Stack's Bowers
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Auction |
| Founded | 1933 in New York City, United States |
| Founder | Joseph Stack, Morton Stack |
| Headquarters | Costa Mesa , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Q. David Bowers (co-chairman) |
| Products | Rare coins and paper currency auctions |
| Parent | Spectrum Group International (until 2025), A-Mark Precious Metals (from 2025) |
Stack’s Bowers, also referred to as Stack's Bowers Galleries, is a prominent American auction firm based in Costa Mesa, California that focuses on rare coins and paper currency. Established in 1933 in New York City, it holds the distinction of being the longest-running numismatic auction house in the United States.
History
The company was originally launched as Stack's Rare Coins in 1933 by brothers Joseph and Morton Stack, evolving from their grandfather Maurice’s foreign exchange and coin enterprise. Its inaugural auction took place in 1935. In 1947, Harvey G. Stack, Morton's son, became part of the business. The firm operated at 123 West 57th Street from 1953 for nearly seven decades until its relocation to Park Avenue in 2020.
In 2008, Stack's combined forces with American Numismatic Rarities, and later in 2011 merged with Bowers and Merena, resulting in the creation of Stack's Bowers Galleries. This union introduced esteemed numismatist and author Q. David Bowers as co-chairman. In February 2025, Spectrum Group International, the parent company of Stack's Bowers, was purchased by A-Mark Precious Metals for $92 million. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, Stack’s Bowers reported revenues of $536.4 million alongside a gross profit of $46.1 million. The company maintains a global presence with offices located in Copenhagen, Hong Kong, and Paris.
Notable sales
- In 2013, Stack's Bowers sold a 1794 Flowing Hair dollar for $10,016,875, marking the first coin to exceed a $10 million sale price.
- From 2015 through 2017, the auction house handled the D. Brent Pogue collection of U.S. coins, which focused on early American Federal issues and amassed over $131 million.
- The Joel R. Anderson collection of United States Paper Money, recognized as the most valuable U.S. paper currency assemblage ever auctioned, generated more than $34 million during sales held in 2018 and 2019.
- A Class I 1804 dollar, graded Proof-68 by PCGS and originally part of a set presented to Said bin Sultan in 1835, fetched $7.68 million at auction in August 2021.
- A prototype Chinese Dragon Dollar minted at Tientsin in 1911 sold for $3 million during a Hong Kong auction in May 2022, ranking among the highest-priced Chinese coins ever sold.
- Beginning in 2024, Stack's Bowers commenced auctions of Danish industrialist Lars Emil Bruun’s extensive coin collection—held intact for a century per his testament—with an initial sale reaching $16.5 million from the insured 20,000-coin trove valued at $72.5 million.
- A rare undated silver threepence from Boston dated to 1652 for the Massachusetts Bay Company achieved a record-setting $2.52 million in November 2024; it is one of only two known specimens.
- An 1870 Dominion of Canada $2 banknote issued in Victoria, British Columbia, realized $360,000 at a January 2025 auction—ranking among the top prices for Canadian banknotes and previously unseen prior to this sale.
- In September 2025, Stack's Bowers was appointed by the US Mint to conduct auctions for seven gold Sacagawea Dollars flown on the Space Shuttle Columbia mission in 1999; including an eighth non-flown coin, these sales totaled $3.28 million.