US rare coin sales did well in 2017

U.S. rare coins selling for $50,000 or more and those selling for $500 or less generally did well during 2017, according to the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), a nonprofit organization composed of many of the top rare coin and paper money dealers. Four historic, vintage U.S. coins sold for $1 million or more during the year; two at public auctions and two by private transactions.

The PNG estimates the overall U.S. rare coin market in 2017 was between $3.4 and $3.8 billion, not including sales by the United States Mint or bullion coins, such as gold and silver American Eagles.

The aggregate prices realized for U.S. coins sold at major public auctions in 2017 totaled $306,199,305.  Two auction houses accounted for nearly 80 percent of the overall total with Heritage Auctions reporting $169,100,000 sold at auction and Stack's Bowers Galleries at $74,099,305. 

Stack's Bowers sold at auction an 1804-dated U.S. Class I silver dollar for $3,290,000 and a 1794 silver dollar for $2,820,000.

"Some of the investment money that may have gone into numismatic purchases went into the booming stock market and the speculative cybercurrency market," explained PNG President Barry Stuppler. "Despite that, demand for extremely rare investor-collector coins rose in 2017."