Heritage Wold Coin Auctions will be offering perhaps the most interesting and desired South American coin, the unique 50 Francos gold piece, which was unknown for almost a century until it was discovered by Robert Friedberg in the 1950’s.

It is likely that Friedberg discovered this piece amongst the Virgil Brand collection he acquired around this time. It first appeared in Gimbels (where Friedberg worked) fixed price list in 1956 for US$3500.

In 1962, it was offered in Hans Schulman’s “The Golden Sale of the Century” where it was illustrated and sold for US$7500. Finally, it was offered and sold by Christie’s in the “Escudo Sale” of March 1970 and on April 1st of the same year it was authenticated and evaluated by Schulman for $10,000. The certificate as presented to the owner of the coin, Enrique Maulme, accompanies this lot.

An apparent contradiction to the Reales/Escudos denomination of the time, the 50 Francos was actually struck not for internal circulation but for international trade.

Some researchers argue that this piece was struck at the Paris Mint, since it features the “A” mint mark, but it is our opinion that it was actually struck in Ecuador mainly due to the crudeness of the design and overall engraving quality.

Important South American numismatist Carlos Jara also argues that this piece was probably part of a small circulation issue coin while Friedberg and Krause both list it as a pattern piece.

It is unquestionable though that this piece is one of the most charismatic and intriguing coins of South America if not the world. Estimate: $400,000 – $500,000.

Russian, Annam and Argentine Sun Face Coinage Loom Large Among Highlights

Ponterio & Associates, Inc., the world and ancients auction division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, will commence its 2010 auction schedule as an Official Auctioneer of the New York International Numismatic Convention (N.Y.I.N.C.).

The auction will be conducted January 8-9, 2010, in New York’s prestigious Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Pre-sale lot viewing will take place in the same location beginning January 6, with additional lot viewing opportunities available at the Bowers and Merena world headquarters in Irvine, California, December 21-31, 2009 (by appointment only; closed December 24-27).

“Our 2010 N.Y.I.N.C. Auction will feature more than 2,300 lots of ancient coins, world coins, paper money, and orders and decorations,” stated Rick Ponterio, executive vice president of Bowers and Merena and founder of Ponterio & Associates. “Leading the way among important consignments is the second installment of the Chester Skotak Collection of Central American Coinage. We sold the first part of this fabulous collection through our Official November 2009 Baltimore Auction, and we anticipate equally impressive results when the second portion of Mr. Skotak’s holdings comes up for auction at the N.Y.I.N.C. We also have significant consignments of Russian and Annamese coinage, as well as a noteworthy array of Argentine Sun Face Coinage.”

Continued Ponterio: “One of the most prominent coins in our upcoming N.Y.I.N.C. Auction is a 1902 Russian 37 ½ Rubles—the Prize of Russian Numismatics. Attributed alternately as Fr-170, Y-B65, Bitkin-309 and Sev-578, this is a very rare type with a mintage of only 225 pieces. A special issue that was used by the Czar for gifts on special occasions, this is the largest Russian gold coin struck in the modern era. We grade the piece attractive AU and are offering it as lot 7389.” (more…)

A long-awaited ruling fails to address serious issues within the U.S. State Department bureaucracy.

US District Court Judge Richard Leon—well known for his pro-government views—has issued a ruling upholding the State Department’s refusal to disclose information about the controversial decisions to impose import restrictions on coins of Cypriot and Chinese type. The Ancient Coin Collectors Guild and the other Plaintiffs in this suit remain committed to seeking transparency and accountability from the State Department (DOS) bureaucracy and are considering whether to appeal this ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Despite the disappointing decision, this litigation was in many ways a win for the plaintiffs. The mere fact that ACCG and the other Plaintiffs brought this FOIA action forced the State Department to process all the Plaintiff’s FOIA requests–including some that had been ignored by DOS for as much as three years. As a result of this action, literally hundreds of pages of requested text were released and the State Department was prompted to produce documents implicating high level political interference as the reason for the Cypriot decision. Other information stemming from this litigation suggests that State Department personnel added coins to the Chinese request without a formal request from China for that inclusion. The decision rendered by Judge Leon dealt with those items still remaining on the plaintiff’s list that DOS had refused to release. While the plaintiffs obviously would have been happier with a summary judgment on their motion, the process was not without considerable rewards.

The Ancient Coin Collectors Guild still plans to pursue a test case regarding whether those import restrictions were promulgated in an arbitrary and capricious fashion. A copy of Judge Leon’s Memorandum Opinion can be found here.