Coin Collecting News » Daniel Frank Sedwick

Sedwick Auction To Feature Shipwreck Treasure, Gold Cobs and World Coins

Daniel Frank Sedwick — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:22:44 +0000

Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC announces the release of their Treasure and World Coin Auction #8, scheduled for October 21-23, 2010, comprising 2789 lots, by far their largest sale to date. For the first time Sedwick has incorporated “World Coins” into the title, as the auction features almost 1000 lots of general world coins.
As usual the auction will start with Gold Cobs, more than 50 of them this time (mostly from shipwrecks), including several of the finest known 1715-Fleet specimens: a full-date and exceptionally struck Mexican 8 escudos 1714 and 4 escudos 1715; a near-perfect Lima 2 escudos and probably the finest known Lima cob 1 escudo, both dated 1710 and encapsulated PCGS, the latter MS-64. Also there are no less than nine Fleet “bogeys” (Bogotá 2 escudos) in this sale.

The next section, World Gold Coins, contains over 300 lots, most of them Spanish Colonial “busts,” including: the finest known Mexican 1 escudo 1733/2, recovered by Marty Meylach from the 1733 Fleet and the inspiration for his book Diving to a Flash of Gold; a unique Santiago, Chile, 1 escudo, 1755/4, from the famous Eliasberg collection; and well over 100 Spanish colonial bust 8 escudos by date, most of them starting below melt value.

The Ingots section features a collection of large, natural gold nuggets, as well as several important 16th-century ingots (including “tumbaga”) and a unique silver “piña” ingot from the Atocha (1622).

“This is not just a treasure auction–it is also a world coin auction, our first big offering of gold and silver coins from countries all over the world.
Daniel Frank Sedwick

In Shipwreck Silver Coins bidders will find hundreds of Atocha (1622) silver coins, both rarities and wholesale lots, in addition to coins from dozens of shipwrecks around the world assembled by two different collectors.

The Silver Cobs sections for Mexico, Lima and Potosí contain no less than four Royals (round presentation specimens) in various denominations. The Lima listings are dominated by the collection of Robert Mastalir, including a nearly complete date-run of 1R that contains several unlisted overdates. Featured in Other Cobs is a Santo Domingo 4 reales of Charles-Joanna (one of very few ever offered at auction), as well as a large collection of dated cobs from mainland Spanish mints.

Following a short but varied Ancient Coins offering (the first for Sedwick), the expanded World Silver Coins section comprises over 600 lots, with particular emphasis on Colombia (featuring Part II of the Herman Blanton collection) and the British Isles (Great Britain, Ireland and Scotland). There is also a large collection of British Admiral Vernon medals.

“Our most important items are in shipwreck artifacts, however,” says Sedwick’s assistant Agustin “Augi” Garcia, whose new book The “Tumbaga” Saga about some conquest-period silver bars is being released at the same time. “Of particular significance is a unique Tarascan (Mexican) silver rodela (plate) from the “Tumbaga wreck” (ca. 1528), featured in my new book and the important link for figuring out what the silver ingots of that time were made of.”

The Shipwreck Artifacts section also features a large gold-and-emerald pendant and a gold religious medallion and chain from the 1715 Fleet, followed by many lots of small artifacts from the 1733 Fleet, the collection of Marty Meylach himself. Non-shipwreck Artifacts include a large selection of colonial-era weapons, mainly flintlocks and swords, as well as several natural history items like fossils and scrimshaw.

The auction is rounded out by Documents and Media (books and catalogs), ending with a special, full-color, hardbound, limited edition #1 of 50 copy of Augi’s much-anticipated book The “Tumbaga” Saga, which the author will personally inscribe to the winning bidder.

Prospective bidders must first register, which can be done directly on iCollector by going to www.icollector.com/sedwick. Also, this time Sedwick’s company has integrated the iCollector bidding platform directly on their site so that bidders can bid directly (still with the same service and anonymity as on iCollector) while browsing the lots at www.auction.sedwickcoins.com. Bids will also be accepted by FAX, mail and email and phone, and limited live phone bidding will also be available by prior appointment only.

Sedwick Treasure Auction #7 Brings In $1.37 Million

Daniel Frank Sedwick — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:56:05 +0000

Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC announced this week that their seventh Treasure Auction on April 7-9 realized $1.37 million (including buyer’s fees, same for all prices quoted here) and over 94% of the 2160 lots sold, well exceeding the pre-auction estimate.

“Our latest auction proves that world coins and treasure items are still strong,” said Daniel Sedwick, company principal and founder, “and that we achieve consistent results. This is our second auction in a row that reached over $1 million with a 94% sell-through rate, which is remarkable and a testament to the hard work we put in, both to get great consignments and to do what it takes to sell them all.”

Sedwick also pointed out that many sections like shipwreck coins were complete sell outs and brought record prices, particularly the Karl Goodpaster estate of 1715 Fleet silver coins. Gold cobs, as always, fetched strong prices, with the two featured Peruvian specimens from the Frank Sedwick estate realizing $19,550 (8 escudos 1712) and $18,400 (4 escudos 1711, finest known). Perhaps the most interesting coin in the sale was a Mexican cob 1 escudo from the 1715 Fleet that was flown to the moon aboard Apollo 14, and that coin brought $8,625. Most of the money, however, was in gold and silver ingots, including the highest priced lot in the whole auction, a naturally coral-encrusted “clump” of two complete gold bars from a mid-1500s Spanish wreck that brought $112,125. Many museum-quality artifacts sold for up to 5 times the high estimates.

Sedwick’s assistant Augi Garcia pointed to several unique factors for the success of their auction, including video lot viewing and illustration of all lots, but particularly the concept of live bidding via the Internet:

“People love bidding online, at their computer, in the comfort of their own home or office, even from their iPhone. At times we had more people actively bidding online than you see on the floor of a typical world-coins auction at a major coin show.”

A very strong online thrust via the Sedwick website as well as the bidding platform iCollector attracted over 25% new bidders from around the world. Also of benefit was lot viewing at the Baltimore show in March.

Consignments pledged or already received for Sedwick’s Treasure Auction #8 in October (consignment deadline July 31) indicate that it will be another big event, with still more improvements and innovations in store.

“Our goal is constant improvement through technological innovation, while retaining good old-fashioned personal service,” says Sedwick, “and that formula is hard to beat.”

Highlights from Treasure Auction #7 include (in order of price realized):

Lot# 0142 World’s only gold-bar clump, 2400 grams i long ingots, from the “Golden Fleece wreck” (ca. 1550). $ 112,125
Lot# 0143 Complete gold “finger” bar #39 from the “Golden Fleece wreck” (ca. 1550), 1108 grams, 17K. $36,800
Lot# 1864 Bronze astrolabe in exceptional condition, dated 1656, maker Agostinho de Goes Raposo. $32,200
Lot# 0153 Gold “finger” bar #10 from the Atocha (1622), 687 grams, 23.5K. $31,625
Lot# 1962 Ornate French gold boîte-en-baignoire (oblong snuff box) from the “Coconut Wreck” (ca. 1810). $28,750
Lot# 0161 Large silver bar #604 from the Atocha (1622), 87 lb 2.3 oz troy, 2380/2400 fine, Class Factor 0.8. $20,700
Lot# 0010 Lima, Peru, cob 8 escudos, 1712M, choice specimen from the 1715 Fleet, $19,550
Lot# 0015 Lima, Peru, cob 4 escudos, 1711M, choice specimen from the 1715 Fleet, finest known. $18,400
Lot# 0019 Cuzco, Peru, cob 2 escudos, 1698M, from the 1715 Fleet, choice, $14,375
Lot# 0009 Lima, Peru, cob 8 escudos, 1710H, 2 dates, from the 1715 Fleet, choice. $12,650
Lot# 1159 Panama, cob 1 real, Philip II, no assayer, unusually fine style, unique. $11,500
Lot# 0164 Small silver bar #820 from the Atocha (1622), 39 lb 10.08 oz troy, 2360/2400 fine, Class Factor 0.9. $10,350
Lot# 0008 Lima, Peru, cob 8 escudos, 1708H, from the 1715 Fleet. $10,063
Lot# 1979 Dutch bronze swivel cannon with “sea lion” handles and original yoke, ca. 1700. $10,063
Lot# 0168 Neatly formed silver ingot from the Slot ter Hooge (1724), 1950 grams, w/stamps $9,258
Lot# 0001 Mexico City, Mexico, cob 8 escudos, (171)0J, silver-cob shape, Plate Coin in the Pradeau reference. $8,625
Lot# 0007 Mexico City, Mexico, cob 1 escudo, (1711-13),, flown to the moon aboard Apollo 14. $8,625
Lot# 1859 Silver candlestick holder and heavy, round base from the Atocha (1622), marked w/crown stamp. $8,625
Lot# 0002 Mexico City, Mexico, cob 8 escudos, oM-dot-J (1716-23), from the 1733 Fleet, rare. $6,900
Lot# 1977 English brass-barreled flintlock blunderbuss rail gun with brass yoke and furniture. $6,900
Lot# 958 Lima, Peru, cob 2 reales, “Star of Lima” type, 165(9)V, rare, non-salvage. $6,325
Lot# 1151 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, copper 2 maravedis, Philip II, assayer X, unique. $6,038
Lot# 0014 Lima, Peru, cob 8 escudos, 1750R, from the Luz (1752). $5,750
Lot# 1852 Large, natural, dark-green emerald from the Atocha (1622), 10.52 carats. $4,888
Lot# 2004 Art McKee’s personal brass dive knife, signed and dated 1937 and with a cob soldered on the handle. $4,715
Lot# 0493 Mexico City, Mexico, cob 8 reales, 1715J, full date, from the 1715 Fleet. $4,715
Lot# 0158 Large “tumbaga” silver disc #M-96 from the “Tumbaga wreck” (ca. 1528), 18.03 lb. $4,715

Prices realized for all lots sold in Treasure Auction #7 are available online NOW!

Daniel Frank Sedwick Treasure and World Coin Auction #7

Daniel Frank Sedwick — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:22:35 +0000

In three sessions, Wednesday-Friday, April 7-9, 2010

As usual our latest Treasure Auction is full of surprises, but this time we feel it is also very well balanced across many fields, with more general world coins than ever before. Here are some highlights:

In great deference to the Sedwick patriarch, for the first time ever we are offering selections from the Frank Sedwick study collection of 1715-Fleet gold cobs, including plate coins from past editions of the Practical Book of Cobs and other pieces never seen or offered for sale, coins that the pioneering “Dr. Cobs” kept as the best examples among thousands that passed through his hands.

The unique opportunity to own a “Frank Sedwick” specimen will start in this auction with just two 1715-Fleet masterpieces: The finest-known Lima 4 escudos 1711 and one of the best Lima 8 escudos 1712 ever offered.

In the same category of quality as Frank Sedwick’s 1715-Fleet gold cobs is a choice Cuzco cob 2 escudos 1698, a plate coin in Marty Meylach’s classic book Diving to a Flash of Gold.

But perhaps most intriguing in the gold cobs this time is a 1715-Fleet Mexican 1 escudo that was flown aboard Apollo 14 in 1971, the only one of its kind. Before this specially engraved coin came to us, we had no idea that the Apollo astronauts included genuine shipwreck treasure in their “flown” souvenirs on their trips to the moon, but apparently the link between NASA and the Real Eight Co. was more than just geographic. We have come to understand that medallions made of 1715-Fleet silver flown to the moon are very hot with space collectors, who will no doubt go crazy for this genuine coin as well, but perhaps the treasure collectors will win out in the end.

Highlights in shipwreck silver coins include large offerings of lion daalders from the Campen (1627), Potosí cobs from the Consolación (1681) and the Boticaria site of the 1681 Fleet off Panama (first-ever offering, also with some artifacts, with updated history), and hundreds of choice (and some interestingly shaped) 1715-Fleet Mexican cobs from the estate of Karl H. Goodpaster (Real Eight Co. conservator), as well as hundreds of Mexican cobs from the Rooswijk (1739). The Goodpaster collection in particular will be fun to watch, as nothing is hotter today than Fleet silver cobs!

In the non-wreck cobs sections we feature the John Pullin collection of over 150 choice, dated Mexican silver cobs, in addition to Part II of the Mark Bir collection of cobs from Mexico, Lima and Potosi. Also highlighted are the mints of Panama and Santo Domingo, as we feature several Santo Domingo SILVER and copper coins of Charles-Joanna AND Philip II (yes, you read that right) in addition to THREE Panamanian silver cobs (half, 1 and 2 reales), following the record-setting prices for such coins in our last sale. Our Spain-cobs section has an abundance of Ferdinand-Isabel coins in all denominations, including a set once featured in the PLVS VLTRA newsletter. One last surprise: the Louis Hudson collection of zoomorphic cobs. You won’t want to miss it!

The world silver coins section this time is massive, featuring the John Pullin collection of Mexican War for Independence silver coins (just in time for this year’s Bicentennial of Mexican Independence), Mark Bir’s milled Spanish colonial coins (various mints) and a HUGE section on all periods of Venezuelan coins (over 100 coins), in addition to many other Latin American countries.

Before we get to the artifacts, let’s just say there is a wealth of gold and silver (and even copper) shipwreck ingots too, both Spanish and Dutch (VOC), including the world’s ONLY gold-bar clump! This museum-piece features twin, complete bars (each over 1 kilogram and 10+” long) fused in near parallel by white coral, just the way they were found on the “Golden Fleece wreck” of ca. 1550.

And then our trademark and exclusive, shipwreck artifacts: This time we will have a genuine bronze astrolabe, the most complete and intact one we have ever handled, fully dated 1656 and well detailed, solid and stable, alidade intact, one of fewer than 80 pieces known and among the best from any wreck. We are also showcasing the famous gold box from the ca.-1810 “Coconut wreck,” the single most important item found in this deep-water salvage venture, as it contained 13 gold coins (a Spanish dowry known as an arras) wrapped in an 1809 newspaper talking about sales of slaves… and yes, the intact newspaper comes with it! There is also a genuine gold chain and massive silver candlestick from the Atocha, emeralds from many different wrecks, swords, flintlocks, and much, much more.

It’s over a million dollars’ worth of treasure all in one place, and any part of it can be yours for the high bid – we wish everyone good luck and happy hunting!

Session I (Wednesday, April 7, 2010, 2:00 pm EDT)Gold coins, shipwreck ingots and coins.

Session II (Thursday, April 8, 2010, 2:00 pm EDT) Silver cobs, world silver up to Mexico.

Session III (Friday, April 9, 2010, 2:00 pm EDT) World silver starting with Mexico, medals and tokens, paper money, stamps, artifacts and books.

Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC
Phone Number 407-975-3325
Website http://www.sedwickcoins.com
Email questions@sedwickcoins.com

Sedwick’s Sixth Treasure Coin Auction Realizes Over $1.6 Million

Daniel Frank Sedwick — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:11:34 +0000

Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC held their 6th overall and 2nd fully live internet auction of numismatic and shipwreck treasures on October 15-16, 2009, realizing a record price of over $1.6 million* in 2082 lots. Featured in the sale were coins and artifacts and printed materials from around the world, including the prestigious collections of Mark Bir, Louis Hudson, Herman Blanton and Thomas Sebring.

“This was by far our best auction, and the feedback from both consignors and bidders has been overwhelmingly positive. We greatly exceeded our goal of $1 million, and over 94% of the lots sold,” said Daniel Sedwick, company principal and founder.
“We were honored to present for sale several great collections of coins and artifacts, including a few significant coins that are rarely offered at auction. This is proof that our relatively new and rapidly growing Treasure Auctions are a competitive specialized option for consignors, with an unparalleled level of personalized service from beginning to end for both bidders and consignors alike.”

Setting the tone for the sale was lot 1, a Mexican cob 8 escudos fully dated 1709, which found a home with a private collector for a record price of $46,000*. Some 70+ gold cobs followed thereafter.

A couple of exceptional Panama cobs also set records: Lot 1176, the finest known 4 reales, sold for an impressive $22,425*, and lot 1178, a choice half real, sold for $19,550*, both to significant private collections.

Aggressive prices were also encountered in the Louis Hudson Collection of Potosi Countermarked Coins, over 70 lots of the rarest examples of a short-lived and controversial period in the colonial coinage of Potosi (1649-51). Also heavily contested were many dated shield-type minors of the early 1600s. A large selection of silver cobs from the Atocha (1622), including several from the famous Research Collection, saw spirited bidding as well.

Noteworthy results from the Treasure Auction #6 include the following (* all prices realized include 15% buyer’s premium):

Lot 1 Mexico City, Mexico, cob 8 escudos, 1709J, possible presentation issue, extremely rare, 1715 Fleet. $46,000
Lot 21 Lima, Peru, cob 8 escudos, 1702H, very rare, Calicó Plate Coin, from the 1715 Fleet. $25,300
Lot 22 Lima, Peru, cob 8 escudos, 1709M, scarce, from the 1715 Fleet. $ 9,200
Lot 28 Lima, Peru, cob 8 escudos, 1713/2M, scarce, from the 1715 Fleet. $10,350
Lot 41 Cartagena, Colombia, cob 2 escudos, 162(2) SF, posthumous Philip III, from the Santa Margarita (1622). $14,375
Lot 59 Seville, Spain, cob 2 escudos, Philip III, assayer B, from the Atocha (1622), rare provenance. $14,950
Lot 104 Quito, Ecuador, 8 escudos, 1852/0GJ. $ 9,200
Lot 114 Mexico City, Mexico, bust 8 escudos, Philip V, 1733F, very rare, choice grade, from the 1733 Fleet. $19,550
Lot 121 Paraguay (Republic, War of the Triple Alliance), cut 4 pesos fuertes (1866-69), 1 of 2 known. $ 9,200
Lot 138 USA, Coronet $20, 1857-S, PCGS MS-65 (20A Spiked Shield), from the SS Central America (1857). $10,005
Lot 384 Bogotá, Colombia, cob 8 reales, 1651PoRMS, rare and choice, Plate Coin in The Practical Book of Cobs. $ 5,463
Lot 1176 Panama, cob 4 reales, Philip II, assayer (o)B to left, AP-4 to right, extremely rare, finest known. $22,425
Lot 1178 Panama, cob 1/2 real, Philip II, AP to left, P to right, M below monogram, very rare and choice. $19,550
Lot 1435 Haiti, 25 centimes(?) countermark (1814-16?) on a Brazilian 960 reis, 1812-B. $ 4,889
Lot 1618 Gold “finger” bar #11 from the “Golden Fleece wreck” (ca. 1550), 204 grams, 20-1/2K. $10,925
Lot 1625 Gold “finger” bar from the Maravillas (1656), 336.3 grams, 19-1/4K. $23,575
Lot 1626 Gold “half potato” ingot from the 1715 Fleet, marked “4o3″, 59.32 troy oz, estimated fineness 20K. $46,000
Lot 1627 Justh & Hunter gold ingot #4280 from the S.S. Central America (1857), 20.93 oz, 90.7% fine. $94,875
Lot 1630 Large silver “tumbaga” bar #M-66 (“key bar”) from the “Tumbaga wreck” (ca. 1528), 21.66 lb. $13,800
Lot 1641 Large silver bar from the Atocha (1622), 91 lb 4.96 oz troy, Class Factor 1.0. $27,600
Lot 1716 Gold cross studded with 6 high-grade emeralds from the 1715 Fleet. $23,575

Prices realized for all lots sold in Treasure Auction #6 are available online at www.sedwickcoins.com. Treasure Auction #7 in April of 2010 will present another impressive selection of cobs and important numismatic and shipwreck trophies. Consignments for this upcoming auction will be accepted until January 31, 2010.

Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC announces the release of their Treasure Auction #6, October 15-16, 2009

Daniel Frank Sedwick — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:56:27 +0000

Specialists in world coins and treasure items Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC has released their sixth and largest Treasure Auction, available immediately for viewing on their website, www.sedwickcoins.com. This auction features well over $1 million in coins, ingots, artifacts and books, almost all of it opening at very reasonable levels. Because of the size of the auction this time, Sedwick has split this sale into three sessions, all closing LIVE on www.iCollector.com/sedwick.

“After our first live Internet auction last time, we decided to hold our Treasure Auction #6 in three sessions to provide breaks and avoid bidders having to monitor the auction all day long to bid live on the lots they want,” says Sedwick. “Also there is no more confusion about the buyer’s fee, which is set at 18% for everyone (discounted to 15% for check or cash).”

Starting off Session I (Thursday, October 15, 11:00 am EDT) is a unique Mexican cob 8 escudos (possible) Royal 1709 (estimated at $35,000-$50,000), one of more than 70 gold cobs in this sale, mostly from the 1715 Fleet, including also an extremely rare Lima cob 8 escudos 1702 (estimated at $20,000-$30,000). World gold coins feature a Mexican bust 8 escudos 1733 PCGS AU-58 ($15,000-up) and a Paraguayan cut 4 pesos fuertes (1866-9) ($12,500-up), one of only two known. In the shipwreck silver section you will find a Cartagena cob 8 reales 1621 ($16,000-$25,000), first date of issue and one of three known, plus the Louis Hudson collection of Potosí countermarks 1649-52, as well as selections from the Atocha (1622) Research Collection and a newly formed “Coconut wreck” (ca. 1810) Research Collection.

The four silver-cob sections in Session II (Thursday, October 15, 4:30 pm EDT) feature a La Plata cob 1 real (estimated at $700-$1,000), the first ever offered at auction; a unique Potosí cob 2 reales specially struck on a zoomorphic planchet in the form of a double-headed condor ($25,000-up); the finest-known Panama cob 4 reales (estimated at $5,000-$7,500); and Part I of the extensive collection of late world-coins dealer Mark Bir. The world silver coins section, which is becoming larger and more advanced in Latin American coins with every auction, features several key rarities as well as Part I of the Colombian Republic collection of Herman Blanton.

Session III (Friday, October 16, noon EDT) starts with a wealth of shipwreck gold and silver bars, featuring 6 “tumbaga” silver bars from the “Tumbaga wreck” (ca. 1528), 2 gold “finger” bars and 4 huge silver bars from the Atocha (1622) and one highly desirable small-size Justh & Hunter California Gold Rush ingot (estimated at $50,000-$75,000) from the SS Central America (1857). In the shipwreck artifacts section you will find a very high-quality emerald cross from the 1715 Fleet (estimated at $10,000-$15,000), in addition to many other treasures continuing in the non-wreck artifacts. Rounding out the sale are documents and books, plus the third and final offering of treasure auction catalogs from the Tom Sebring library.

Says Sedwick: “As always, we research and present each item diligently and put our long-standing reputation behind every lot. We wish you luck in adding more of this fine treasure to your own collection. Please register to bid today at www.iCollector.com/sedwick.”

Augi Garcia
Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC.
PO BOX 1964 | Winter Park, FL 32790
Email: augi@sedwickcoins.com
Web: www.SedwickCoins.com
Direct Line: 407.247.5699