Steve Album’s 50th Auction

Stephen Album Rare Coins will hold its Auction 50 from September 19-22, 2024, at their offices in Santa Rosa, California. The auction is made up of 4500 lots of Ancient, Islamic, Indian, Chinese, and World Coins. The first two days will be in-person bidding as well as on the internet, while the third and fourth days will be internet-only sessions. Featured in the auction will be The Dr. Robert A. Rosenfeld Collection of Ancient & World Coins, The Hakim Hamidi Collection of Afghanistan Coins, The Jürgen M. Wilmes Collection of Openwork Charms, and The Almer H. Orr III Collection of World Coins. Two additional anonymous collections are featured, one consisting of Georgian Coins, and the other named “The Solar Collection” of coins of Ceylon and Tranquebar. Some highlights from the sale follow:

Lot 552

• Lot 552: India: Mughal Empire: Jahangir, 1605-1628, AV sawai mohur (heavy mohur) (13.60g), Agra, AH1018 year 4, KM-185.1, with Khusru couplet, Persian inscription nur al-din shah jahangir ibn akbar badshah, regnal date to left // sikka zad dar shahr-e agra khusru-e giti panah, hijri date to lower left, much luster on both sides, an absolutely lovely design with excellent eye appeal, NGC graded MS61. Estimated at $35,000 to $40,000.

Lot 617.

• Lot 617: India: British: Victoria, Queen, 1837-1876, AV 5 rupees, 1870(c), KM-476, Fr-1603a, Calcutta Mint proof restrike, perfectly preserved with mirror-like luster, a magnificent example with great provenance and a prodigious grade (with only one superior example at PR65+), Proof 65, RR, ex Heritage ANA Signature Sale 3094, lot 34871, ex Louis E. Eliasberg Collection. Estimated at $10,000 to $14,000.
• Lot 169: Medieval Islamic: Abbasid Caliphate: al-Muqtadir, 908-932, AV donative double dinar (8.58g), Madinat al-Salam, AH299, A-Y245, standard design as on the normal dinar (A-245.2), but produced with larger dies on a broader planchet (29mm), which is the same for silver dirhams of Madinat al-Salam around AH299; trace of mount at the top, light scrape on reverse; a most important issue of al-Muqtadir, apparently unknown for any mint or date and unique, NGC graded UNC details. Estimated at $10,000 to $12,000.

Lot 204.

• Lot 204: Medieval Islamic: Almoravid: Abu Bakr b. Yahya, fl. 1147/48, AV dinar (4.17g), Dar’a, AH542, A-476J, traditional Almoravid design and legends, with the name abu bakr bin / yahya below kalima in obverse field, the mint and date in the reverse margin, likely issued during the chaos following the death of the last Almoravid ruler Ishaq b. Ali in AH541/1146, bold XF, RRRR. Estimated at $6,000 to $8,000.
• Lot 1450: World Coins: Afghanistan: Habibullah, 1901-1919, AV pattern 1-1/2 amani (6.98g), AH1337 (1918), KM-Unlisted, H-22A, an extremely rare gold pattern that we have not found in public auction records, PCGS graded Specimen 61, ex Hakim Hamidi Collection. Estimated at $5,000 to $7,000.

Lot 1449.

• Lot 1449: World Coins: Afghanistan: Habibullah, 1901-1919, AV pattern tilla (4.54g), AH1325 (1907), KM-Unlisted, H-12A, an extremely rare gold pattern that we have not found in public auction records, PCGS graded Specimen 62, RRRR, ex Hakim Hamidi Collection. Estimated at $5,000 to $7,000.

The firm is currently accepting consignments for its forthcoming auctions in 2025.