Mack C. Chase’s Walking Liberty half dollars bring nearly US$2.5 million

Numismatic News (September 26, 2026) reports that Stack’s Bowers Galleries, in Costa Mesa, California, sold 253 lots of the Mack C. Chase Collection of Walking Liberty half dollars on September 3, 2026, within its Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction — an Event Auctioneer Partner of the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money. The session, after fiercely contested bidding, closed at US$2,448,125, with the buyer’s premium included in every figure cited.

The 1921-D sets the session’s record

The highest price of the entire collection went to lot 4050: one of the finest known examples of the key-date 1921-D, graded MS-66 by PCGS and approved by CAC and CMQ. It realized US$183,000, an auction record for the coin. Also smashing prior records was the sole known example of the 1917-D with reverse mintmark, graded MS-67 by PCGS, which brought US$122,000.

“Something special from the start”

“We knew from the beginning that the Mack C. Chase Collection was something special, and it was great to see collectors respond so enthusiastically,” commented John M. Pack, executive director of consignments for Stack’s Bowers Galleries, as quoted by Numismatic News. “Mack built this collection over many years with tremendous patience and a keen eye for quality. It was rewarding to see that recognized with such strong results and record prices.”

Other notable prices

A sample of the results the firm cites, all buyer’s-premium-inclusive:

• Lot 4004. One of the finest graded 1916-D, MS-67 (PCGS), CAC and CMQ: US$56,120, a record for the date.
• Lot 4029. An exceedingly rare 1918-D, MS-66 (PCGS): US$115,900.
• Lot 4031. A remarkable 1918-S, MS-66 (PCGS), CAC/CMQ: US$91,500, a record for the date.
• Lot 4045. The single finest known 1920-S, graded MS-67 (NGC): US$85,400, a record for an NGC-graded example.
• Lot 4062. A beautifully toned superb gem 1929-S: US$67,100.
• Lot 4143. A 1940 graded MS-69 by NGC — the only one known in that grade for the entire series: US$39,040, a record for the date.
• Lot 4200. The single finest NGC-graded 1944-D: US$24,400, a record for an NGC-graded example.

More pieces on the way

“We’re excited to bring more of the Chase Collection to market over the coming months,” continued Pack, “with the next offering in our November 2026 Showcase Auction.” None of these pieces are in Notofilia’s virtual collection. More detail, with the full list of results, at Numismatic News (opens in a new tab) and at the Stack’s Bowers Galleries (opens in a new tab) site.