Remarkable Wisconsin Coin Collection Fetches Nearly $1M at Leonard Auction

     An impressive coin collection from a central Wisconsin estate fetched $895,371 at Leonard Auction last month, exceeding the pre-sale estimate by 25%. The star of the sale was a very rare 1879 $4 Gold Stella that achieved $147,600 following brisk bidding by six eager collectors. One of only 425 minted, the Stella included authentication by the premiere Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and boasted a grade of PR-63. According to PCGS, this recent sale ranks as the highest selling price for a Stella of this grade.
     The collection was assembled by a private collector over a lifetime. Having been quietly tucked away in a remote Wisconsin town for decades, this treasure trove was sold by Leonard Auction, a Chicago based auction house with offices in Madison and Milwaukee. “We were thrilled to tell the family we had found a rare gem in their dad’s collection when we discovered the Stella mixed in with hundreds of coins,” said Laura Duguid, Wisconsin Regional Sales Director. “Telling the family what the coin sold for, and that the buyer was an enthusiastic collector like their dad was the icing on the cake,” Laura added. The sale was held in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27th.          Other highlights included a Quarter Eagle gold set that brought $12,125, a US gold type set fetching $11,625 and a Peace $1 set that sold for $9,480.