IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin auction house, delighted World coin enthusiasts in Baltimore and across the globe on March 1 with an action-packed special session of World/Ancient Coins as part of their first of three Official Auctions of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention for 2008. The World session was the grand finale of the four-session auction that realized a total of $9,764,934 and saw more than 3,200 lots cross the auction block. The World/Ancient session realized $2,155,414.

“I have to say we are ecstatic with the results of this Baltimore auction, and especially the World session,” said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena. “Our worldwide marketing and advertising efforts helped draw hundreds of new international registered bidders to Bowers and Merena and really created a buzz throughout the global numismatic community. I was thrilled to see many foreign dealers and collectors who actually made the trip to Baltimore for live bidding.” Dealers and collectors were welcomed from France, Italy, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Colombia, as well as the United States.

Additionally, Deeds attributes the overwhelming success of this World session to a variety of other factors, as well. “We took full advantage of available means of bidding in order to make it as convenient as possible for our international and even domestic customers who could not be in the room with us. We had very active phone bidding, plus live online bidding through the Bowers and Merena website, eBay Live Auctions and Proxibid, which were all very successful. The convention itself was outstanding as usual thanks to the undying efforts of Mary Counts, David Crenshaw and the Whitman team, which certainly kept the auction room full and very exciting.”

The featured draw of the World session was no doubt the “Carl F. Chirico Jr. Collection of World Pattern Coins,” 741 lots of worldwide Proofs, Patterns, Essais, Provas, Pieforts, and Trial Strikes from China, Belgium, Cambodia, France, Germany, Italy, Latin America, and Europe, which realized $2,028,278.

“This was the largest collection of Patterns, Essais and Trial Strikes sold in the United States in the past 30 or 40 years,” (more…)

by Greg Reynolds for CoinLink

Of course, in Orlando, mainstream U.S. coins received more bids and attention than unusual numismatic items. After all, the Winter FUN Convention bourse, the official Heritage auction, and the pre-convention auctions altogether amount to the premier event of the year for high quality U.S. coins. Nevertheless, it is worth noting, and curious, that very unusual items realized high prices and generated much conversation this year. These items are well outside the paths that U.S. coin collectors tend to follow.

As I just wrote an article about it, I will not here discuss the Madison Collection’s 1792 ‘fusible alloy’ cent pattern, which is certainly cool and unusual. It sold, during Heritage’s Platinum Night event of Jan. 10, for $603,750.

The Proof 1876-CC dime is also something cool and unusual that will not be explained here. It may be the only Proof Carson City Mint dime. Please see my pre-auction article about this 1876-CC dime. At the Superior Auction in Orlando, on Jan. 5, a central New Jersey dealer was the successful bidder. He later sold a half interest in this dime to Rare Coin Wholesalers. It realized an impressive $178,250. (more…)

by Greg Reynolds for CoinLink

On Thursday, Jan. 10, in Orlando, an extremely rare pattern cent was auctioned. It is historically important as a central component in the series of the events that brought about the first widely circulating, official coinage of the United States. The auction of this 1792 cent pattern for $603,750 set auction records in several categories, as will be discussed below.

Photos and descriptions used with permission and courtesy of Heritage Auction Galleries

Matthew Kleinsteuber, an analyst and buyer for NFC Coins, examines most American coins in almost all major auctions. Kleinsteuber declares that this 1792 pattern “is a priceless historical artifact that is worth whatever a serious collector of Americana can afford to pay.” It “relates to the beginnings of America’s coinage and the struggles of the early years of America as a new nation.”

This 1792 cent pattern is of the so-called ‘fusible alloy’ issue, though it might not be made of a ‘fusible alloy’ at all. The considered idea was to seamlessly combine (fuse) silver and copper into an alloy.

Before ‘fusible alloy’ patterns, there were minted silver-center cent patterns. A small drop of silver was placed in the center of an otherwise copper cent. The bullion value of the silver was three-fourths of one cent while the surrounding copper was worth one-fourth of a cent. Hence, each cent with a silver-center would be worth one cent, not by decree, but by metallic or bullion content. (more…)

Some of Canada’s greatest numismatic rarities have remained in Canadian hands. This happened when after a staggering five British Columbia (B.C.) patterns changed hands in a million-dollar deal.

At the end of August, Ian Laing of Gatewest Coin Ltd. in Winnipeg, Man., and Sandy Campbell of Proof Positive, from Baddeck, NS, jointly bought a silver $10 and $20 coin, a gold $10 and two gold $20 patterns from Sid and Alicia Belzberg. The Belzberg Canadian collection was noted for having one of everything, patterns included, but excluded the modern era.

The private treaty sale was brokered by Heritage Galleries, who conducted the Belzberg sale in New York City in 2003. With the exception of one of the $20 gold patterns, the B.C. coins were included in that sale, but did not make the reserve. All the patterns are dated 1862.

In mid-September, Tony Mah, of Vancouver Coin and Stamp Ltd., purchased the silver coins, and one of the gold $20 items by private treaty for about $500,000. Read Full Story By Bret Evans