Our highly anticipated August Platinum Night® Auction of world coins is scheduled for August 17, hosted this year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia during the ANA World’s Fair of Money®. The arrival of such a prestigious event naturally comes accompanied by the crème-de la-crème of numismatics. Whether you are seeking the pinnacle of quality, rarity, or a combination of both, this selection is sure to excite.
We begin the world coins auction with a truly spectacular offering of ancient coins, including several mint state examples from the dawn of coinage — heavy and light issue gold Staters, Hectes and a Trite of King Croesus of Lydia. Croesus himself would be proud of the parade of other gold issues that follow, including Mnaieions and Trichrysons from Ptolemaic Egypt and Roman Imperatorial and Imperial Aurei of Sextus Pompey, Julius Caesar, Brutus, Augustus, Vitellius, Vespasian, Matidia, Diadumenian, Macrinus, Postumus and more.
All that glimmers is not gold, however — not to be missed in the silver world coins issues are the breathtaking Syracuse Decadrachm, signed by the master Euainetos and certified Choice AU by NGC; the sublime Amphictionic Stater from Delphi and the impressive Decadrachm of Arsinoe II. One would be remiss if neglecting in this preview the stunning selection of Macedonian Kingdom gold Staters and the substantial Distaters of Alexander the Great, one of which is graded Choice AU with Fine Style.
Certainly the gem of the sale is the extraordinarily rare and well-preserved Charles and Johanna “Early Series” Rincón 8 Reales minted circa 1538 in Mexico. Properly dubbed as the “First Dollar of the Americas,” this legendary world coins piece, previously in a 2006 Heritage auction and coming from the esteemed Numismatic Cabinet of Isaac Rudman, will make its appearance for the first time in over a decade. Once considered to be a purely conjectural issue — commissioned to be minted in contemporary documents but never struck — the example offered here is among only three known and is without doubt the finest, graded AU50 by NGC.
potentially unique 1575-dated 2 Ducat of Riga
We are also delighted to offer further great world coins rarities that are represented by just a few known specimens, such as:
- A previously unknown gold Morabetino of the Castilian King Alfonso X dated 1264 Safar (1 of 2 known)
- A Saudi Arabian gold Proof Pattern Guinea of Abd al-Aziz Bin Saud (1 of 3 known)
- A presentation 10 Taris of Charles I d’Anjou minted at Messina or Barletta (1 of 2 known)
- A rare gold Medal of Pedro I of Brazil dated 1826 (1 of 3 known)
- A potentially unique 1575-dated 2 Ducat of Riga
While we are usually particularly proud of the elite selection of British coins in our signature auctions, the current offering has exceeded even our own expectations and features one of the best groups we have ever had the pleasure to offer. We first see a fantastic array of hammered gold running from Edward III through to Charles II, punctuated with such hammered silver rarities as a 4 Testerns of Elizabeth I and the finest known Pontefract Siege Shilling of Charles I.
The end of this group of world coins neatly meets the beginning of our fantastic run of milled coinage, commencing with two extraordinary milled Broads of Oliver Cromwell and going forward to feature numerous 5 Guinea pieces, notably a 1692 William and Mary example graded MS61 by NGC and both the “LIMA” and East India Company varieties. There is a spectacular near-complete group of British gold coronation medals, running from Charles I through to Edward VII and debuting the enigmatic double-weight gold coronation Medal of William and Mary; one of just 28 pieces originally produced and graded AU53 by NGC, this will be the first time that such a piece has been properly attributed and sold. Finally, perhaps the highlight of our British section of this auction is an unmatched selection of patterns and proofs including the finest known complete 1853 Proof Set of Victoria, a matte proof ½ Sovereign of George VI, and the celebrated 1839 Victoria “Una and the Lion” gold 5 Pounds.
Though brevity prevents intensive explanation, we could hardly proceed without making mention of the stunning Russian rarities we have to offer, including not one, but two gold Ducats of Peter I, a supremely rare Catherine the Great Rouble from 1775, and an 1896 gold 25 Roubles of Nicholas II.
This world coins auction is open for bidding now at coins.HA.com.
