Editor’s Picks – February 2023 1st Edition

This magnificent 1855-S proof three dollar gold piece is the only example known to collectors, making it one of the most elusive in the U.S. federal series. The 1855-S was produced to commemorate the first striking of the three dollar denomination at the San Francisco Mint, which had opened for coinage operations just one year earlier. This coin was kept for more than a century by a family in California and only recently emerged, which helps to explain the exceptional condition in which it has remained for nearly 170 years.

1855-S $3 PR64 Cameo PCGS
First San Francisco Mint Three Dollar
Auction: February 9-12

This Lou Gehrig game-used bat, which the legendary first baseman signed for one lucky fan, dates from the New York Yankees’ historic 1927 season. Bats used by the player known as the “Iron Horse” are rare and in high demand, and the presence of his autograph with a black fountain pen only increases the allure. In the years Gehrig had this bat, his slugging percentage jumped by more than 200 points and he nearly tripled his home runs, including a career-high 52 long balls in 1927. 

1926-27 Lou Gehrig Game Used & Signed Bat, PSA/DNA GU 10
Estimate: $800,000+
Auction: February 25-26

Even though Mark Twain’s dislike for typewriters is well documented in his personal correspondence, in 1883, he delivered Life on the Mississippi to his publisher in typewritten form, making him one of the first American authors to submit a manuscript completely in typescript. According to Twain, the devices were “full of caprices, full of defects – devilish ones.” But the fact is the author also known as Samuel L. Clemens did own typewriters, one of which is headed to auction for the first time: the Williams No. 6 typewriter he owned from 1908 until his death in 1910.

Samuel L. Clemens’ Personally Owned Williams No. 6 Typewriter
Auction: February 22