Stack’s sale of the Michael S. Tallent and the Alicia and Sid Belzberg Collections took place last Thursday, April 24 at the Doubletree Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois. With standing room only, this jam-packed auction room witnessed the extraordinary sale of $6,592,516 worth of world coins and medals.

Lawrence R. Stack noted, “In speaking to the three highlighted consignors from this sale, Michael Tallent, Alicia and Sid Belzberg, and the owner of the Chinese kilo coins, everyone was very happy with the overall results, which goes to show that specialized collections bring out the crowds as well as financial rewards.”

The auction began with the Tallent Collection, starting with English Hammered coinage, and took off at an exciting pace, with the two Henry VIII Sovereigns fetching $37,375 and $29,900 respectively. A majestic Mary Tudor Fine Sovereign weighed in at $25,300 and a stunning Elizabeth I Pound brought $23,000, bolstering the House of Tudor’s legacy as one of the most famous (or infamous!) English royal families.

The highly specialized collection Charles I silver coins saw serious bidding (both live and via telephone) and fierce competition. The sheer quantity of types and high end quality of the coins made this dramatic collection a rare opportunity for collectors. A gorgeous Type 5 Tower Mint Crown was highly sought after and fetched $20,700, while soon after, a fabulously pedigreed 1643 Triple Unite sold for $29,900. Only minutes after that, a tremendous 1643 Oxford Mint Crown surpassed all expectations when it sold for $20,700. The seven lots of siege coinage were also the focus of intense bidding, with the Octagonal Shilling of Pontefract climbing to $14,950.

The dozen or so examples of Ormonde coinage were also well received, exceeding estimates on all fronts.

The Alicia and Sid Belzberg Collection opened with a stunning group of select Polish rarities, and their performance indicated that the robust Polish coin market is in no present danger. The epic Battle of Chocim 1621 Gold 50 Ducat commemorating the Polish victory finally weighed in at a whopping $431,250, the highest realization in the sale, after intense bidding. Excitement abounded when, minutes later, the exceedingly rare 1614 Gold 5 Ducat soared to $115,000 and the 1624 Gold 5 Ducat made its way to $63,250. All paddles were in the air when the magnificent and extremely rare 1617 Silver Double Talary crossed the block, topping out at $184,000. Polish patterns also performed brilliantly, with the breathtaking 1766 Pattern Talar encountering aggressive bidding and culminating in a winning bid of $138,000. The unique 1925 Gold Pattern 5 Z?otych opened at $36,000 and climbed to an astounding $218,500.

As the sale progressed, it was clear that Polish rarities were not alone in this spectacular performance. European and Asian rarities were also the source of significant collector interest. The Russian market continued to perform strongly, with the first of two famed 1836 Russian “Family Rubles” selling for $126,500. The Borodino commemorative 1839 1½ Rubles brought an impressive $89,125. The civil division Order of St. Stanislaus was the focus of intense bidding, and sold for an astonishing $126,500. Other European coins also saw spirited bidding, with a 1751 Essai 10 Sovererain d’or from the Austrian Netherlands selling for $26,450. Once again, the English and British coins were the source of serious competition. Some lots later, bidders had to fight over the fabulous St. Peter Testone. Probably the scarcest piece struck from the three founding Cantons of the Swiss Confederation, it was the source of competitive bidding; it finally sold for $24,150.

Another major highlight of this auction sale was the offering of five Chinese Lunar Calendar Gold Kilo coins, each representing a year of the Animal Cycle of the 12 Zodiac signs. With only 15 pieces struck each year beginning in 1992, these coins are of the utmost rarity. The 1995 Year of the Pig 2,000 Yuan quickly flew to $149,500. The 1996 Year of the Rat 2,000 Yuan climbed to $184,000, the largest sum of the five pieces, before it found its new home. The 1997 Year of the Ox coin reached $172,500, and the 1998 Year of the Tiger went to its new owner after a successful bid of $161,000. The final piece of this offering was the 2001 Year of the Snake 10,000 Yuan, which crept its way to $155,250 before the hammer fell.

To cap off this exciting day, the final section of the auction was devoted to Ancient coins, and included some serious rarities. A massive Ptolemaic Pentakaidekadrachm (a 15 Drachm piece) was bought for $24,150. Several lots later, a Posthumous Denarius of Julius Caesar surprised everyone when it sold for $19,550.

At the end of the day, more than $6.5 million worth of world coins and medals were sold. The response was unanimous: the sale was an unqualified success.

For further information on participating in or consigning to an upcoming Stack’s auction, contact Stack’s at 123 W 57th Street, NY, NY 10019 or Stack’s at Box 1804, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, 03894. By phone please use 800-566-1580 or 866-811-1804. Full sales results from the Tallent and Belzberg Collections, as well as full photos and text from previous sales, are available online at www.stacks.com.