Historic 1792 Half Disme Smashes Records to Lead Heritage Auctions’ Nearly $19.4 Million Coin and Currency Event

DALLAS, Texas — One of the most historically significant coins in American numismatics delivered a result befitting its extraordinary pedigree when a 1792 Half Disme, graded MS68 by PCGS from the Ronald Firman Collection, crossed the block during Heritage Auctions’ GACC U.S. Coins Signature Auction held from October 8 to 9, 2026. By the time the hammer fell for the final time following a fierce battle of 66 bids, the magnificent silver rarity soared to a record-breaking $2,928,000, anchoring an event that generated a total of $10,665,743.

When combined with the concurrent GACC U.S. Currency Signature Auction held from October 6 to 9, which achieved an impressive $8,727,555, the cumulative sales for the week reached a staggering $19,393,298. The historic performance of the top lot completely shattered the previous auction record for any half disme, which had stood at $1.41 million since a 2013 sale handled by Heritage.

"When the finest certified example of a coin with this much historical significance comes to auction, collectors take notice," says Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President at Heritage Auctions. "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 $2.93 million half disme is a remarkable survivor from the earliest days of the United States Mint. Although traditionally classified among the experimental issues and patterns of 1792, the half disme holds a far more important place in American history as the first circulating coinage produced under the authority of the newly established federal Mint. President George Washington himself acknowledged the issue in his November 1792 address to Congress, referring to the nation’s "small beginning" in coinage. The example offered at Heritage is the unique 1792 half disme graded MS68 by PCGS, surpassing even the famous Starr-Rodriguez specimen, which is certified Specimen-67. Its brilliant mint luster, extraordinary preservation, and rich natural patina displaying silver-gray, rose, amber, gold, and vivid blue toning distinguish it clearly from other survivors of this landmark issue.

The auction featured several other museum-quality numismatic treasures, including an 1898 Liberty Double Eagle, graded PR65 Deep Cameo by PCGS, which finished at $238,577. This piece represents an exceptional example of an issue with a proof mintage of just 75 pieces. Noted numismatic researcher John Dannreuther estimates that only 35 to 50 survive across all grades, a figure that includes two specimens housed in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution and another in the American Numismatic Society collection, making the number available to private collectors exceedingly small. The coin featured deeply mirrored fields that contrasted dramatically with richly frosted design elements, producing the coveted Deep Cameo appearance, complete with lemon-yellow surfaces and the distinctive orange-peel texture associated with the finest 19th-century proofs. Heritage previously offered this same coin as part of the Steinbrenner Collection in 2019, underscoring how infrequently opportunities to acquire an example of this quality arise.

Among the most compelling storylines of the auction was an unexpected discovery that produced one of the event’s most remarkable results: a previously unknown 1867-S Liberty Half Eagle, graded MS63 by PCGS, which sold for $97,600. This realized more than quadrupled the previous auction record of $22,800, which had been achieved twice previously, most recently at Heritage in 2021. The coin is recognized as the newly established finest-known example for the date, exceeding the next-highest-graded specimen by two full grade points. It is one of just two examples reported in Mint State, with fewer than 100 estimated to survive in all grades.

The narrative behind its discovery is nearly as captivating as the coin itself. During an estate evaluation in Buda, Texas, a green milk crate tucked away in a bedroom closet was found to contain an old cigar box and two shoe boxes. Inside the cigar box rested the extraordinary 1867-S half eagle alongside other period coins. According to the estate’s heirs, the pieces originated with family members in Columbus, Ohio, and are believed to have belonged to their great-grandfather, a Union soldier who served during the Civil War. Passed down quietly through generations, the collection remained largely undisturbed until its recent unearthing. The emergence of this previously unknown Mint State rarity fundamentally alters the recognized Condition Census for the issue, cementing its $97,600 result as a defining moment of the auction.

Matching that $97,600 price point was a 1907 Saint-Gaudens High Relief Double Eagle with a Flat Rim, graded MS66 by PCGS, representing an exceptional specimen of one of the most celebrated designs in American numismatic history. The coin traces its origins to President Theodore Roosevelt’s passionate drive to elevate the artistic merit of United States coinage, a reform campaign that resulted in a close collaboration with renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The original High Relief double eagles proved exceptionally difficult to manufacture, demanding three separate blows from a medal press and necessary annealing between strikes, with production taking roughly 12 minutes per coin. The Mint eventually modified its production parameters to create the Flat Rim variety, which achieved improved detail near the coin’s perimeter. The example sold by Heritage is a Premium Gem featuring fully struck design elements, flawless satin luster, and attractive antique-gold surfaces.

Additional gold highlights included an 1861-O Liberty Double Eagle, graded AU53 by PCGS with a CAC designation, originating from the Christensen Family Collection and realizing $91,500. Few American coins share the complex Civil War associations of the 1861-O double eagle, whose production spanned three distinct governing authorities. Of the 17,741 pieces struck, consensus scholarship 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, identifying which authority struck any specific surviving piece remains an enduring numismatic mystery.

A second example of the nation’s earliest federal silver coinage also found a new home when a 1792 Half Disme, graded VG10 by PCGS, realized $85,400. Unlike the pristine MS68 specimen that commanded the auction’s top honors, this piece bears the heavy evidence of circulation typical of most surviving half dismes. Somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 of these pieces were originally minted, with initial production taking place in the cellar of Philadelphia sawmaker John Harper before the first permanent U.S. Mint building was ready for full operations.

The Christensen Family Collection also yielded an 1851 Augustus Humbert Fifty Dollar Gold Piece with a reeded edge, graded AU58 by NGC, which achieved $76,250. Recognized as one of the most iconic expressions of California Gold Rush currency, this massive octagonal fifty-dollar piece was produced after Augustus Humbert arrived in San Francisco in January 1851 as the newly appointed United States Assayer of Gold. The Kagin-6 variety features a reeded edge, .887 fineness, and the distinctive engine-turned reverse design crafted by engraver Albrecht Kuner. Researcher Donald Kagin estimates that roughly 75 examples of this variety survive today, with only about ten remaining in Mint State.

Matching that $76,250 figure was an 1886 Liberty Double Eagle, graded AU53 by NGC, representing a major rarity among 19th-century American gold coinages. Only 1,000 business-strike double eagles were produced at the Philadelphia Mint that year, with zero supplementary production recorded at the branch mints in San Francisco, Carson City, or New Orleans. PCGS CoinFacts estimates that only 40 to 60 business-strike examples survive across all grades, placing this issue among the most elusive dates within the entire Liberty double eagle series.

Parallel to the coin auction, the GACC U.S. Currency Signature Auction featured nearly 2,300 lots encompassing rare National Bank Notes, historic fractional currency, gold certificates, error notes, and prominent named collections. The premier currency lot was a high-denomination small-size note that claimed top-lot honors by selling for $244,000.

The Friedberg 2231-B $10,000 Federal Reserve Note from Series 1934, graded Choice Uncirculated 63 by PMG, represents an exceptional survivor from the legendary Binion Hoard, a group of 100 Series 1934 $10,000 Federal Reserve Notes. Bearing serial number B00003065A, the note displayed crisp white paper, ideal ink preservation, and noticeable embossing on the reverse, which clearly showed both serial numbers. Despite minor historical repairs, the note maintained an astonishing state of preservation for its age and denomination.

"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, Director of U.S. Currency at Heritage Auctions. "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. From an exceptionally rare fractional currency pair to a surviving piece of the D.B. Cooper ransom, collectors had opportunities to acquire notes with compelling histories and remarkable rarity."

Another high-denomination treasure, a Friedberg 2221-H $5,000 Federal Reserve Note from Series 1934, graded Very Fine 30 by PMG, brought a winning bid of $146,400. Originating from the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank and bearing serial number H00000397A, the note made its inaugural public auction appearance, introducing a fresh entry to the census and raising the known population for that specific Friedberg number to just nine recorded examples. According to tracking data, a mere 136 $5,000 Federal Reserve Notes have been documented across both the 1928 and 1934 Series.

One of the most unusual and talked-about lots of the entire event was a banknote connected directly to one of America’s most enduring criminal mysteries. A fragment of the D.B. Cooper 1971 ransom money, consisting of a $20 Federal Reserve Note, realized $134,200. Bearing serial number L32796069A, the note’s history traces back to the November 24, 1971, hijacking of a Northwest Orient Airlines flight and the subsequent disappearance of the elusive hijacker known as D.B. Cooper. Nearly nine years later, in February 1980, eight-year-old Brian Ingram discovered three deteriorated bundles of ransom money along the banks of the Columbia River in Washington State. The FBI subsequently verified that the recovered $5,800 constituted a portion of the original $200,000 ransom payout. Measuring approximately 4.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches tall, the surviving fragment preserves an unusually substantial portion of the original note, including both serial numbers, the portrait of Andrew Jackson, the Treasury and Federal Reserve District seals, and other key design elements. The lot included an early PCGS identification tag confirming its match with the FBI’s ransom list, alongside a copy of Richard T. Tosaw’s 1984 book, D.B. Cooper Dead or Alive? The True Story of the Legendary Skyjacker.

Another fascinating historical artifact, a Gonzales, Texas, DeWitt’s Colony $20 note dated October 15, 1825, sold for $79,300. Graded Very Fine 30 Net by PMG, the handwritten note dates to the era when the Mexican government actively encouraged American settlement in present-day Texas via its empresario contract system. Green DeWitt secured a six-year contract in April 1825 to settle 400 families across a territory bordered by the Guadalupe, San Marcos, and Lavaca rivers. Bearing serial number 2, the note stands as the sole known example of its type presently handled by Heritage Auctions.

National Bank Notes also achieved stellar prices, highlighted by a Portland, Oregon, $50 1902 Red Seal issued by The First National Bank, which reached $51,240. Only four Oregon banks ever issued $50 Red Seals, resulting in a combined total emission of just 3,900 notes. Today, only three examples are known to survive. One resides in the collection of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, while another, originating from the Merchants National Bank of Portland, has never been offered publicly. Graded Very Fine 25 by PMG, the note offered collectors a rare opportunity to acquire this high denomination and scarce type from the Pacific Northwest.

Another premier National Bank Note, a Pensacola, Florida, $5 1875 First Charter note issued by The First National Bank, realized $48,800. Graded Choice Extremely Fine 45 by PMG, it represents the finest of only four First Charter notes recorded for the entire state of Florida, with all four originating from the same Pensacola institution. Its crisp appearance, strong margins, excellent coloration, and dark ink signatures set it apart among surviving historical notes.

The auction also celebrated the dispersal of major named collections, notably the William S. George Collection, an expansive 479-lot offering dedicated to fractional currency, specimens, experimental printings, and courtesy autographs. Within this group, a Friedberg 1373a 50¢ Third Issue Justice Uncut Pair, graded Choice About Uncirculated 58 EPQ by PMG, brought $48,800. This remarkable pairing is one of only two known uncut pairs for the Friedberg number, with just five additional single notes reported. Its provenance traces back to the celebrated Monroe J. Friedman Collection, auctioned in Philadelphia in 1903. Originally part of an uncut block of eight notes, the pair subsequently passed through the prestigious cabinets of F.C.C. Boyd and John J. Ford, Jr., earning the highest certification grade awarded by PMG for any single note or pair of this variety.

Additional California rarities included a Serial Number 1 San Diego $20 1882 Brown Back issued by The Consolidated National Bank, which realized $46,360. Graded Extremely Fine 40 by PMG, the note is the unique reported example from the San Diego bank, which operated from 1883 until 1893, and stands as one of only three recorded Serial Number 1 twenty-dollar Brown Backs from the state of California. Its distinguished provenance includes noted collector Albert Grinnell, whose collection was dispersed in 1945.

Rounding out the notable currency results, a Friedberg 284 $10 1878 Silver Certificate, graded Fine 12 by PMG, reached $43,920. Only four serial numbers for this specific Friedberg variety are recorded in tracking databases, and the offered piece carried an extensive pedigree featuring the collections of Albert A. Grinnell, F.C.C. Boyd, and Amon G. Carter, Jr., complete with the penned countersignature of J.C. Hopper for the Assistant Treasurer of the United States. Matching that $43,920 figure was a Friedberg 2407 $500 1928 Gold Certificate, graded Choice Uncirculated 63 by PCGS Banknote, featuring clean white paper, bold inks, exceptional centering, and visible traces of Treasury Seal embossing.