Ponterio & Associates, Inc., the world and ancients auction division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, will conduct its Baltimore Auction of World and Ancient Coins and Paper Money as part of Bowers and Merena’s Official Auction of the June 2010 Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo.

The two-session sale will be conducted June 18 and 19 at the Baltimore Convention Center. More than 2,300 lots will be offered, including approximately 1,500 lots of Ancient and foreign coins and 825 lots of world paper money.

Executive vice president, Rick Ponterio states, “Our June 2010 Baltimore Auction is sure to see strong bidder participation—and competition—among specialists in many areas of foreign coins and paper money. Featured among the coin offerings in this sale are important rarities from many periods of history, ranging from Ancient Greece to the modern era.”

Continued Ponterio: “An example of the diversity in this sale can be found in two of the more important highlights. The first is a very rare Zeugitana, Carthage AV Trihemistater, or 1 ½ Shekel, that dates to the early period of the First Punic War (ca. 264-260 BC). The coin is attributed alternatively as Jenkins & Lewis Group IX Pl.18#392 (same dies) and Muller-Pg.86#66, and has been certified by NGC as AU, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 3/5.”

“We will also present a Yuan Dynasty Zhi Yuan 50 Tael Sycee Ingot that is extremely rare and historically significant,” Ponterio added. “It is dated the 14th year of the Zhìyuán era (1273 A.D.), inscribed with the denomination at upper left and the ruler’s name and date at lower center, Khubilai Khan, the fifth Great Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan (1260-94). It is among the earliest known Chinese 50 Tael Sycee ingot.”

MORE THAN 825 LOTS OF WORLD PAPER MONEY TO BE OFFERED

“We have received a wide array of important world paper money consignments for this sale,” stated Bowers and Merena’s director of currency auctions, Matthew Quinn. “A splendid selection of Iranian notes from the 1920s and 1930s figure prominently among the highlights in this auction, and they include a stunning Choice Uncirculated 1 Toman note dated 1.6.1920 and attributed as P-1b. Also of note is a China, Republic, 5 Yuan dated 4.10.1914 and attributed as P-34. The note grades Very Fine and is significant because examples of this type are usually seen only in remainder form without signatures and perforated ‘canceled,’ which is a fate this note escaped. We anticipate strong bidder competition for these and other important world paper money lots in this sale.” (more…)

Certified by NGC is this recently discovered South Africa 6 Pence dated 1928. It is the only known example bearing this date.

The coin was first spotted in an English country auction where it was cataloged with an unusual notation: the coin’s date was not listed in the standard series reference. It was purchased by a dealer who had a strong suspicion about the its origin.

Although he had no doubt about the coin’s authenticity, he sent it first to South Africa, where a number of experts examined the coin, all declaring it genuine. The coin itself, as a unique discovery piece, created a sensation among collectors of South African coins, who marveled that this discovery took over 80 years to occur.

From South Africa, the coin was sent the coin to the United States to be certified and encapsulated by NGC.

The dies for South African coins of this era were manufactured in England and then sent to South Africa for use in coinage production. Mysteriously, six pence dies of this year were not shipped and no pieces dated 1928 were struck in South Africa. Other denominations of coins were produced in that year, however, and it is not certain why the six pence was omitted.

Numismatist believe that the coin was produced in England as a specimen piece.

It has shallow mirrored fields, a crisp strike, as well as squared rims, similar to all South African presentation coinage of this era. It is also struck on a .925 fine silver planchet, while coins struck for circulation in South Africa are only .800 fine. It has a deep amber patina and is remarkably well preserved, evidence that it resided in the possession of a collector since it was struck.

Revamped CICF auction brings more the 3300 bidders; World Coin market continues to excel, see broad demand

DALLAS, TX – There can be no doubt as to the continuing strength and ever-growing interest in the World Coin market after Heritage Auction Galleries April 21-22 Signature® World Coin Auction at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF) brought almost 3350 bidders to the table and realized a stunning total of more than $5.2 million.

“Heritage couldn’t be happier with the move of our spring auction to the CICF,” said Cristiano Bierrenbach, Director of International Sales at Heritage. “Anytime we can reach so many high-end world buyers in one place, and subsequently realize more than 94% by value and 97% by lot on an auction, we know we’re in the right spot.”

The auction also marked the beginning of a new CICF partnership between Heritage and Krause Publications, the producers of World Coin News, Numismatic News and Bank Note Reporter, among its many publications. By all accounts, the new union was an unqualified success.

“The addition of Heritage as official CICF auctioneer gave the show a big lift,” said convention chairman and Krause Group Publisher Scott Tappa. “The depth and breadth of the four-session sale attracted a great array of attendees and added to our growing bourse floor. We look forward to Heritage’s continued partnership with CICF and Krause Publications for years to come.”

“Scott Tappa and his crew put together a world class event and we matched it with more than 4700 lots for the Heritage collecting community worldwide,” said Bierrenbach. “When I think the world coin market can’t surprise us anymore, we have an auction like this with results much stronger than we could’ve predicted. It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of.”

Of all the international numismatic treasure up for grabs at the Heritage CICF event, a Brazilian rarity was to be the most coveted, with a Pedro II 100 Reis 1844, KM452, Russo 525, VF35 NGC breaking its own World Price Record of $84,000, set in May of 2008, when it finished at $138,000, more than doubling its base estimate of $60,000. The coin came to auction via the Paulistana Collection.

“This is the finest specimen of only three known,” said Bierrenbach. “In 1834, Brazil, now an independent empire, attempted a new monetary system nicknamed the Cruzado. While it ultimately failed by 1848, the 1844 100 Reis is without a doubt the jewel of the series.” (more…)