The $4 Stella holds a special place in most coin collectors hearts, both in terms of design, its unique denomination and the allure of desirability. There are four varieties of this coin, and the 1880 Coiled Hair issue is clearly the rarest of them. So, no wonder why one copy – a simply stunning 1880 $4 Coiled Hair Stella PR67 NGC CAC, could fetch $1,2 million when go under the hammer at Heritage Auctions in Chicago on April 22-26.
The Stella was originally intended – as proposed in 1879 by John A. Kasson, Minister Plenipotentiary to Austria — as a $4 metric gold coin to be used for foreign trade. It never matched up directly with the foreign currency it was supposed to match and the idea was soon abandoned, leaving just a few examples as treasures for numismatists.
A second rare Stella, this an 1879 $4 Coiled Hair Stella PR65 PCGS CAC, follows its 1880 counterpart across the block. This particular Stella is one of just 12 of the very rare Judd-1638 patterns traced, 12 examples traced. It is, without a doubt, one of the premier rarities in American numismatics.
The New Orleans Collection 1880 $4 Flowing Hair Stella PR66, the finest Non-Cameo PCGS, a legendary gold pattern, presents another significant opportunity to the right collector.
Of major importance anytime one shows up at auction, a 1933 $10 MS65 PCGS CAC from The New Orleans Collection, the fabled Final-Year Indian $10 and an historically significant melt rarity, is already creating significant collector buzz (and bidding) before the auction.
