OSNABRÜCK, Germany, March 17 – In the week from March 9-14, 2009, the German auction house Künker sold more than 7,400 historic coins and medals, totaling more than EUR 7.5 million, in Osnabrück (Northern Germany). The hammer prices of the sold items were on average 40 per cent above the estimate. Top-quality rare coins from the Russian tsardom experienced particularly strong demand from traders and collectors. More than once, their sales prices climbed several times higher than their estimated prices, a trend also seen in spectacular pieces from other collection categories.

With a sales price of about EUR 184,500, the copper trial piece of a very rare 2 kopeck coin – minted in Saint Petersburg in 1810 under Tsar Alexander I – fetched the top price of the auction week. A remarkable price for a single copper coin, measuring about 37 millimeter in diameter and weighing 19.88 grams (estimated price: EUR 80,000).

A 37 1/2 ruble coin of Tsar Nicholas II, minted in Saint Petersburg in 1902 (lot no. 3435), was sold at EUR 123,000 Euro – more than twice its estimated price of EUR 50.000. A 10 kopeck coin (lot no. 2264) of Ivan III, minted in Moscow in 1741, with an estimated price of EUR 3,000, climbed to a sales price of about EUR 11,000.

The sale of the Russian coins alone totaled almost EUR 3.2 million, exceeding the estimate (EUR 1.86 million) by 73 percent!
The Künker Auction House is one of the leading European auctioneers of historic coins and medals and conducts four annual sales, three in Osnabrück (Northern Germany) and one in Berlin. http://www.kuenker.de.

Media Contact: Source: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG. Gutenbergstrasse 23 49076 Osnabrück Germany Media Contact: Christina Becker Tel: +49-541-96202-52 Fax: +49-541-96202-22 http://www.kuenker.de Image data available from SPRING Werbeagentur Rolandstrasse 6, 49078 Osnabrück info@spring-werbeagentur.de http://www.spring-werbeagentur.de

Media contact: Source: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG., Gutenbergstrasse 23, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany; Media Contact:, Christina Becker, Tel: +49-541-96202-52, Fax: +49-541-96202-22

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