Two NGC-certified Vintage European Gold Coins Each Realize Over $700,000
Posted on 6/17/2021
French and British gold rarities certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) realized over $700,000 in a sale presented by renowned European auction house MDC Monaco. Fourteen other vintage coins also certified by NGC realized at least $200,000 in the sale, held June 12, 2021.
An incredibly rare France 1861 Piefort Gold 100 Francs graded NGC PF 65 Ultra Cameo (lot 385) realized € 696,000, or about $843,000, far above its starting price. It bears the likeness of Napoleon III, who was halfway through his 17-year reign as emperor at the time.
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| France 1861 Piefort Gold 100 Francs graded NGC PF 65 Ultra Cameo . Realized: € 696,000, or about $843,000 Click images to enlarge. |
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Though the design was adopted for circulation starting in 1862, the 1861 coins exist only as patterns. This example is a piefort, meaning it is extraordinarily thick. Within a decade of this coin's striking, Napoleon III was captured during the Battle of Sedan in the Franco-Prussian War, ending his reign.
Meanwhile, a coin struck for Queen Victoria, a contemporary of Napoleon III, realized € 600,000, or about $727,000. Graded NGC PF 64 Ultra Cameo, the 1839 "Una and the Lion" 5 Sovereign (lot 495) celebrates the queen with a youthful portrait on the obverse and a scene from Edmund Spenser's 1590 poem "The Faerie Queene" on the reverse. In that scene, Victoria is seen as the character Lady Una, directing a lion, a symbol of England.
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| Great Britain 1839 "Una and the Lion" 5 Sovereign graded NGC PF 64 Ultra Cameo. Realized: € 600,000, or about $727,000. Click images to enlarge. |
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Another great rarity from England, a 1701 Plain Sceptres 5 Guineas graded NGC MS 64+ (lot 478), realized € 360,000, or about $435,000. This coin is called a "Fine Work" 5 Guineas because its well-executed portrait of William III showcased the revitalization of the Royal Mint under the skilled leadership of scientist Isaac Newton.
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| England 1701 Plain Sceptres 5 Guineas graded NGC MS 64+. Realized: € 360,000, or about $435,000. Click images to enlarge. |
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Also realizing € 360,000 was an undated England Double Obverse Pattern graded NGC PF 66★ Ultra Cameo (lot 489). Each side shows a slightly different portrait of King George III, who ruled from 1760 until 1820. At the bottom left of George's figure, the coin bears either the initials 'CHK' or 'K' — believed to represent Conrad Heinrich Kuchler, who designed several British coins before he died in 1810.
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| Undated England Gold Double Obverse Pattern Dollar graded NGC PF 66★ Ultra Cameo. Realized: € 360,000, or about $435,000. Click images to enlarge. |
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Auctions presented by MDC Monaco continue to generate impressive results. At a sale in October 2020, two NGC-certified coins each realized € 984,000 (or about $1.148 million): a Great Britain 1831 Gold Crown and an 1839 Una and the Lion.
"Once again, bidders seized the opportunity represented by NGC-certified rarities from around the world," said Nicolas Gimbert, MDC Monaco Numismatic Expert. "NGC certification helps bidders feel more confident when ultra-rare coins are offered in one of our sales."
"Sixteen NGC-certified coins from seven nations realized prices of at least $200,000, a testament to the strength of NGC's world coin grading program," added Ben Wengel, NGC Senior Grading Finalizer of World Coins. "This MDC Monaco sale shows that the market for NGC-certified coins continues to grow."
Other NGC-certified highlights in the sale include:
- an England 1706 5 Guineas graded NGC MS 60 (lot 480) that realized € 312,000, or about $378,000
- a Great Britain 1897B Gold Trade Dollar graded NGC PF 61 (lot 529) that realized € 306,000, or about $370,000
- an Italy 1940R XVIII 100 Lire graded NGC MS 62 (lot 644) that realized € 288,000, or about $348,000
- a Germany (1765-90)ICB Regensburg 6 Ducats graded NGC MS 63+ DPL (lot 97) that realized € 246,000, or about $297,000
- an India 1839(B) Silver Pattern Rupee graded NGC PF 65 (lot 558) that realized € 240,000, or about $290,000
- a France 1878 Essai Gold 100 Francs graded NGC PF 65+ Cameo (lot 397) that realized € 240,000, or about $290,000
- a Germany 1745 PPW Nurnberg 6 Ducats graded NGC MS 60 PL (lot 92) that realized € 222,000, or about $268,000
- a France 1894A Gold 100 Francs graded NGC MS 65 PL (lot 398) that realized € 204,000, or about $247,000
- a France 1832 Essai Gold Piefort 5 Francs graded NGC PF 63+ Cameo (lot 352) that realized € 192,000, or about $231,000
- a Bohemia 1639 Prague 10 Ducats graded NGC MS 63 (lot 136) that realized € 180,000, or about $217,000
- a France L'AN 10A Gold Plain Edge 5 Francs (1801-02) graded NGC PF 62 Cameo (lot 316) that realized € 180,000, or about $217,000
- a Hungary 1695KV Transylvania 10 Ducats graded NGC MS 63 (lot 779) that realized € 168,000, or about $202,000
Prices realized include buyer's premium.
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