HALF DOME 20TH CENTURY GOLD COLLECTION

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V29 2026 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 32, 2026, Article 19

Legend Numismatics reveals The Half Dome Collection, a Wall Street Executive's Greatest Ever 20th Century Gold Collection. The Indian $10, $5, and $2.50s are now listed by CAC as the top-rated sets of their kind, and $20 Saints are a whisper away. Here is the press release. -Garrett

A Wall Street executive has assembled "the finest ever collection of United States 20th-century gold Indian Head Eagles, Half Eagles and Quarter Eagles, and is on the verge of also having the finest set of Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles," according to Legend Numismatics (www.LegendNumismatics.com). The collection now includes the exceptional, finest certified 1911-D Eagle, graded PCGS MS66 CAC, that was acquired for a record-setting $1.8 million in a Stack's Bowers Galleries auction this past January.

Known as the Half Dome Collection, it was meticulously built over the past decade and a half with the expert assistance of Legend Numismatics Co-Founders Laura Sperber and George Huang.

"He has the greatest $5 and $10 Indian sets ever assembled. The quality will never be matched anywhere. The $10 set is being included this year in the prestigious PCGS Set Registry Hall of Fame," stated Sperber. "The Half Dome collector, who is only in his early 50s, does not consider his sets finished, and this is not his only numismatic endeavor."

With one exception, the 1927-D Double Eagle graded PCGS MS66, all the coins have been certified with coveted CAC stickers by Certified Acceptance Corporation (www.CACGrading.com). The three complete sets of Indian Head design gold coins are now listed in the CAC Registry (www.CACGrading.com/registry) as the finest of their kind. The complete Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles collection, which includes a 1907 Ultra High Relief, is currently a very close second, and the set is still being built.

"The thrill of building these sets is at the pinnacle of anything I have ever done. I don't get to admire these coins much in hand, but when I do, I am amazed at just how incredible every coin is in the Half Dome Collection," stated Sperber, who was named 2026 Dealer of the Year by the American Numismatic Association and also was recently inducted into the Professional Coin Grading Service CoinFacts Coin Dealer Hall of Fame. "The collection's owner is a huge fan of CAC and appreciates the tough job they are doing."

CAC Founder John Albanese stated: "Even if funds were unlimited, anyone would have better odds of climbing Mount Everest than duplicating this remarkable set."

"A Wall Street fund manager came to us as a total numismatic neophyte back in 2012. His father was a coin collector, and as a youngster, our client collected coins he got from the bank and watched his dad build sets of gem-quality Walking Liberty half dollars and beautiful Mint State red Indian cents. A decade ago, we became his exclusive rare coin dealer and helped him carefully build his superb collection of complete gold sets," explained Sperber.

She expertly guided the collector in acquiring superb examples of Indian Head design gold coins struck between 1907 and 1933.

"He has the finest ever 20th-century gold collection, including a 1907 Ultra High Relief Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle," Sperber declared. "He has the greatest $10 Indian set ever assembled."

The four sets in the Half Dome Collection are complete with a combined total of more than 100 Indian Head and Saint-Gaudens gold coins.

Among the many rarities are a 1911-D Quarter Eagle ($2.50 denomination gold coin) graded PCGS MS66+ CAC; 1909-O Half Eagle ($5 denomination) PCGS MS65+ CAC; 1911-D Eagle ($10 denomination) PCGS MS66 CAC that set a new auction record on February 3, 2026 for any circulation strike Indian $10; 1920-S Eagle PCGS MS67+ CAC; and a 1927-D Double Eagle ($20 denomination) graded PCGS MS66.

These are the four Half Dome Collection sets listed in the CAC Grading Set Registry.

Sperber said a few of the Half Dome Collection coins may be publicly displayed at a future American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money® convention.

"The collector is very passionate about owning absolutely the very best coins. He is a huge gold bug, so this is a natural extension," explained Sperber.

"He did not start out to build the finest 20th-century gold set, but about halfway into it, he really got bitten by the collecting bug. So, he pressed on, and now he has built a remarkable collection that is impossible to replicate. And he is not done!." she emphasized.

Sperber is planning to create a "coffee table" book with high-resolution images and information about the history and significance of coins in the Half Dome Collection.

The collection is named after a famous, distinctively shaped rock formation in Yosemite National Park, California, that has fascinated the Wall Street executive. According to the National Park Service, "Rising nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley and 8,800 feet above sea level, Half Dome is a Yosemite icon and a great challenge to many hikers."

CAC stickers are affixed to encapsulation holders of coins graded by Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (www.NGCcoin.com) that are deemed high-end for their grades.

Legend Numismatics is one of the largest rare coin dealers in the United States. For additional information, visit www.LegendNumismatic.com, email Legend@LegendCoin.com, or call 800-743-2646. For additional information about CAC certification and grading, visit www.CACGrading.com, email help@CACGrading.com, or call 888-537-3798.

THE BOOK BAZARRE

RENAISSANCE OF AMERICAN COINAGE: Wizard Coin Supply is the official distributor for Roger Burdette's three volume series that won NLG Book of the Year awards for 2006, 2007 and 2008. Contact us for dealer or distributor pricing at www.WizardCoinSupply.com.