IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, one of the world’s preeminent auctioneers for rare coins and currency, realized more than $8 million as the Official Auctioneer of the June 2010 Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo.
This 1861-S Liberty Double Eagle realized $69,000 at Bowers and Merena’s June 2010 Baltimore Auction. The rarest Type I Double Eagle struck in the San Francisco Mint, the 1861-S Paquet owes its ranking to both a limited mintage and heavy circulation on the frontier, aided by a lack of contemporary numismatic interest in these coins. A limited mintage of 19,250 pieces for this issue is attributed to the Mint’s experimentation with a new reverse design for the Liberty Double Eagle. (Click image to enlarge)
The eight-session sale, occurring June 17-19, included more than 6,000 lots of U.S. coins and currency, ancient and foreign coins, and foreign paper money.
Prices realized for U.S. coins and currencies amounted to $6,438,778. Ponterio & Associates, a division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, added an additional $1,608,082 in prices realized with ancient and foreign coins and paper money.
"Our highly successful June 2010 Baltimore Auction saw spirited bidding for many different areas of U.S. numismatics," said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena Auctions.
"Specialists in classic gold coinage were particularly enthused about our offering of the Windermere Collection of rare date Liberty Double Eagles. The highlight of that collection is clearly lot 3847, the 1861-S A.C. Paquet Reverse in NGC AU-50 that traded hands for $69,000."
An important and rare one-year type, the 1861-S Paquet features an experimental reverse that proved unsuitable for regular issue production and widespread circulation. The San Francisco Mint struck only 19,250 examples of this issue before returning to the traditional Liberty Double Eagle reverse design by Chief Engraver James Barton Longacre.
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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"For Ponterio & Associates, 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," said Rick Ponterio, executive vice president of Ponterio & Associates. "Iranian bank notes and Chinese coinage also proved to be particularly popular."
Additional U.S., ancient and foreign coin and currency highlights in the Bowers and Merena and Ponterio & Associates June 2010 Baltimore Auction include:
- Lot 178, 1881 Hawaii Pattern Five Cents, Medcalf-Russsell 2CN-1, MS-64 (PCGS), Secure Holder, realized $28,750
- Lot 1658, 1937-D Buffalo Nickel, FS-901 (FS-020.2), 3-Legged, MS-65 (PCGS), CAC, realized $37,375
- Lot 2030, 1864 Seated Liberty Quarter, MS-67 (PCGS), realized $26,450
- Lot 3411, 1872 Pattern Commercial Dollar, Judd-1217, Proof-64 RB (PCGS), realized $25,875 (one of only three specimens known to exist)
- Lot 3432, 1852 Augustus Humbert $50 Gold, Reeded Edge, K-11, 887 THOUS, AU-55 (PCGS), realized $52,900
- Lot 3443, 1849 Mormon $2.50 Gold, K-1, VF-35 (PCGS), CAC—Gold Label, OGH—First Generation, realized $53,763
- Lot 3605, 1795 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle, Small Eagle, BD-8, MS-61 (NGC), realized $71,428 – From the Fab Five Collection of Early Half Eagles
- Lot 3824, 1850-O Liberty Double Eagle, Open 5, AU-58 (PCGS), CAC, realized $32,200 – From the Windermere Collection
- Lot 3833, 1855-O Liberty Double Eagle, AU-55 (NGC), realized $50,025 – From the Windermere Collection
- 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 EF-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.
For a complete list of prices realized for Bowers and Merena and Ponterio & Associates June 2010 Baltimore Auction, visit the firm’s Web site at www.bowersandmerena.com or call toll-free at 800-458-4646. Bowers and Merena’s next auction is the Boston Rarities Sale in August.
About 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 their service as Official Auctioneer of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expos 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. In 2008, Bowers and Merena Auctions acquired Ponterio & Associates, Inc., which now serves as Bowers and Merena’s auction division for world and ancient coins and currency. 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. Complete prices realized for all past auctions are available at www.bowersandmerena.com.
