IRVINE, Calif. – Ponterio & Associates, a division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, realized $1,608,082 as the Official Auctioneer of the June 2010 Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo.
This Khubilai Khan 50 Tael Ingot realized $64,900 at the 2010 Baltimore Auction. Dated the 14th year of the Zhiyuan era, it is inscribed with the denomination at upper left and ruler’s name and date at lower center. It is among the earliest known Chinese 50 Tael Sycee ingots.
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The three-session sale, occurring June 17-19, featured ancient and foreign coins and paper money. Bowers and Merena added an additional $6,438,778 in sales with its five-session auction.
"Ponterio & Associates’ Official June 2010 Baltimore Auction resulted in strong bidder competition and equally strong prices realized for ancient and foreign coins and foreign paper currency," said Rick Ponterio, executive vice president of Ponterio & Associates. "Iranian bank notes proved particularly popular in this auction, as did Chinese coinage and world gold coins in general."
The most notable sale was lot 8278, an extremely rare Kublai Khan, the fifth Great Khan and grandson of Genghis Khan, 50 Tael Sycee Ingot. Issued in Year 14 (A.D. 1273) of China’s Yuan Dynasty, the piece realized $64,900.
Leading the way among foreign bank note offerings, lot 7409, an Iranian First Series Toman, 1.6.1920, P-1b, Choice Uncirculated, sold for $17,700.
Additional ancient and foreign coin and paper currency highlights in the Ponterio & Associates June 2010 Baltimore Auction include:
- Lot 6037, Greece, 10 Lepta, 1831, cf.KM-12, cf.Geo-13, Chase-411-F.e, missing first "H" in "KYBEPNHTHE," Very Fine, realized $8,850
- Lot 6089, Mexico, Charles II (1665-1700), Escudo, 1879 (J), Fr-5, KM-50, Very Fine, realized $8,850 (the first dated gold coin of Mexico)
- Lot 6551, Great Britain, William III (1694-1702), 5 Guineas, 1701, Fr-310, S-3456, KM-508, NGC XF-45, realized $10,325
- Lot 6601, India, Travancore, Sovereign, ME1057/1881, Fr-1403, KM-32, NGC MS-63, realized $9,853
- Lot 6750, Transylvania, 10 Ducats, 1605, Fr-305, KM-18, Resch-2a, NGC VF-30, realized $16,520
- Lot 7410, Iran, 1 Toman, 12.2.1924, P-1b, Extremely Fine, realized $9,440
- Lot 7420, Iran, 5 Tomans, 30.3.1925, P-13, Choice Very Fine, realized $9,440
- Lot 7422, Iran, 10 Tomans, 11.10.1927, P-14, Very Fine, realized $11,800
- Lot 8086, Ptolemaic Egypt, Ptolemy II (285-246 B.C.), AV Octadrachm, Alexandria Mint, after 265 B.C., Choice Very Fine, realized $10,030
- Lot 8286, China, Kiangnan, Dollar, 1898, L&M-215, Y-145a.18, "WU HSU" reversed, PCGS XF-45, realized $9,440
- Lot 8719, Venezuela, 5 Bolivares, 1888, Y-24.1, NGC MS-62, realized $20,650.
For a complete list of prices realized for the June 2010 Baltimore Auction, visit the Bowers and Merena website at www.bowersandmerena.com or call the firm toll-free at 800.458.8646.
About Ponterio & Associates
Ponterio & Associates, Inc., was founded in 1982 by Richard Ponterio, renowned specialist in world and ancient numismatics.
The company was acquired by Bowers and Merena Auctions in 2008, creating an auction powerhouse that covers the collecting interests of U.S. and international coin and paper money enthusiasts.
Ponterio & Associates auctions have included such notable coin collections as the John S. Davenport Collection, the Witte Museum Collection, the Amat Collection, the Joe Lasser Collection, and the James Hunnicut Collection.
Distinguished paper money collections include the East Bay Collection of International Bank Notes, and the Eduard Kann Chinese Bank Note Collection. Ponterio & Associates has also presented treasure collections from the shipwrecks "Nicobar," "Rooswijk," and "Capitana."
Bowers and Merena Auctions
Bowers and Merena Auctions was founded in 1983 and has grown to become one of the world’s preeminent numismatic auctioneers with more than half a billion dollars in rare coin and currency sales. They continue to serve as Official Auctioneer of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Conventions three times every year.
Bowers and Merena has handled four of the five most valuable United States coin collections ever sold, including the Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. Collection, the Harry W. Bass Jr. Collection, the Garrett Collection for The Johns Hopkins University, and the Norweb Collection. Bowers and Merena Rare Coin Galleries offers direct buying and selling of exceptional quality gold and silver rare coins.
For more information about Bowers and Merena and Ponterio & Associates, or to consign to an upcoming auction, call 800.458.4646. For media inquiries, ask for Executive Vice President Rick Ponterio for foreign coins or Director of Currency Auctions Matthew Quinn for foreign paper money. Complete prices realized for all past auctions are available at www.bowersandmerena.com.
