing $19,393,298. The monumental price realized by the half disme completely obliterated the previous auction record for any half disme, which stood at $1.41 million—a benchmark also set by Heritage back in 2013.

"When the finest certified example of a coin with this much historical significance comes to auction, collectors take notice," says Todd Imhof, Heritage Auctions’ Executive Vice President. "As the only example graded MS68 by PCGS, and a coin from the first federal U.S. issue struck for circulation under the 1792 Mint Act, it earned a result worthy of its place in the top tier of American numismatics."

The magnificent silver rarity is widely celebrated as the finest surviving example of the very first federal U.S. coin struck for circulation under the direct authority of the Mint Act of April 2, 1792. While traditionally classified among the experimental issues and pattern coins of 1792, the half disme actually holds a much grander place in American history as the pioneering circulating coinage produced under the newly established federal Mint. President George Washington himself acknowledged the issue in his November 1792 address to Congress, famously referring to the infant nation’s "small beginning" in coinage.

The extraordinary specimen offered at Heritage is the only 1792 half disme graded MS68 by PCGS, easily outstripping even the famous Starr-Rodriguez specimen, which is certified as Specimen-67. Its brilliant mint luster, remarkable preservation, and rich natural patina—displaying a mesmerizing dance of silver-gray, rose, amber, gold, and vivid blue toning—help distinguish it from all other known survivors of this landmark issue.

Beyond the headlining half disme, the coin auction featured several other monumental numismatic treasures. An 1898 Liberty Double Eagle (JD-1, R.5, PR65 Deep Cameo PCGS) finished at $238,577. This piece represents an elite issue with a total proof mintage of just 75 pieces. Numismatic researcher John Dannreuther estimates that only 35 to 50 survive across all grades, including two secured in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution and another in the American Numismatic Society collection, leaving the number available to private collectors exceedingly small. This particular specimen features deeply mirrored fields that contrast dramatically with richly frosted design elements, producing a coveted Deep Cameo appearance, paired with lemon-yellow surfaces exhibiting the classic orange-peel texture associated with the finest 19th-century proofs. Heritage previously offered this exact coin as part of the Steinbrenner Collection in 2019.

One of the auction’s most captivating and unexpected results emerged from an astonishing estate discovery in Buda, Texas. A previously unknown 1867-S Liberty Half Eagle (MS63 PCGS) sold for $97,600, more than quadrupling its previous auction record of $22,800. The coin is the newly recognized finest-known example for the date, exceeding the next-highest-graded specimen by two full grade points. It stands as one of only two known examples reported in Mint State, with fewer than 100 estimated to survive in all grades.

The discovery story is nearly as compelling as the coin itself. During an estate evaluation, a green milk crate tucked into a bedroom closet was found holding an old cigar box and two shoe boxes. Inside the cigar box was the remarkable 1867-S half eagle alongside other period coins. According to the estate’s heirs, the collection originated with family members in Columbus, Ohio, and is believed to trace back to their great-grandfather, a Union soldier who served during the Civil War. Passed down quietly through generations, the collection remained undisturbed until its modern unearthing, forever altering the recognized Condition Census for the issue.

Matching that $97,600 price point was a 1907 Saint-Gaudens High Relief Double Eagle (Flat Rim, MS66 PCGS), an exceptional representative of one of the most celebrated designs in American numismatic history. The coin traces its genesis to President Theodore Roosevelt’s passionate campaign to elevate the artistic quality of United States coinage, which led to his historic collaboration with renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Because the original High Relief double eagles were exceptionally difficult to manufacture—requiring three blows from a medal press and annealing between strikes, taking roughly 12 minutes per coin—the Mint eventually modified its process to create the Flat Rim variety. The Heritage offering displayed fully struck design elements, impeccable satin luster, and attractive antique-gold surfaces.

Another important gold rarity, an 1861-O Liberty Double Eagle (AU53 PCGS CAC) from the Christensen Family Collection, realized $91,500. Few American coins are as deeply intertwined with the Civil War as the 1861-O double eagle, whose production crossed paths with three distinct governing authorities. Of the 17,741 pieces struck, general numismatic consensus attributes 5,000 to the federal government, 9,750 to the state of Louisiana, and 2,991 to the Confederate States of America. Because the entire mintage utilized a single pair of dies, determining which authority struck any individual survivor remains an enduring historical mystery.

A second example of the nation’s earliest federal silver coinage also changed hands during the event, as a 1792 Half Disme (Judd-7, Pollock-7, R.4, VG10 PCGS) sold for $85,400. Unlike the pristine MS68 record-breaker, this specimen bears the heavy evidence of circulation that characterizes the majority of surviving half dismes, which numbered between 1,500 and 2,000 originally struck in the cellar of Philadelphia sawmaker John Harper before the first permanent U.S. Mint building was completed.

The Christensen Family Collection also yielded an 1851 Augustus Humbert Fifty Dollar Gold Piece (Reeded Edge, .887 Fine, AU58 NGC) that achieved $76,250. As one of the most iconic expressions of California Gold Rush coinage, this massive octagonal piece was produced after Augustus Humbert arrived in San Francisco in January 1851 as the newly appointed United States Assayer of Gold. Researcher Donald Kagin estimates that roughly 75 examples of this specific variety survive today. Matching that $76,250 figure was an 1886 Liberty Double Eagle (AU53 NGC), an elusive 19th-century gold rarity representing a year when only 1,000 business-strike double eagles were produced at the Philadelphia Mint.

Meanwhile, the GACC U.S. Currency Signature Auction featured a magnificent example of the highest denomination of U.S. currency ever placed into public circulation, capturing top-lot honors for the paper money event at $244,000.

The winning lot, a Fr. 2231-B $10,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note (PMG Choice Uncirculated 63), is an exceptional survivor from the famed Binion Hoard, a group of 100 Series 1934 $10,000 notes. Bearing serial number B00003065A, the note features clean white paper, ideal inks, and prominent embossing on its reverse. Despite minor professional repairs, it has maintained an astonishing state of preservation.

"High denominations always garner attention from the most serious collectors, and the $10,000 that led this auction is an extraordinary example that drew a result fitting of a note of this caliber," says Raiden Honaker, Heritage’s Director of U.S. Currency. "The $10,000 and $5,000 Federal Reserve Notes are extraordinary pieces of American monetary history, but what makes this auction particularly exciting is the strength of the material across so many different collecting specialties."

Another high-denomination treasure, a Fr. 2221-H $5,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note (PMG Very Fine 30), brought $146,400. Originating from St. Louis and bearing serial number H00000397A, this note made its first recorded public auction appearance, expanding the known census for the Friedberg number to just nine examples.

Among the most culturally fascinating lots in the currency auction was a banknote linked to one of America’s most enduring criminal mysteries: a D.B. Cooper 1971 ransom money $20 Federal Reserve Note fragment, which realized $134,200. Bearing serial number L32796069A, the fragment traces its history to the November 24, 1971, hijacking of a Northwest Orient Airlines flight. Nearly nine years later, in February 1980, an eight-year-old boy named Brian Ingram discovered three deteriorated bundles of ransom money along the Columbia River in Washington State, with the FBI confirming the $5,800 recovered was part of the original $200,000 payout. Measuring roughly 4.5 inches wide by 1.5 inches tall, this remarkable fragment retains a substantial portion of the original note, including both serial numbers, Andrew Jackson’s portrait, and official seals.

Historic obsoletes and regional rarities also performed exceptionally well, highlighted by a Gonzales, Texas, Dewitt’s Colony $20 note dated October 15, 1825, which sold for $79,300. Representing the era when the Mexican government encouraged settlement through the empresario system, Green Dewitt’s 1825 contract to settle 400 families yielded this rare handwritten note—bearing serial number 2—as the sole known surviving example of its kind.

National Bank Notes likewise turned heads, led by a Portland, Oregon, $50 1902 Red Seal from The First National Bank that reached $51,240, and a Pensacola, Florida, $5 1875 First Charter note from The First National Bank that realized $48,800. The auction also highlighted expansive specialized offerings, such as the William S. George Collection, which featured a rare Fr. 1373a 50¢ Third Issue Justice Uncut Pair (PMG Choice About Unc 58 EPQ) that brought $48,800, standing as the highest-graded single note or pair certified for that Friedberg number.