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…)

Bowers & Merena U.S. Coin and Currency Sales Exceed $7 Million

Record-setting Sale of 1901-S Barber Quarter

Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, continues its long-standing and successful partnership with the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo. As Official Auctioneer of the March 2010 expo, Bowers and Merena realized more than $8.5 million in U.S. and foreign, coin and currency sales. Prices realized for U.S. coins exceeded $5.5 million while U.S. currency accounted for a further $1.3 million of the total, for a combined U.S. prices realized of more than $7 million.

“We conducted a highly successful auction in Baltimore with strong bidder participation in all sessions,” concluded Bowers and Merena president Steve Deeds. “A trio of fresh, original rarities led the way by bringing particularly strong prices. Offered as lot 737, the finest PCGS-certified 1901-S Barber Quarter in MS-68 went to the winning bidder at a record-setting $327,750. Part of the same consignment, a very rare proof striking of the 1879-O Morgan Dollar (lot 3104, PCGS Proof-64, OGH–First Generation) sold for $184,000 and a beautiful, premium-quality 1915-S Pan-Pac $50 Round in PCGS MS-66 traded for $281,750. The Pan-Pac $50 is a pop 1/0 coin and was featured as lot 3473 in our catalog.”

Continued Deeds: “The Cuyahoga Collection of Charlotte and Dahlonega Mint Gold also performed very well in our March Baltimore Auction. Important rarities from this high-ranked NGC Registry Set include lot 3739, an 1839-C Liberty Half Eagle in NGC MS-63 that realized $126,500 and lot 3609, an 1849-C Liberty Quarter Eagle certified MS-65 by NGC that changed hands at $103,500.”

“Bowers and Merena’s sale of U.S. currency at the March 2010 Baltimore Expo was also impressive,” noted director of currency auctions Matthew Quinn. “Noteworthy prices were realized by lot 1379, a Fr. 282* 1923 $5 Silver Certificate Star Note graded Superb Gem Uncirculated 67 EPQ by PMG that went for $41,688 and lot 1982, a spectacular ‘$15’ double-denomination error on a Fr. 1960-D 1934D $5 Federal Reserve Note certified Very Choice New 64 PPQ by PCGS that traded hands for $21,850.”

Additional highlights from the Bowers and Merena March 2010 Baltimore Auction include:
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Ponterio & Associates, Inc., the world and ancients auction division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, conducted its Official Auction of the January 2010 New York International Numismatic Convention (N.Y.I.N.C.) and realized more than $2.5 million. The sale was conducted in two sessions January 8-9, 2010, and offered more than 2,300 lots of important Ancient coins, International coins, paper money, orders and decorations.

“Bidding activity was very strong in our January 2010 N.Y.I.N.C. Auction,” observed Rick Ponterio, executive vice president of Bowers and Merena Auctions, “with many coins and notes selling for noteworthy prices. Particularly impressive results were achieved through our offering of the Chester Skotak Collection of Central American Coinage as well as in the section of the sale dedicated to Russian, Annamese and Argentine Sun Face coinage.”

Continued Ponterio: “We offered the Prize of Russian Numismatics–a 1902 37 1/2 Rubles–as lot 7389. This important coin, attributed as Fr-170, Y-B65, Bitkin-309 and Sev-578 and graded AU, realized $69,000, more than double our pre-sale estimate. Also of note is lot 7139, a very rare 1826 Great Britain 5 Pounds with a mintage of just 150 pieces. An original, unimpaired piece certified Proof-63 Deep Cameo by PCGS, the coin went to the winning bidder at $19,550.”

Additional highlights of the Ponterio & Associates January 2010 N.Y.I.N.C. Auction include:

o Lot 5041, Belize, 10 Dollars, 1.1.1974, P-36a, Superb Gem Uncirculated 67EPQ (PMG), realized $3,278
o Lot 5153, Taiwan, 50 Yen, 1921, P-1924, Very Fine, realized $2,818
o Lot 5448, India, 2 Rupees – 8 Annas, Undated (1917), P-2, Uncirculated, realized $7,705
o Lot 5457, India, 1 Rupee, Undated (circa 1928-1935), P-14b, About Uncirculated-Uncirculated, realized $8,625
o Lot 5832, Macedonia, Mende, AR Tetradrachm, circa 425 B.C., AU (NGC), realized $10,350
o Lot 5921, Rome, AE Aes Grave As, circa 280-269 B.C., Choice Extremely Fine, realized $17,250
o Lot 5942, Rome, Antonia, AV Aureus, posthumous struck circa 41-42 under Claudius, Very Fine, realized $10,350
o Lot 5959, Rome, Diocletian, AV Aureus, Nicomedia Mint, 294-295, Choice AU (NGC), realized $10,638
o Lot 7134, Great Britain, Broad of 20 Shillings, 1656, Fr-273, S-3225, KM-Pn25, AU-55 (NGC), realized $25,300
o Lot 7296, Mexico, Iturbide, Gold Medal, 1821, Grove-5 (unlisted in gold), AU-55 (NGC), realized $14,950
o Lot 7316, Peru, 8 Escudos, 1710-H, Fr-7, KM-38.2, Choice EF, realized $18,400
o Lot 7332, Romania, 20 Lei, 1868, Fr-1, KM-5, AU Details–Reverse Scratched (NGC), realized $37,375
o Lot 7356, Russia, Platinum 6 Rubles, 1830, Fr-159, C-178, Bitkin-56, Sev-599, MS-64 (NGC), realized $26,450
o Lot 7561, China, Pattern Dollar, Tientsin Mint, Undated (1907), L&M-20, K-212, MS-63 (NGC), realized $10,350 (more…)