Following six very successful auctions last season, Champion’s first sale for 2009 will be held April 1st at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers 3F Tang I , 20 Nathan Road, one block from the April Hong Kong Coin Show, being held at the Holiday Inn Golden Mile.

The lots in this sale can be viewed in the printed catalog and at Champion’s website: www.cghka.com.Both the catalog and the website listing appear in English and Chinese. Champion is the only auction house in the world to publish a fully bilingual catalog. Bidders may bid by phone or email or through a live auction website. http://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/18453

Although paper money highlights this Champion sale, there are many rare and interesting coins in the sale. One of the most important coins is the 1884 Kirin Half Tael silver coin (Kann 917; Lin 505), with 1987 ANACS Certificate, in choice uncirculated condition, estimated at $10,000. This coin is from a set of experimental coins which were soon discontinued and melted.

A newly discovered variety of the 1901 Kiangnan Dragon Dollar, which has a dragon with 6 claws instead of 5, appears in the sale, estimated at $8,000. Another recently discovered coin in this sale is a Kwangtung pattern 1 cash, without center hole, probably made in 1890, NGC SP62, estimated at $1,000.

Another key coin in this auction is the 1867 Hong Kong-Shanghai Tael with rays (Kann 912), rated Proof 65 by NGC, expected to bring $70,000 to $100,000. Most of the important coins in this sale have been certified by NGC , including a 1904 Hupeh Tael (Kann 933) NGC MS63, estimate $6,000, and a 1907 Tientsin Mint silver dollar with wave design border (Kann 212), MS63, estimated at $4,000. A seldom seen 1936 silver pattern dollar, with Sun Yat Sen and ancient spade coin design (Kann 635), NGC MS62 is also offered here, NGC MS62, estimated at $6,000. (more…)

As part of its international expansion in collectibles auctions, Spink Smythe of Dallas, Texas, New York City and London, England has hired Jim Fitzgerald as Senior Vice President of Auctions.

“We are delighted to add such a knowledgeable and well-respected numismatist to lead the Spink Smythe team. We are extremely proud of our past and look forward to continued success in the future with our new, truly global presence,” said Tracy L. Shreve, Chief Operating Officer of Spink USA.

The former Director of Currency Auctions at Heritage Auction Galleries, Fitzgerald also has extensive management experience in the travel and hotel industry. He started collecting coins as a child when his grandfather helped him fill Whitman folders with Lincoln cents found in circulation. In addition to coins, he collects small-size U.S. notes, Texas obsoletes, Confederate and National Bank Notes.

He has presented educational seminars for the Texas Numismatic Association (TNA) and the Tarrant County Historical Society, and recently served as Chairman of the TNA Convention in his hometown of Fort Worth. He and his wife, Sheli, have a son born this past December.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity with Spink Smythe, and look forward to blending two distinguished names both firmly established in their fields into the marketplace,” said Fitzgerald.

“Emphasizing a boutique, more personalized service to our clients is the main goal here at Spink Smythe. In these uncertain economic times people want to know their collection is important and that it will be sold with the same care and dedication that they have given it over the years,” he said.

In January, Spink Smythe launched its Collector’s Series Sales that will feature coins, banknotes, antique stocks and bonds, autographs, ephemera, photographs and tokens and medals.

“Under the Spink banner, Spink Smythe now offers a truly global experience for both buyers and sellers. Additionally, Spink Smythe is pleased to offer the world’s leading online bidding platform, SpinkLive.com. This innovative and easy to use system offers real time bidding featuring audio and streaming video so that bidders may participate as though they were on the auction floor,” explained Shreve. (more…)

Dallas, TX – The Official Currency Auction of the FUN 2009 Convention in Orlando, presented by Heritage Auction Galleries, has posted prices realized exceeding $6.1 million. This was part of a weeklong series of Heritage auctions that also realized $52 million in U.S. rare coins sold at FUN, and $7 million in ancient and world coins sold at NYINC. Nearly three thousand bidders participated in the 5,575 lot currency auction, and just below half of them were successful.

Altogether, Heritage offered more than 19,000 lots at the FUN & NYINC venues. Overall, 87% of the FUN lots found new owners. All lots are currently posted at HA.com for post-auction research. The totals are expected to further increase as Post Auction Buys continue. FUN 2009 was Heritage’s – and the numismatic industry’s – third most valuable auction

“We were pleased with our FUN 2009 results,” noted Allen Mincho. “With all of the dislocations in the national economy, we were pleased that demand for rare currency was only off a little from the 2008 highs – and at that, many notes sold at FUN for record prices. We think this is a very positive start for 2009, as the currency collector community responded with real strength for notes that they desired. FUN was also Heritage’s first auction to extensively feature our new Video Lot Descriptions; the reception of bidders and consignors has been most gratifying. We invite you to visit HA.com and see for yourself. We also saw many clients participating – and winning – through our HERITAGE Live! online bidding system.”

Heritage is currently accepting consignments for their Central States Numismatic Society Convention auction; for more information, call Heritage’s currency consignor hotline at 800-872-6467 ext. 1001.

Click here for Greg Rohan’s videotaped comments on the FUN auctions and show.

Featured FUN rarities include:

Lot 15430: Fr. 817b $10 1915 Federal Reserve Bank Note PMG Choice About Unc 58 EPQ. Realized $126,500.

In November 2008, Chad Hawk, a grader at PMG, discovered a previously unknown Federal Reserve Bank Note variety – hand-signed by the Kansas City officials, instead of engraved signatures and rubber-stamped signatures. (more…)