Stack’s Bowers, Ponterio to Offer 2,800+ Coin and Currency Lots at Whitman’s Baltimore Show

The Stack’s Bowers Galleries (www.stacksbowers.com) November 2011 Official Baltimore Auction will feature more than 8,000 total lots, including four foreign coin and paper money sessions by Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio, presenting more than 2,800 lots.

In addition, there will be four U.S. coin sessions and one U.S. currency session. Lot viewing will be conducted by appointment at the firm’s Irvine, California, headquarters October 27-November 2, at the firm’s New York office November 8-11, and onsite at the Baltimore Convention Center November 14-18.

The auction will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center beginning Tuesday, November 15, concluding Saturday, November 19.

"We are ready to wrap-up 2011 with our final auction of this incredible year, and we have a tremendous selection coming to Baltimore for the official auction," said Rick Ponterio, executive vice president.

"We have an exceptional choice of popular Chinese coinage that is sure to attract worldwide attention, and Mexico is very strong with a large selection of more than 800 lots of Mexican coinage, plus some unique standouts that span the globe.

Our paper money assortment offers quite a wide variety, also, with some very distinctive items that will excite collectors when they go on the block."

Of special note are two Chinese standouts, a 1988 500 Yuan graded NGC Proof-69 Ultra Cameo, the first 500 Yuan produced for the Lunar Series boasting a mintage of only 300 pieces, as well as a 1987 1000 Yuan graded NGC Proof-69 Ultra Cameo from the Panda Series that includes the original case of issue certificate of authenticity.

South Africa offers an interesting piece with a story to tell, an 1892 5 Shillings graded NGC MS-63 and showing the "Single Shaft" wagon, one of two designs by Otto Schultz. With presidential elections closely approaching, South African Republic President Kruger desperately wanted to release new coinage into circulation as soon as possible; however, at this time the Pretoria mint was still under construction.

Kruger, not wanting to wait, contracted with the Royal Prussian Mint in Berlin to produce the first series of coinage. However, the German die engravers were unfamiliar with the style of wagon used in South Africa and engraved them in the style of a European wagon. Although the design was well executed, the wagon was depicted with two shafts and two equally sized wheels. This differed from the normal "Single Shaft" wagon or "Voortrekker wagon" used in South Africa which typically was depicted with a much larger wheel in the back.

Although this seems like a very subtle difference, it nearly cost Kruger the presidency. Kruger’s political opponents immediately noticed the incorrect depiction of the "Voortrekker wagon" on the national coat of arms and declared this "an insult," insisting that the engraver Otto Schultz initials "OS" represented the Dutch word for an Ox. Kruger took full ownership for this error and quickly had the appropriate design changes made. The "Single Shaft" specimen on offer in Baltimore is lightly toned with very original surfaces.

World coin highlights of the Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio November 2011 Baltimore Auction include:

• ALBANIA. 50 Leke Essai in Platinum, 1986. PCGS SP-66.
• AUSTRALIA. Shilling, 1912. NGC MS-63.
• CHINA. 100 Yuan, 1987-S. NGC MS-69.
• CHINA. 1000 Yuan, 1987. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo.
• CHINA. 150 Yuan, 1983. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo.
• CHINA. 4 Piece 400 Yuan Proof Set, 1979. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 5 Piece Proof Set, 1991. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 5 Piece Proof Set, 1992. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 5 Piece Proof Set, 1993. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 5 Piece Proof Set, 1994. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 50 Yuan, 2002. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 50 Yuan, 2002. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 50 Yuan, 2002. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 50 Yuan, 2002. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 50 Yuan, 2007. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 50 Yuan, 2007. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. 500 Yuan, 1987. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo.
• CHINA. 500 Yuan, 1988. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo.
• CHINA. Dollar, Year 21 (1932). NGC MS-64.
• CHINA. Lot of (10) 10 Yuan, 2000. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. Lot of (10) 10 Yuan, 2002. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• CHINA. Lot of (20) 10 Yuan, 1998. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF.
• GREECE. 100 Drachmai Essai in Gold, 1968. ANACS MS-68.
• GREECE. 100 Drachmai Essai In Platinum, 1968. ANACS MS-68.
• MEXICO. Complete Date Set of 10 Pesos, 1905-59. EXTREMELY FINE-UNCIRCULATED.
• MEXICO. Peso, 1901-ZsAZ. VERY FINE.
• MEXICO. War of Independence. Guadalajara. 8 Reales, 1812-GaMR. FINE.
• RUSSIA. Ruble, 1912-EB. NGC AU-58.
• SOUTH AFRICA. 5 Shillings, 1892. NGC MS-63.
• SPANISH COLONIAL. Silver "Tumbaga" Bar, ND (ca. early 16th century). VERY FINE. Ex: "Tumbaga wreck," ca. 1528 off Grand Bahama Island.

World paper money highlights of the Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio November 2011 Baltimore Auction include:

• BELIZE. Monetary Authority of Belize. $100, 1.6.1980. P-42. PMG Superb Gem Uncirculated 68 EPQ
• BURMA. Government of India. 100 Rupees, ND (1927-37). P-A8d. Very Fine
• CANADA. Bank of Canada. $20, 1935. P-46b. PMG About Uncirculated 53
• CANADA. Bank of Canada. $25, 1935. P-48. PMG Choice About Uncirculated 58
• CANADA. Dominion of Canada. $5, 1924. P-35. PCGS Choice About New 58 PPQ
• CANADA. Doninion of Canada. $1, 2.7.1923. P-33g. PCGS Gem New 66 PPQ
• CHINA–FOREIGN BANKS. Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China. 1 Mexican Dollar, 15.9.1898. P-S191a. Very Good-Fine
• CYPRUS. Government of Cyprus. 5 Shillings, 1.9.1952. P-30. PMG Very Fine 25
• DANZIG. Bank of Danzig. 10 Gulden, 1.7.1930. P-58. Choice Uncirculated
• DANZIG. Bank of Danzig. 500 Gulden, 10.2.1924. P-56. Choice About Uncirculated
• FALKLAND ISLANDS. Government of the Falkland Islands. 1 Pound, 198. P-5. PMG Choice About Uncirculated 58 EPQ
• HONG KONG. Government of Hong Kong. $1, ND (1952-59). P-324Ap. About Uncirculated
• INDIA. Government of India. 50 Rupees, 3.2.1916. P-A15b. Very Fine
• KOREA. Bank of Chosen. 100 Yen, Meiji yr. 44 (1911). P-16A. About Uncirculated
• NICARAGUA. Banco Central de Nicaragua. 1,000 Cordobas, D.1962. P-114a. Fine-Very Fine
• PHILIPPINES. Philippine Islands. 100 Pesos, 1929. P-79. Very Fine
• PHILIPPINES. Philippine, Victory. 500 Pesos, ND (1949). P-124c. PMG Extremely Fine 40 Net. Rust Damage.
• RHODESIA AND NYASALAND. Bank of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. 5 Pounds, 25.1.1961. P-22b. PMG Choice Extremely Fine 45 EPQ
• SEYCHELLES. Government of Seychelles. 100 Rupees, 1.1.1968. P-18s. PMG About Uncirculated 55 EPQ
• SEYCHELLES. Government of Seychelles. 100 Rupees, 1.6.1975. P-18e. PMG Extremely Fine 40

All lot descriptions and images in the November 2011 Baltimore Auction can be viewed online at the Stack’s Bowers Galleries website, www.stacksbowers.com in mid-October. Printed catalogs are available upon request by calling 949.253.0916.

Online bidding will open in mid-October for world lots and pre-auction bids will be accepted at www.stacksbowers.com; by e-mail at auction@stacksbowers.com; by phone at 949.253.0916; by fax at 949.253.4091; and by postal mail addressed to Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio, Baltimore November 2011, 18061 Fitch, Irvine, CA, 92614.

Interested bidders are also encouraged to view lots onsite in Baltimore in November and bid in-person at the live auction, or live online through the Stack’s Bowers Galleries website. A complete auction and lot viewing schedule is available at www.stacksbowers.com or by calling 949.253.0916.

About Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio

Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio is the world and ancients auction division of Stack’s Bowers Galleries. It was founded in 1982 as Ponterio & Associates by Richard Ponterio, renowned specialist in world and ancient numismatics, who is now executive vice president of Stack’s Bowers Galleries. Past auctions have included such notable coin collections as the Wa She Wong Collection, 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, along with treasure collections from the shipwrecks "Nicobar," "Rooswijk," and "Capitana."