Treasure, World, U.S. Coin and Paper Money Auction 30

We're excited to host our first live floor auction since the beginning of the pandemic over a year and a half ago. While our past three online-only sales were immensely successful and record-breaking, we missed visiting with the many bidders that attend our live floor auctions. There's something to be said about bidding on and seeing these treasures in person, which is why we're grateful to be at this point.

Session I begins with Gold Cobs, which hosts a number of choice 1715 Fleet coins including a 1711 J Mexico cob 8 escudo Royal (lot 16), an extremely rare 1714 Mexico cob 8 escudos struck with a Royal obverse die (lot 18), one of the nicest 1712 Lima 8 escudos we've ever handled (lot 29), and a fascinating 1702 Bogotá cob 2 escudos with the date rendered as reading outward (lot 63). Notable non-wreck gold cobs in this section include a 1698/7 M Seville 8 escudos plated in both Calicó and Tauler reference works (lot 14), plus a rare and unlisted 1751 S Bogotá cob 8 escudos (lot 58). The latter is pedigreed to the featured Fernandina Collection, a curated group of some very high grade and rare gold cobs, both wreck and non-wreck, that will no doubt attract much attention.

The Shipwreck Ingots section is strongly influenced by lots from the Atocha (1622) due to next year's 400th anniversary of the sinking. We feature one impressive gold bar (lot 67) from the wreck alongside a total of five large silver ingots (lots 71-75). Coins from the Atocha feature prominently in Shipwreck Coins with some 70+ lots up for bidding, including a very rare Lima cob 2 reales Philip II assayer X (lot 87). Other lots of note include coins from the Capitana (1654) and Maravillas (1656) wrecks pedigreed to the Mastalir Collection of Countermarked Potosí cobs, a wide selection of Dutch portrait and rider ducatoons from the Akerendam (1725)(lots 288-332), our first offering of an NGC-graded Mexico cob 8 reales from the pirate ship Whydah (1717)(lot 280), and an assortment of world and US gold coins salvaged from the popular SS Central America (1857)(lots 396-406).

In Mexico Silver Cobs, we offer several extremely rare cob 8 reales Royals like a 1613 F (lot 424), a 1706 J (lot 430), and a 1715 J (lot 432) in addition to a desirable 1728/6/5 D pedigreed to the Rooswijk (1739). Lima Silver Cobs hosts the quite rare 1686 R Lima cob 8 reales Royal (Lot 490) in addition to several other rare types. Many more rare Royals can be found in the Potosí Silver Cobs section including a very difficult to acquire 1656 E Potosí cob 8 reales Royal (lot 635). Bidders' hearts will be beating strongly for lots 741 and 808 - the finest and only graded 1696 VR cob 4 reales and 1734 E cob 1 real Hearts. Two key collections within this session are the Barry Stallard Research Collection of Early Lima, La Plata and Potosí Cobs (see lot 505 for the immensely rare La Plata piece) and the Jorge Ugaz Collection of Potosí Cob 8 and 4 Reales.

On the second day of the auction, the wide selection found in World Coins should draw spirited bidding from all over the world. Such rarities there include a fresh-to-the-market Japanese proof 20 sen dated Meiji year 13 (1880)(lot 1173), two Segovia-minted rarities - a gold 4 excelentes of Ferdinand-Isabel (lot 1276) and a massive 50 reales cincuentín dated 1620 (only our second offering of this rare denomination!) (lot 1315), and the finest NGC-graded 1745 MF Mexico pillar 8 reales (lot 1184). Also an special selection of gold Chilean coins recovered from La Luz wreck (854-865). The presence of a 1621 A Cartagena (Colombia) cob 8 reales from the (1622) as lot 885 is especially fitting as this year is the 400th anniversary of the striking of these first coins from the mint in Cartagena - an event we will be celebrating in December while attending the Cartagena Numismatic Congress.

We are very pleased to offer several collections within this session: the exclusive J.O.B. Collection of Seville Gold Coins (lots 1251-1275) packed with many finest and only known graded pieces, the Tamarindo Collection of Costa Rican Error Coins and Paper Money, and Part II of the Antigua Collection of Guatemalan Cobs.

One further collection to note is the John Adams Collection of Admiral Vernon Medals in Medals and Decorations. His feature article preceding the lots explains his personal collecting journey how this top-notch collection came to be.

U.S. Coins and Paper Money hosts some branch-mint gold coins from Dahlonega (lot 1411) and Charlotte (lot 1415) plus some popular early American currency like the 1798 Draped Bust silver dollar (lot 1419), the 1794 Flowing Hair large cent (lot 1434), and the grade-rarity 1777-dated South Carolina $20 colonial note (1451). World Paper Money contains some desirable type notes such as the Argentina 1 peso remainder of 1827-9 with portraits of Washington and Bolívar (lot 1456), the rare Cartagena (Colombia) Estado Soberano de Bolívar 10 pesos note of 1885 (lot 1459), and the spectacular Banco Internacional de Costa Rica 100 colones error note dated to the year (lot 1464).

Following an assortment of popular Greek, Roman, and Byzantine coinage designs in Ancient Coins, the Coin Jewelry section offers a wealth of mounted Atocha (1622) silver coins (lots 1540-1568) plus a visually impressive 1714 J Mexico gold cob 8 escudos in a special 1715 Fleet pendant setting (lot 1537).

Shipwreck Artifacts has many interesting salvaged items such as a pocket sundial from the HMS Winchester (1695), previously seen in a 1977 issue of National Geographic magazine (lot 1589), as well as an ornate gold toothpick from the 1715 Fleet (lot 1590). Finally, some notable lots in Non-Wreck Artifacts include an arsenal of flintlock pistols (lots 1605-1610) plus a long Spanish miquelet officer's musket (lot 1604). The following Monday, we end the auction with an Express session with 400+ lots of lower priced coins, currency, and artifacts.

For more information, see:
https://auction.sedwickcoins.com/auctionlist.aspx