By CoinWeek …..
Stack’s Bowers Galleries is hosting a series of online world coin and paper money auctions from February 22 through 25 that include a number of remarkable pieces, many that might sell for potentially attractive prices for the astute collector. We reviewed lots from the February 24 and 25 World Coin sections, comprising of a total of 1,750 lots. World Coins Section 1 will begin on February 24 at 9 AM PST. World Coins Section 2 will begin on February 25 at 9 AM PST. Bidding is open now and your immediate attention to these offerings will ensure that you have adequate time to do your own research and plan your bidding strategy.
To whet your appetite, review the following lots that our editors found especially interesting. Many of these selections will hammer at a price within the budgets of most world coin collectors.
Lot: 73641. GREAT BRITAIN. ‘Gothic’ Crown, 1847 Year UNDECIMO. London Mint. Victoria. PCGS PROOF-62 Gold Shield.
Here is a pleasing example of the famous ‘Gothic’ Crown portrait of young Queen Victoria.
Designed by Royal Mint Chief Engraver Thomas Wyon, this design debuted in 1847 and was produced in one other year, 1853. Wyon’s design features an attractive and youthful portrait of Victoria dressed in Medieval style, her hair in braids, with a large crown resting atop her head. On the queen’s older portrait, she appears sullen and wears her signature small-sized crown. The obverse design is finished with the inscription VICTORIA DEI GARIA VRITANNIAR. REG. F.D. in Gothic letters.
Only 8,000 pieces of the issue were struck and most have been mistreated over the years. The example on offer at Stack’s Bowers is graded PR62 by PCGS. A similarly graded example with darker toning sold for $13,200 USD at a January 2021 auction.
Estimate: $5,000 – $7,500
Lot: 73432. GERMANY. Mainz. Ducat, 1655-MF. Mainz Mint. Johann Philipp Franz von Schonborn. PCGS EF-45 Gold Shield.
Here is an attractive example of a German ducat from Mainz. Produced a few years after the end of the Thirty Years War, this period marked a turning point for German creativity as the newfound peace and the experience of years of fighting provided fertile ground for writers, artists, and music–specifically organ music. At the time this coin was struck, the city had a population of just under 20,000 people and was under Catholic rule.
This historic gold coin is well-preserved and features a left-facing portrait of Prince-Bishop Johann Philip on the coin’s obverse.
As reflected in the grade of Extra Fine 45, the piece is lightly circulated and retains most of the design’s features. The coin has been professionally imaged by PCGS TruView and looks incredible in the holder.
Estimate: $400 – $500
Lot: 73763. CENTRAL AMERICAN REPUBLIC (GUATEMALA). 1/2 Escudo, 1824-NG M. Nueva Guatemala Mint. NGC MS-62.
This diminutive gold 1/2 Escudos was struck at the Nueva Guatemala Mint in 1824, the first year of issue for the type. The design features a variant of the iconic mountain and sun motif while the reverse features a simple leafy tree. The Nueva Guatemala Mint struck coins with the Central American Republic designs between 1824 and 1851 and struck all of the gold denominations. The 1/2 Escudo is the smallest and weighs 1.89 grams and is struck with 0.875 fine gold.
The Mintage of the issue is not known, but NGC reports three examples at the MS-62 level with only 10 finer. This particular example is pedigreed to the Luis Flores Collection. This same coin sold at a January 2016 Heritage Auction for $822.50. Recent sales for this denomination at this grade have been at considerably higher prices.
Estimate: $800 – $1,200
Lot: 73094. BRAZIL. 6400 Reis, 1791-R. Rio de Janeiro Mint. Maria I. NGC MS-63.
This choice Mint State 6,400 Reis features the fifth effigy of Portuguese Queen Dona Maria I. Her subjects’ perceptions of the queen varied depending on where they lived. In Portugal, she was commonly referred to as “Maria the Pious”. In Brazil, she was known as “Maria the Mad”. She had as much in common with her South American subjects as the moon has with Swiss cheese, but at the urging of the British, the Portuguese royal family moved to Brazil to establish a government in exile. Maria fled to Brazil in the fall of 1807 and never returned to her homeland.
All of that was in the future, however. When this coin was issued the Brazilians were well-familiar with the likeness of the queen, whose first gold coinage appeared in 1777.
This design style was produced from 1789 to 1800 and is quite collectible due to the large annual mintages, typically in excess of 200,000 per year. This example is well struck and well preserved and is pedigreed to the Steve Studor Collection.
Estimate: $1,000 – $1,500
