By Toronto Coin Expo
Geoffrey Bell Auctions Ltd. (GBA) will be offering a number of rare coin and banknote collectibles via floor and Internet bidding on Thursday, September 29 and Friday, September 30. This auction will be held in conjunction with the Toronto Coin Expo happening this weekend on September 30 & October 1. Both events take place at the Toronto Reference Library located at 789 Yonge St.
A star among the auction offerings is a 1901 $5 banknote issued by The Canadian Bank of Commerce in an era where paper money was not printed by the Government of Canada, but instead by chartered banks. The Canadian Bank of Commerce merged with the Imperial Bank of Canada in 1961 to form the current Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). This note was printed in Toronto but was to be used in the Yukon Territory during the heady days of gold production that was kicked off by the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898.
Currently there are only three examples of this note known and this one being offered by Geoffrey Bell Auctions is in superior condition and has a pre-auction estimate of CAD$40,000 to $50,000.
A significant historical medal issued for Captain James Cook’s second voyage to Australia will be going on the GBA auction block. The Captain Cook’s Resolution and Adventure Medal is named after the two ships that Cook took to Australia in 1772. There were 2,000 medals struck in bronze with the intention of being presented as gifts to the indigenous population and other. There are few surviving pieces and exceedingly fewer in private collections as, given their history, the medals are highly sought after by museums.
This is a superb example, without the corrosion seen on many known specimens, and carries an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000.
The evening of Friday September 30th will see a rare opportunity to acquire a 1914 $50 banknote issued by The Molsons Bank, named after the famous Canadian brewers that founded the bank. The bank was founded by William Molson, the son of the family patriarch John Molson, and it is William’s portrait that is featured in the center of the note. One of only four known, two of which are in the institutional collections, makes this a difficult specimen to be acquired by the collector.
The pre-sale estimate is $20,000 to $25,000.
These rare items and many other interesting coins, tokens and banknotes will be available for viewing at the Expo prior to the Geoffrey Bell Auction on September 29 at the Toronto Reference Library, located at 789 Yonge Street. The Toronto Coin Expo is Canada’s premier coin & banknote show and auction. The public is invited to the bourse floor where 50+ dealer tables will be offering coins, medals, tokens and banknotes from Canada and the world. For full information, please visit www.torontocoinexpo.ca or contact Jared Stapleton at (647) 403-7334.
