Alongside the dramatic rise in the price of gold, modern numismatic rarities - those scarce coins minted in the last 50 years - have been emerging in the market. Two such rarities will be offered in the upcoming Stephen Album Rare Coins Auction 40 which takes place May 13-15.

"Our staff has a wide range of knowledge, and because of that, we often find rare items in collections that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Many modern issues with very low mintages may represent a real opportunity in today's market." says Stephen Album Rare Coins CFO and Director of World Coins Paul Montz.

The first of the two coins, Lot 1657 is a gold 1980 five pound proof coin from Egypt, certified Proof 68 by PCGS. It has a known mintage figure of just 125 pieces.

To read the complete lot description, see:
https://www.sarc.auction/EGYPT-Arab-Republic-AV-5-pounds-1980-AH1400-PCGS-PF68_i40778672

The second notable rarity, Lot 1672 is a gold 2000 sylis of Guinea, certified Proof 68 by NGC. It has a mintage figure of only 50 pieces, with possibly fewer surviving to present-day.

To read the complete lot description, see:
https://www.sarc.auction/GUINEA-Republic-AV-2000-sylis-1977-NGC-PF68_i40778687

Contributing to the overall scarcity of modern rarities, the high price of gold has at times led to these low mintage coins being melted for their precious metal value. The end result is that even fewer coins remain available today compared to the already low original mintages. Those that do represent an incredible value to the knowledgeable collector.

Two lots that were sold in prior Stephen Album Rare Coins auctions attest to the enthusiasm from auction bidders to acquire these rare pieces. The first, a 1982 balboa from Panama, has a mintage of only 50 pieces. The lot opened at $130 and saw a final hammer price of $1,900!

To read the complete lot description, see:
https://www.sarc.auction/PANAMA-Republic-1-balboa-1982-FM-NGC-PF67_i38303861

The second piece, a Costa Rican 250 colones, saw a final hammer price of $1,000 after a starting bid of $280.

To read the complete lot description, see:
https://www.sarc.auction/COSTA-RICA-Republic-AR-250-colones-1983-PCGS-PF68_i38303819

For the coins that are available in the upcoming auction, pre-sale bidding, live bidding and high resolution images can be found at www.sarc.auction

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
STEPHEN ALBUM RARE COINS AUCTION 40(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n17a19.html)