| Tauler & Fau > Auction 136 | Auction date: 29 November 2023 |
| Lot number: 343 Price realized: 1,600 EUR (Approx. 1,756 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Honduras. 1 peso. 1895. Tegucigalpa. (Km-56). (Fried-7). Au. Slightly crude strike, scarce and desirable type, with a reported mintage of only 43 pieces for this date. Rare in this high grade. Slabbed by NGC as MS 61. Only 2 finer specimens in the NGC census. This coin is exempt from any export license fee. Est...3000,00. Spanish Description: Honduras. 1 peso. 1895. Tegucigalpa. (Km-56). (Fried-7). Au. Tipo ligeramente tosco, escaso y deseable, con una acuñación de tan sólo 43 piezas para esta fecha. Muy rara en este alto grado de conservación. Encapsulada por NGC como MS 61. Solamente 2 ejemplares mejor conservados según el censo de NGC. Lote exento de tasas de exportación. Est...3000,00. |  |
Match 1:
| Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles > Auction 137 | Auction date: 29 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 1147 Price realized: 95,000 USD (Approx. 87,989 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Great Britain. Proof Five Pounds, 1826. S.3797; Fr-373; WR-213; KM-702. George IV, 1820-1830. Bare Head left. Reverse; Crowned shield and mantle. Lettered Edge. Issued in a set and a proof only issue with a reported mintage of only 150. Truly superb example having a most impressive eye appeal. Pop 4; 1 in 64Cam; 1 in 65+Cam; 1 in 67Cam. PCGS graded Proof 63 Cameo. Estimated Value $100,000 - UP This beautiful coin was the largest gold piece and highest denomination in the second set of proof coins issued in this brief reign (1820-30). The young king, a flamboyant man by anyone's standards, so disliked his first portrait (the "Laureate Head") that he ordered his mint to copy a famous marble statue of him, producing the image seen here. It was a mostly accurate depiction of the man he wished himself to be, even though at this age he had over-indulged in food, drink and drugs-all of which, in combination, caused his early death. For years before his accession, he had been the Prince Regent of England, beginning with the incapacitation of his elderly father, King George III, in 1787. Although married, he died without heir, long estranged from his wife. He did leave behind prizes such as this fabulous coin from his personally favored proof set. Ex St. James's Auction 2, May 11, 2005, lot 392. |  |
Match 2:
| Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles > Auction 137 | Auction date: 29 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 1183 Price realized: 30,000 USD (Approx. 27,786 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Great Britain. Proof Trade Dollar, 1934-B. KM-Tn5. Reported mintage of only 20 pieces struck. Beautiful deep iridescent toning on both sides. Very Rare. Proof 65 Primium Quality. sure looks at least Proof 66. Pop 1; The only one graded in proof at NGC. NGC graded Proof 65. Estimated Value $10,000 - UP The word "dollar" entered the English language by route of Scotland, of all places. Between 1567 and 1571, King James VI struck two types of large silver coins, which were known as the "Sword Dollar" and the "Thistle Dollar" locally. The Scots preferred the term "dollar" to distinguish themselves and their money from their domineering, and territorially grasping, neighbor to the south, the English. Thus from an early date the use of the dollar carried with it a certain nationalistic, anti-English connotation. The extensive emigration of Scottish settlers to both the New and Old World colonies may well account for the ready acceptance and popularity of the word in British colonies around the world. The British trade dollar competed in Asia with the American, Mexican and other silver coins of this approximate size for many years, as silver was traditionally preferred over gold by Chinese and other mechants and bankers. The end was near in 1934, when this coin was created, for in 1935 the law was changed in Hong Kong, causing almost all 1935 and countless recent trade dollar coins to be melted, and to disappear from circulation. This is an historically significant, and extremely rare, specimen. Ex Irving Goodman Collection; Illustrated in Money of The World, coin 140; Ex Goldberg 'Millennia' Sale, 46, May 26, 2008, lot 471. |  |
Match 3:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > NYINC Signature Sale 3113 | Auction date: 8 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 31117 Price realized: 55,000 USD (Approx. 50,138 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: France Napoleon silver Proof Piefort "Hundred Days" 5 Francs 1815-A PR63 NGC, Paris mint, KM-Pn21, cf. Maz-568a (there lettered edge), cf. Gad-594 (same). 36.67gm. Plain edge. A truly remarkable survivor of not only a rare theme but a rare type, here presented in a double-weight Piefort format. One of incredibly few to see the market in the past 15 years, with another example offered in 2008 as an unrecorded variety with the plain edge, this substantial specimen is one to impress. Engraved in high-relief, with a later version of Napoleon's laureate bust, this piece offers the viewer a realistic contemplation of the figure who almost conquered all of Europe. As one can expect from a well-made Proof issue, glassy and highly reflective fields are underlying the ancient cabinet tone which frames the surfaces. A piece for the most advanced and discerning French type collectors. Napoleon's "Hundred Days" marked a dramatic and tumultuous chapter in French history. After his escape from exile on the island of Elba in 1815, he returned to France and reclaimed power for a brief period. During these 100 days, he attempted to consolidate his rule and implement various reforms, but his ambitions were short-lived. His return triggered the Seventh Coalition, leading to the famous Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, where he suffered a decisive defeat. This period ultimately sealed Napoleon's fate, leading to his final exile on the remote island of Saint Helena, where he would spend the rest of his life in confinement. https://coins.ha.com/itm/france/france-napoleon-silver-proof-piefort-hundred-days-5-francs-1815-a-pr63-ngc-/a/3113-31117.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3113-01082024 HID02906262019 © 2023 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved Estimate: 20000-40000 USD |  |
Match 4:
| Stack's Bowers Galleries (& Ponterio) > January 2024 NYINC Auction | Auction date: 12 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 52202 Price realized: 280,000 USD (Approx. 255,332 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: GREAT BRITAIN. Gold "Una and the Lion" 5 Pounds Pattern, 1839. London Mint. Victoria. PCGS PROOF-63 Deep Cameo. S-3851; Fr-386; KM-742; WR-278 (R4). By William Wyon. Wilson and Rasmussen lists a total of eight die varieties for this type, with the present example identified by its "DIRIGE..." reverse legend, small lettered edge, and six full scrolls on the obverse headband. Masterfully produced in medallic high relief, this hefty gold five sovereign issue is often found with fully intact frost over the devices, rendering the portrait and the figures of Victoria and the Lion in stark, striking detail that only accentuates the beauty of Wyon's artistry. The present example is no exception, the matte-like texture of the raised portions of the design offering an eye-catching contrast to the watery and deeply mirrored yellow-golden fields beneath. Mild hairlines are present but well-hidden in the fields, in line with the assigned grade. William Wyon (1795-1851) led a long and illustrious career as an engraver of British medals and coinage, hailing from a family of diesinkers in Birmingham and serving as Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint from 1828 until his death in 1851. He was a prolific and highly regarded artist in his lifetime, the creator of such famed pieces as the 1817 "Three Graces" and "Incorrupta" pattern Crowns, the 1847 "Gothic" Crown, and the 1831 coronation medal for William IV, among many others. His work can primarily be classified under Neoclassicism, a popular art movement of the 18th and 19th centuries that drew heavily upon works of the Renaissance and classical antiquity, featuring themes of grandeur in conjunction with a simplicity of style. Wyon's most renowned work may be his 1839 "Una and the Lion" 5 Pounds issue, produced for the delayed coronation of Queen Victoria, who ascended to the throne in 1837. The design, in characteristic Neoclassical fashion, draws direct inspiration from Edmund Spenser's Renaissance-era epic poem, "The Faerie Queen." Book I of the epic follows the adventures of the noble Redcrosse Knight and his lady, Una. In one scene, Una is charged upon by a wild lion after becoming separated from her companion, but in the face of Una's beauty and purity, the lion is instantly tamed, and thereafter accompanies her as a faithful protector. In a time of great social mobility, with the Industrial Revolution in full force, coupled with a gradual movement away from a traditional rigid social hierarchy in the wake of two centuries of mercantilist policies (which led to a significant redistribution of wealth from the nobility to the middle class), and following the largely unpopular and at best ineffectual reigns of George IV and William IV, the structure of the British monarchy as a whole had increasingly become regarded as archaic. Indeed, the accession of Victoria on 20 June 1837, less than a month after her 18th birthday, would mark the beginning of the transition of the monarchy to a primarily ceremonial role. Victoria's coronation took place on 28 June 1838, a little over a year after her accession to the throne, presumably having been delayed in an effort to train and prepare her for her new role, as she had not been raised with the expectation of queenhood. Wyon's coronation set would be issued a year later. His usage of the Una and the Lion imagery for his representation of Victoria upon the largest denomination within the set was clever in its execution but controversial by nature; it was the first time in history that a British monarch had been depicted on a coin as a fictional character. Nevertheless, it served its function as propaganda, highlighting and romanticizing the Queen's youth and purity while simultaneously portraying her as a noble and capable leader, in an effort to sell her to the public. Wyon's Una is rendered as the upright figure of a young Queen Victoria, royal orb and scepter in hand, clothed in an elaborate medieval gown. At her side, the enormous strolling lion functions both as the character from Spenser's epic and as a symbol of Great Britain, a mighty force diligently following its queen. Above the figures are the words "DIRIGE DEUS GRESSUS MEOS" ("May God Direct My Steps"), a holy entreaty and a message of hope in the wake of the accession of a vibrant young leader. This large and impressive gold Pattern issue found immediate popularity, and the original mintage of approximately 400 pieces was soon found to be wanting. The beauty and grace of Wyon's imagery and the mystical romanticization of the young queen appealed to many, and the Royal Mint assuaged the heavy demand by striking additional examples upon request for nearly fifty years, reportedly until 1886, an endeavor that resulted in the production of several additional dies. Of the eight known die pairings, the most common is W&R-279 (R2), which is most often associated with the original proof set. The present W&R-278 (R4) is a close second, with the other varieties generally being scarce to rare. To view all items from the Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, click here. From the Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection. Estimate: $200000 - $400000 |  |
Match 5:
| Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles > Auction 137 | Auction date: 29 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 1129 Price realized: 750,000 USD (Approx. 694,650 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Great Britain. "VIGO" Five Guineas, 1703. S-3561; Fr-183; KM-520.1. 41.69 grams. SECVNDO on edge. Queen Anne, 1702-1714. Draped bust left; VIGO below bust. Reverse; Crowned cruciform arms, with alternating scepters and a central (Tudor) rose. Uncirculated, a wonderful specimen blessed by superb eye appeal, with all details sharp, and complimented by deep, proof-like luster. Scattered faint hairlines (from being in important collector cabinets over the past 300 years). Historical, and excessively rare. Sure looks like a special proof strike. Pop 1; The Finest Proof-Like graded at any service. PCGS graded MS-61 Prooflike. Estimated Value $300,000 - UP The queen is shown facing left with her long hair curled and tied in a bow, her body draped. Beneath her portrait are the letters VIGO in large capitals. The reverse shows the date at top and consists of the classic "cruciform" composed of the shields of the kingdoms (England, Scotland, France and Ireland), each with a crown over it, a double open rose at center, each angle displaying a scepter topped by an emblem of the four kingdoms-of England, Scotland, France and Ireland in order from the first to last angle. The bold surrounding legend in Latin abbreviations proclaims her Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland. For centuries, since the victory at Agincourt in 1415, English kings and queens claimed to be the sovereigns of France, and this appears in their titles as seen on this coin. Bourbon Spain and Catholic France were the oldest enemies of the kingdom. During the 17th and 18th centuries, English buccaneers attacked their ships at sea, attempting to seize treasure, especially gold and silver mined in the New World and being transported back to Spain for that country's coinage. One of the most famous of all seizures occurred near the beginning of Queen Anne's reign, in October 1702. England and the Dutch Republic were allies against their common enemies. Sir George Rooke of the British navy was in command of some 50 warships that attacked a treasure fleet returning from South America anchored at Vigo Bay on the northwest coast of Spain. It consisted of three Spanish treasure galleons protected by French warships. Rooke and his fleet of warships entered the bay, breaking through a huge boom of heavy chain and timber that stretched across the entrance to the bay, sailed straight at the moored ships, and a furious battle took place inside the harbor. After a day and a half, the enemies' ships had been almost all destroyed and Rooke's marines seized the one treasure galleon remaining at the port. They were startled to discover that most of the specie had been unloaded and carted away before they had arrived, but what remained was no small prize. It consisted of more than two tons of silver, but just a few pounds of gold. It was all hauled back to England aboard Rooke's ships, arriving at the mint inside the Tower of London. The queen commanded that the word VIGO be placed under her portrait on all coins made from this captured treasure, in part to mock their enemies but also to use these coins as patriotic symbols. Thousands of English silver coins so marked circulated to serve this purpose, but the prize was also much needed because silver was in short supply. The small amount of captured gold was coined into half-guineas, guineas, and five-guineas pieces, most of which were paid to the officers and sailors who had taken part in the sea battle, and those coins seem to have been almost all spent at the time; in later years, many were melted. All are very rare today, but especially the biggest coin, the 1703-VIGO five-guineas, and especially this truly stunning coin. It would be a prize in any collection. Ex Murdock 1903, lot 834. Only 15-20 specimens known, and this is reputedly the finest. With diagnostic lint mark on the scepter of the fourth quarter of the cruciform. Most numismatists believe the 1703 VIGO Five Guineas to be the rarest of all English gold coins. This coin was the sole cover illustration of the 2003 edition of Spink's Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England and the United Kingdom, London, 2002; Illustrated in Money of The World, coin 105; Ex Goldberg 'Millennia' Sale, 46, May 26, 2008, lot 354. |  |
