Fine example of an 1806/5 Bust Half Dollar coin earns a $67,650 payday at Morphy’s $1.2M Premier Coins Auction

Other highlights: 1879-CC Morgan Dollar, graded MS65 PCGS, $33,210; 1798/7 overdate $10 Capped Bust Heraldic Eagle, $32,595; 1856-S Liberty Head $20 gold Double Eagle, $23,370

DENVER, Pa. – A fine example of an 1806/5 Bust Half Dollar coin, the Overton-103a variety graded PCGS MS63+, soared to $67,650 at Morphy’s Premier Coins auction held April 28. It was the top achiever of the 368 lots that came up for bid in a sale that tallied over $1.2 million, including the buyer’s premium. The catalog was a numismatist’s dream, and collectors turned out in full force.

Auction categories included antique and vintage US gold and silver coins (high-grade silver dollars were especially abundant), rare Lincoln head and Indian head pennies, mint coin sets, tokens, paper money spanning multiple generations, foreign currency, bank drafts, commemorative coins, solid gold bars, and more. Most of the coins in the auction were being offered for the first time in many years.

The 1806/5 Bust Half Dollar coin attracted bidders not just for its rarity but also because its high-grade condition placed it firmly in the Choice to Near-Gem-Mint State range. It was also distinguished by CAC approval. The coin exhibited strong detail, an excellent strike, and appealing originality throughout, making it an outstanding example of the variety. It surpassed its $60,000 high estimate and, as mentioned above, realized $67,650.

A Gem-grade 1879-CC Morgan Dollar, graded MS65 PCGS, sold within estimate for $33,210. The key date displayed all the hallmarks of a true high-end example. The strike was bold and fully realized, bringing out crisp definition in Liberty’s curls and the eagle’s feathers. The fields were smooth, bright and attractive. The coin combined rarity, eye appeal and certification strength.

A 1798/7 overdate $10 Capped Bust Heraldic Eagle with 9×4 stars, graded Very Fine 30 by PCGS and one of only 900 struck, finished just above the high estimate for $32,595. It was an important variety that boasted the second-lowest mintage of the series, with the PCGS Population Report listing only two examples at the 30 Level as of March 2026. The coin displayed even, honest wear.

An 1889-CC Morgan Dollar graded MS62 PCGS brought $31,980, about what was expected; while an 1893-S Morgan Dollar graded AU50 PCGS, climbed past the $25,000 high estimate to realize $27,060. The coin showed the kind of originality and surface integrity collectors hope to find at this level, and presented clean, distraction-free fields, giving it a smooth, appealing look.

A key-date 1893-S Morgan Dollar, certified PCGS AU50, slipped past the high estimate to ring up $25,830. The coin represents the cornerstone of the Morgan Dollar series and is one of the most coveted issues in US numismatics. The one sold boasted strong detail throughout, with Miss Liberty’s portrait and the eagle’s feathers showing clear definition in line with the AU50 grade.

A true sleeper, a rare 1891-CC Morgan Dollar graded MS66+ PCGS breezed past its $18,000 high estimate to chalk up $25,215. The coin stood out as a remarkably underrated prize in the PCGS MS66+ grade, a level achieved by only 12 coins, with just one example graded higher at PCGS. That population placed this Morgan Dollar firmly within the elite tier of survivors.

An 1856-S Liberty Head $20 Double Eagle, recovered from the SS Central America – widely known as the “Ship of Gold” – achieved $23,370. This example, graded MS64 PCGS, was the highly desirable Full Serif, Bold S mintmark variety, distinguished by a sharply defined and fully serifed “S” below the eagle. It was struck at the San Francisco Mint at the height of the California Gold Rush.

An 1800 Draped Bust $5 Gold Half Eagle – an early US gold issue from the formative years of the Philadelphia Mint – went for $20,910, topping the $16,000 high estimate. Graded MS61 PCGS, the coin is a cornerstone of early US gold collecting, with the 1800 issue an obtainable date within the type. The one in the auction balanced rarity and eye appeal, making it a target for collectors.

An 1856 1-cent Flying Eagle coin – the first small cent issue and a major rarity – settled within estimate for $19,065. The coin, graded PCGS MS61, was one of an estimated 1,000-1,500 coins struck, making it a key date for the advanced small cent collector. It displayed a pleasing strike with strong detail on both the obverse and reverse, and it came in a PCGS green-label holder.

A 1795 $1 Flowing Hair dollar, PCGS-certified XF45, changed hands for $18,450, beating the $14,000 high estimate. The coin was of the Three Leaves reverse variety, identified by the three leaves beneath each wing of the eagle. While more available than the Two Leaves variety, the Three Leaves issue is a cornerstone-type coin and a more accessible entry point to collectors.

To discuss consigning to a future Premier Coins Auction, or other auction hosted by Morphy’s, please call Dan Morphy at 877-968-8880, or email him at info@morphyauctions.com. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential, and there is never an obligation to consign. Online: www.morphyauctions.com.

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CAPTIONS:

All images courtesy of Morphy Auctions

1004 –

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/1856_1__FLYING_EAGLE_PCGS_MS61-LOT658311.aspx

1856 1-cent Flying Eagle coin – the first small cent issue and a major rarity – graded PCGS MS61, one of an estimated 1,000-1,500 pieces, making it a key date for collectors. Sold for $19,065

1018 –

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/1806_5_50__BUST_HALF_DOLLAR_OVERTON_103A_CAC_PCGS_-LOT666341.aspx

1806/5 Bust Half Dollar coin, the Overton-103a variety, the auction’s top lot, remarkably original and graded PCGS MS63+, placing it in the Choice to Near-Gem Mint State range. Sold for $67,650

1034 –

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/1795__1_FLOWING_HAIR_DOLLAR_3_LEAVES_XF45_PCGS-LOT663170.aspx

1795 $1 Flowing Hair dollar coin, PCGS-certified XF45, of the Three Leaves reverse variety, identified by the three leaves beneath each wing of the eagle. Estimate: Sold for $18,450

1046 –

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/1879_CC__1_MS65_PCGS__CAC_-LOT661874.aspx

Gem-grade 1879-CC Morgan Dollar, graded MS65 PCGS, a key date displaying all the hallmarks of a true high-end example, with the strike being bold and fully realized. Sold for $33,210

1092 –

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/1891_CC__1_MS66__PCGS-LOT661891.aspx

1891-CC Morgan Dollar graded MS66+ PCGS, a true sleeper rarity coin and an underrated prize in the PCGS MS66+ grade, a level achieved by only 12 coins. Sold for $25,215

1102 –

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/1893_S__1_AU50_PCGS-LOT660190.aspx

Key date 1893-S Morgan Dollar, certified PCGS AU50, representing the cornerstone of the Morgan Dollar series, one of the most coveted issues in US numismatics. Sold for $25,830

1103 –

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/1893_S__1_AU50_PCGS_-LOT661869.aspx

1893-S Morgan Dollar graded AU50 PCGS, showed the kind of originality and surface integrity collectors hope to find at this level, with clean, distraction-free fields. Sold for $27,060

1257 –

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/1800__5_MS61_PCGS-LOT660498.aspx

1800 Draped Bust $5 Gold Half Eagle, an early issue from the formative years of the Philadelphia Mint, graded MS61 PCGS, a cornerstone of early US gold collecting. Sold for $20,910

1264 –

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/1798_7__10_9X4_STARS_VF30_PCGS_-LOT666320.aspx

1798/7 overdate $10 Capped Bust Heraldic Eagle with 9×4 stars, graded Very Fine 30 by PCGS, an important variety with the second-lowest mintage of the series. Sold for $32,595

1270 –

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/1856_S__20_SHIPWRECK_LIBERTY_FULL_SERIF__BOLD_S__M-LOT660191.aspx

1856-S Liberty Head $20 Double Eagle, recovered from the SS Central America, known as the “Ship of Gold,” graded MS64 PCGS, the desirable Full Serif, Bold S mintmark variety. Sold for $23,370