The unique Ecuador 1862 50 Francos will be auctioned in January as part of Heritage’s Signature World Coin Auction in New York.

NGC recently certified the unique Ecuador 1862 50 Francos struck in gold. This classic rarity of 19th-century South American coinage is an experimental denomination that conforms to the European coinage standards of the era. It is graded NGC AU 55.

The coin first appeared in published texts in 1956, offered by Robert Friedberg in the November issue of The Numismatist from that year. Scholars believe that he acquired the coin from the Virgil Brand estate. After four more auction appearances between 1957 and 1976, it was sold into a private collection where it has remained since.

Although originally listed in Standard Catalog of World Coins as “unique” alongside the regular issue coinage of Ecuador, it was re-catalogued as a pattern coin in 1986, and this reference number is provided on the NGC certification holder. Although its exact origin and occasion for issue are uncertain, a related 5 Francos silver coin was struck for circulation in Ecuador in 1858. That coin contained 25 grams of 900 fine silver — identical weight and fineness to the 5 Francs and other crown-sized European silver coinage.

Some speculate that the coin was produced at the Paris Mint because an “A” mintmark appears beneath the bust of Bolivar. The quality of die engraving, however, seems incompatible with the superior work of Albert Desire Barre, who engraved for the Paris mint at the time, and best evidence suggests that dies were executed in Ecuador. The coin’s obverse shows a profile bust of South American liberator Simón Bolívar, and the reverse displays the coat of arms of Ecuador, above QUITO, the capital city and location of Ecuador’s mint.

After being off the market for three and a half decades, this coin will be auctioned on January 3–4, 2010, as part of Heritage’s Signature World Coin Auction in New York.

Heritage to present 2,800-lot survey of global coinage, ancient and antique, Sept. 10-13 in Long beach, CA

An auction event featuring numismatic treasures spanning the four hemispheres of globe is set to take place at Heritage’s Sept. 10-13 Long Beach, CA Signature® World Coin Auction, at the Long Beach Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA.

“We’ve put together a very strong, marvelously focused auction,” said Warren Tucker, Director of World Coins at Heritage Auction Galleries. “After spending a great amount of time gathering and cataloging these coins it’s very gratifying to see the great auction quality we’ve produced for this event. Even better, there are coins in here for collectors of all types and all levels.”

Leading the way for world coin aficionados is a classic and extremely rare Chinese coin, a Mint State Chihli Tael, Year 33 (1907), KM-Y74.1, L&M-438, MS63 NGC. This coin is as sculptural as they come, and carries an appeal equally strong numismatically as it artistically. As a classic and exceedingly uncommon issue of the Chinese late Empire series it is bound to be a hotly contested lot. It carries an estimate of $80,000-$120,000.

“This coin is as attractive as they come,” said Tucker. “It’s fully lustrous with a wonderful gold and gray patina along with superbly defined details on the dragon. There are a lot of collectors bound to be very excited by this coin.”

One of Latin America’s most intriguing coins, the famous Coquimbo Republic Peso 1828-TH, KM88, WR-10, Eliz-98, XF45 NGC, is certain to generate some serious bidding along with equally serious discussion as the coin presented here is an unquestionably authentic type “A” of this issue, and if you know your world coinage then you know there has long been debate over the authenticity of several examples. It carries an estimate of $30,000-$40,000.
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