Three choice lots from upcoming Heritage auctions
U.S. Coins
Late in 1916, the Denver Mint devoted significant resources to the coinage of Barber quarters as needed for commercial demand, leaving the dime denomination unattended until the turn of the calendar year. As a result, only 264,000 Mercury dimes were struck at Denver in 1916. This issue quickly became recognized as a key date, and by the time of the series’ end in 1945, no other date/mint had rivaled its low production total. This near-brilliant example stands out for its bold strike and vibrant, frosty mint luster.
1916-D Mercury Dime, MS65 Full Bands
Auction: September 3
Video Games
One of the greatest video games of the 8-bit era, The Legend of Zelda is one of the most influential titles in the history of the industry, and a first-production copy of the game is one of the most coveted grails for any video game collector. Thanks to this copy’s well-kept condition and KB Toys price sticker, you can practically imagine plucking it off store shelves back in 1987, when Link, Zelda and Ganon were just becoming household names. This example is also the top copy offered in a public auction in recent memory.
The Legend of Zelda CGC 9.2 A Sealed
NES TM, No Rev-A, First Production
NES Nintendo 1987 USA
Auction: August 23-24
Nature & Science
This Burmite amber specimen dates to the Cretaceous Period and contains an inclusion of a fossil flower of the Eophylica priscastellata variety, which is a key fossil in our understanding of the diversification of angiosperms, or flowering plants. Such plants provide evidence that this major episode in the transformation of the global ecosystem took place much earlier than first thought. While this amber-encased fossil dates back some 99 million years, the inhabitant’s form is nearly identical to an extant plant genus.
Amber with Plant Inclusions
Auction: August 28