NGC-certified Stella Realizes a Starry $1.89 Million in Heritage Sale

For the fourth time in a little more than a year, a $4 coin certified by NGC® has sold for more than $1 million at auction. Sixteen other NGC-certified rarities also realized at least six figures as Heritage Auctions presented one of its elite sales of the year: the ANA US Coins Signature® Auction #1396, which was held August 31 to September 5, 2026.

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Realizing $1.891 million to lead all the NGC-certified selections was an 1879 Coiled Hair Stella graded NGC PF 67 Cameo and pedigreed to the Tacasyl Collection (lot 3647). Struck only with the dates of 1879 and 1880, the Stella patterns were proposed gold coinage whose unusual denomination of $4 had a weight that was thought to optimize them for use in international trade.

The short but highly desirable Stella series has seen intense interest of late. Another 1879 Coiled Hair example graded NGC PF 67 Cameo realized more than $2 million in an April 2026 Heritage auction. Two other NGC-certified Stellas, both of them 1880 Coiled Hair examples, also realized more than $2 million through Heritage Auctions in the past year: one graded NGC PF 67 in an August 2025 auction and the other graded NGC PF 67 Cameo in a January 2026 auction.

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The most recent auction also included a second NGC-certified Stella, an 1880 Flowing Hair graded NGC PF 66 (lot 3648) that realized $549,000. Only 18 examples of this variety have been traced.

Other top results from NGC-certified coins in this auction included:

• an 1870-CC Double Eagle graded NGC XF 40 (lot 3744), which realized $341,600
• an 1884 $20 graded NGC PF 64 Cameo (lot 3778), which realized $268,400
• a 1796 Quarter graded NGC MS 64 (lot 3490), which realized $244,000
• a 1795 Half Eagle graded NGC MS 63 (lot 3651), which realized $213,500
• a 1900 Double Eagle graded NGC PF 65 Cameo (lot 3781), which realized $170,800
• a 1911 Double Eagle graded NGC PF 66 (lot 3800), which realized $158,600
• an 1889-CC Morgan Dollar graded NGC MS 64 (lot 3575), which realized $146,400
• a 1795 Eagle graded NGC XF 45 (lot 3697), which realized $134,203
• an 1837 Quarter Eagle graded NGC PF 63 Cameo (lot 3614), which realized $134,200
• a 1900 Double Eagle graded NGC PF 64 Ultra Cameo (lot 3783), which realized $134,200
• a 1907-D Double Eagle graded NGC PF 62 (lot 3786), which realized $134,200
• a 1901-S Quarter graded NGC MS 67 (lot 3502), which realized $115,900
• a 1797 Eagle graded NGC AU 58 (lot 3700), which realized $112,850
• a 1914 Half Eagle graded NGC PF 68 (lot 3692), which realized $112,850
• an 1870-CC Half Eagle graded NGC AU 58 (lot 3677), which realized $106,750

Prices realized include buyer's premium