2018-02-05 Mon

The beautiful and rare 1879 Quintuple Stella from the Garrett Collection is going to be offered by Stack’s and Bowers at the Whitman Coins & Collectibles Baltimore Expo this March.

The obverse legend of this coin is similar to the Four-Dollar Stellas that were produced in 1879 and 1880. The proposed compositions were mentioned in metric units. The price of silver was falling after the California Gold Rush of the 1840s. These silver coins were meant to introduce international currency and stabilize the price of silver. Many patterns were introduced by the Mint in the 1870s and ’80s, but none of them were officially circulated. The international currency idea was chucked away.

Only five examples of the Quintuple Stella $20 pattern coin exist today. It is also much rarer than the Four-Dollar Stella. One of them is showcased at the Smithsonian Institution. One of them was sold for $1.9 million in May 2016.

The offered coin is certified Proof-63 Cameo by PCGS. Several other interesting and rare coins will be offered by Stack’s and Bowers during the same auction.