Expo featured Windermere Collection of Rare Date Liberty Double Eagles

[CoinLink News] – Bowers and Merena Auctions, one of the world’s preeminent auctioneers for rare coins and currency, realized more than $8 million as the Official Auctioneer of the June 2010 Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo. The eight-session sale, occurring June 17-19, included more than 6,000 lots of U.S. coins and currency, ancient and foreign coins, and foreign paper money. Prices realized for U.S. coins and currencies amounted to $6,438,778. Ponterio & Associates, a division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, added an additional $1,608,082 in prices realized with ancient and foreign coins and paper money.

“Our highly successful June 2010 Baltimore Auction saw spirited bidding for many different areas of U.S. numismatics,” said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena Auctions. “Specialists in classic gold coinage were particularly enthused about our offering of the Windermere Collection of rare date Liberty Double Eagles. The highlight of that collection is clearly lot 3847, the 1861-S A.C. Paquet Reverse in NGC AU-50 that traded hands for $69,000. “

An important and rare one-year type, the 1861-S Paquet features an experimental reverse that proved unsuitable for regular issue production and widespread circulation. The San Francisco Mint struck only 19,250 examples of this issue before returning to the traditional Liberty Double Eagle reverse design by Chief Engraver James Barton Longacre.

“For Ponterio & Associates, the most notable sale was lot 8278, an extremely rare Kublai Khan, the fifth Great Khan and grandson of Genghis Khan, 50 Tael Sycee Ingot. Issued in Year 14 (A.D. 1273) of China’s Yuan Dynasty, the piece realized $64,900,” said Rick Ponterio, executive vice president of Ponterio & Associates. “Iranian bank notes and Chinese coinage also proved to be particularly popular.”

Additional U.S., ancient and foreign coin and currency highlights in the Bowers and Merena and Ponterio & Associates June 2010 Baltimore Auction include:

* Lot 178, 1881 Hawaii Pattern Five Cents, Medcalf-Russsell 2CN-1, MS-64 (PCGS), Secure Holder, realized $28,750
* Lot 1658, 1937-D Buffalo Nickel, FS-901 (FS-020.2), 3-Legged, MS-65 (PCGS), CAC, realized $37,375
* Lot 2030, 1864 Seated Liberty Quarter, MS-67 (PCGS), realized $26,450
* Lot 3411, 1872 Pattern Commercial Dollar, Judd-1217, Proof-64 RB (PCGS), realized $25,875 (one of only three specimens known to exist) (more…)

Extremely Rare Kublai Khan Sells for $64,900

[CoinLink News] – Ponterio & Associates, a division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, realized $1,608,082 as the Official Auctioneer of the June 2010 Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo. The three-session sale, occurring June 17-19, featured ancient and foreign coins and paper money. Bowers and Merena added an additional $6,438,778 in sales with its five-session auction.

“Ponterio & Associates’ Official June 2010 Baltimore Auction resulted in strong bidder competition and equally strong prices realized for ancient and foreign coins and foreign paper currency,” said Rick Ponterio, executive vice president of Ponterio & Associates. “Iranian bank notes proved particularly popular in this auction, as did Chinese coinage and world gold coins in general.”

The most notable sale was lot 8278, an extremely rare Kublai Khan, the fifth Great Khan and grandson of Genghis Khan, 50 Tael Sycee Ingot. Issued in Year 14 (A.D. 1273) of China’s Yuan Dynasty, the piece realized $64,900. Leading the way among foreign bank note offerings, lot 7409, an Iranian First Series Toman, 1.6.1920, P-1b, Choice Uncirculated, sold for $17,700.

Additional ancient and foreign coin and paper currency highlights in the Ponterio & Associates June 2010 Baltimore Auction include:

* Lot 6037, Greece, 10 Lepta, 1831, cf.KM-12, cf.Geo-13, Chase-411-F.e, missing first “H” in “KYBEPNHTHE,” Very Fine, realized $8,850
* Lot 6089, Mexico, Charles II (1665-1700), Escudo, 1879 (J), Fr-5, KM-50, Very Fine, realized $8,850 (the first dated gold coin of Mexico)
* Lot 6551, Great Britain, William III (1694-1702), 5 Guineas, 1701, Fr-310, S-3456, KM-508, NGC XF-45, realized $10,325
* Lot 6601, India, Travancore, Sovereign, ME1057/1881, Fr-1403, KM-32, NGC MS-63, realized $9,853
* Lot 6750, Transylvania, 10 Ducats, 1605, Fr-305, KM-18, Resch-2a, NGC VF-30, realized $16,520
* Lot 7410, Iran, 1 Toman, 12.2.1924, P-1b, Extremely Fine, realized $9,440
* Lot 7420, Iran, 5 Tomans, 30.3.1925, P-13, Choice Very Fine, realized $9,440
* Lot 7422, Iran, 10 Tomans, 11.10.1927, P-14, Very Fine, realized $11,800
* Lot 8086, Ptolemaic Egypt, Ptolemy II (285-246 B.C.), AV Octadrachm, Alexandria Mint, after 265 B.C., Choice Very Fine, realized $10,030
* Lot 8286, China, Kiangnan, Dollar, 1898, L&M-215, Y-145a.18, “WU HSU” reversed, PCGS XF-45, realized $9,440
* Lot 8719, Venezuela, 5 Bolivares, 1888, Y-24.1, NGC MS-62, realized $20,650. (more…)

Bowers and Merena will be offering Lot 3410 in their Baltimore Coin and Currency Auction next week. One item, possibly unique, is a 5 coin 1871 Standard Silver Pattern Proof Set.

Five-piece pattern proof sets of this type were distributed by the Mint to contemporary collectors. The number of such sets produced is unknown, but survivors are very rare with probably no more than six examples of each denomination known to exist. The specimens we offer here could represent an original set, inasmuch as the coins all trace their pedigree to the Harold P. Newlin and Garrett collections.

What is interesting, however, is that the coins were offered individually when Bowers and Ruddy conducted its first two installments of the Garrett Collection Sales in 1979 and 1980. Whether the coins comprise an original set or have been united to form an assembled set makes little difference–this lot represents what is almost certainly the only intact set of these pattern types in numismatic hands.

The obverse design of all examples is the same and features Chief Engraver James Barton Longacre’s Indian Princess motif with no stars around the borders. Liberty is seated left wearing a Native American headdress, her left hand resting atop a globe inscribed LIBERTY and her right hand supporting a liberty pole. Two flags are behind the portrait, and the date 1871 is below.

The reverse designs are identical with the exception of the denomination, which is centered within a wreath of corn and cotton. The word STANDARD is inscribed along the upper border. Struck in silver with either a reeded or plain edge. (more…)