Bowers and Merena Auctions

Bowers and Merena provide rare coins to collectors, dealers, and museums in all parts of the world.
Founded in 1983, the firm has grown to become one of America’s leading rare coin auctioneers. They have handled four of the five most valuable United States coin collections ever sold. Topped by the $ 44,900,000 Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., Collection, and then followed by the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection which has realized more than $ 38,000,000. They also handled the $ 25,000,000 Garrett Collection for The Johns Hopkins University, and the $ 20,000,000 Norweb Collection. In addition, Bowers and Merena holds three of the top seven world-​record auction prices for U.S. coins.* Our reference books and catalogues have received more «Publication of the Year Award» and other honors than have those of any other firm.
The list of professional numismatists and auction specialists include Steve Deeds, Scott Reiter, Debbie McDonald, Matthew Jones, Brett Renaud, Raeleen Endo and Paul Bresnahan.
They are an auction house that regularly issues auction and mail bid sale catalogues offering important properties for sale. Over the years they have handled hundreds of millions of dollars worth of coins for tens of thousands of consignors including the New York Public Library, American Numismatic Association, Connecticut Historical Society, the Salvation Army, Boys Town, numerous universities, the FDIC and other government agencies, and many individual and estate properties such as those already mentioned. Catalogues are available by subscription. Sales are held in Beverly Hills, Baltimore, Las Vegas and other metropolitan centers.
I attended the auction of the Carl F. Chirico Jr. Collection of World Pattern Coins. This was the first time that I have participated in a Bowers and Merena auction. The auction was much the same as others. The auction preview was also on the norm. One nice extra though was a Starbucks coffe and tea machine which was really sweet to have in such a long auction.
However I and a few others who I spoke with found the cataloging to be a disappointment. They did not do any reasonable justice to the amazingly rare and interesting coins in the auction. Photography was professional and on par with other companies but so little information was provided about many of the coins and estimates were insanely low for the majority of the coins that one would believe that they did not do much research for this consignor. Lucky for the consignor that the numismatists bidding did their homework, as prices realized were multiples over the estimates, some many multiples. Your will read about this auction in the numismatic publications.