Extraordinary Selection of Ancient and World Coins at Stack’s NYINC 2025 Auction

Stack’s Bowers Galleries unveiled their January 2025 Showcase Auction to be held in conjunction with the 2025 New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC). This landmark sale includes over 6,500 lots of ancient coins, world coins, world paper money, and physical cryptocurrency, with total estimates surpassing $13 million. The live portion of the auction will take place January 17-19, 2025, at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel in New York City. The Cryptocurrency session will be held January 20 at Griffin Studios in the firm’s California headquarters, followed by internet-only sessions January 20-23.

Several named collections anchor the sale, including Part III of the Richard Margolis Collection, showcased in its own catalogue, and offered in Session 5 on Sunday, January 19. Among its many 19ths century French rarities are an outstanding Proof 40 Francs of Napoleon I that depicts the emperor in elegant cameo, a gorgeously toned Proof 5 Francs with remarkable eye appeal, and an incredibly rare pattern 20 Francs of Louis XVIII.

Session 1 comprises high-end Latin American coins as well as a diverse array of exceptional countermarks and is sure to see spirited bidding. It offers immensely popular rarities such as the 1916 Oaxaca 60 Pesos, a massive gold coin of the Mexican Revolution with a mintage of just 45 or fewer. Other standouts include an awe-inspiring 1715 Mexican cob 8 Escudos, graded MS-62 and featuring exceptionally crisp and complete details, and a Peruvian gold medal of Simon Bolivar a type that is nearly always only found in silver. The countermark section features many interesting lots; among the most intriguing are a Filipino countermark of Ferdinand VII struck on a Mexican “hookneck” 8 Reales and a fascinating Bolivian 4 Soles struck with a Costa Rican bifacial countermark and a digit “4” square punch.

Ancient coins are always very popular in New York, and this year’s selection is headlined by the S.P. Rutherford Collection. Stack’s Bowers Galleries previously offered Rutherford’s extensive collection of Latin American coinage to brilliant results in 2024, and his collection of ancient coins is just as impressive. Top lots from the collection include the massive silver Pentakaidekadrachm of Berenike II and the formidable Dodekadrachm and Oktadrachm issued by the Macedonian tribes. Additional ancient offerings feature the always-popular Syracusan Dekadrachmin the style of master engraver Euainetos, a gorgeous gold Pantikapaion Stater, and an exceptionally beautiful Lysimachos Tetradrachm. Among Roman coins, a magnificent aureus of Faustina the Younger leads the category bearing perfect strike and surface grades as well as the coveted star designation from NGC.

Numerous other treasures of particular note include an astonishing nearly Gem Austrian 20 Ducats of Ferdinand II, graded MS-64+ by NGC. The coin’s colossal size is surpassed only by its immense rarity. Other special lots include a stunning, sculptural Iranian medal of Muzaffar al-Din Shah and a wonderful Russian Ruble pattern novodel featuring a “long neck” bust of Alexander I. The British section is noteworthy, highlighted by a stellar near-Mint gold Pound of Elizabeth I, a beautifully toned Commonwealth Crown in NGC MS-64, and a gorgeous 5 Guineas of George II in PCGS AU-53.

The Stack’s Bowers Galleries January NYINC World Paper Money Auction is sure to attract attention, with highly prized offerings such as an extremely rare 100 Dollar note from the British Caribbean Territories, a 50 Florins of British East Africa with serial number 1, and a very special Banco de Venezuela 100 Pesos.

The physical cryptocurrency session features numerous types and denominations of different cryptocurrencies, many highly collectable with values well exceeding their “peel” values. Some interesting lots include a 2013 Casascius 0.5 Bitcoin in MS-68 and a 2016 BTCC 0.1 Bitcoin “Poker Chip.”

Additional Ancient & World Coin Highlights:

• Lot 31009: Italy. Bruttium. Kaulonia. AR Stater (7.30 gms), ca. 525-500 B.C. NGC Ch EF, Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5.
• Lot 31014: Sicily. Leontini. AR Tetradrachm (17.41 gms), ca. 425-415 B.C. NGC MS, Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5. Fine Style.
• Lot 31107: Judaea. First Jewish War, 66-70 C.E. AR Shekel (14.04 gms), Jerusalem Mint, dated year 2 (67/8 C.E.). NGC MS, Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5.
• Lot 31137: Ahenobarbus. AR Denarius (3.89 gms), Uncertain Mint in the region of the Adriatic or Ionian Sea, 41 B.C. NGC EF★, Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5.
• Lot 30055: Chile. Peso, 1817-SANTIAGO FD. Santiago Mint. NGC MS-63.
• Lot 30102: Mexico. 4 Reales, 1740/30-Mo MF. Mexico City Mint. Philip V. PCGS MS-63.
• Lot 30164: Peru. Cob 4 Escudos, 1700-L H. Lima Mint. Charles II. NGC MS-63+.
• Lot 31186: Austria. Salzburg. 10 Ducats Klippe, 1668. Salzburg Mint. Max Gandolph von Kuenburg. NGC MS-62.
• Lot 31207: Canada. Beaver Club of Montreal Gold Medal, “1801” (1818). Extremely Fine Details – Mount Removed.
• Lot 32011: Germany. Bavaria. 2 Ducats, 1618. Munich Mint. Maximilian I. PCGS MS-66.
• Lot 32095: Hungary. 10 Ducats, 1639-NB. Nagybanya Mint. Ferdinand III. NGC MS-64+.
• Lot 32271: Russia. “Dassier” Ruble, 1757-CNB RI. St. Petersburg Mint. Elizabeth. NGC AU-55.
• Lot 33063: Great Britain. Pound, 1642. Oxford Mint. Charles I. NGC AU-50.
• Lot 34091: France. Empire. 5 Francs, 1808-A. Paris Mint. Napoleon I. PCGS PROOF-65.
• Lot 34003: France. Empire. Silver 100 Francs Essai (Pattern) Restrike, “1807” (ca. 1830). Paris Mint. Napoleon I. PCGS SPECIMEN-62.

Additional World Paper Money Highlights:

• Lot 20128: China–Foreign Banks. Deutsch-Asiatische Bank. 10 Dollars, 1.3.1907. P-S263a. S/M#T101-3a. PMG Very Fine 20.
• Lot 20286: Egypt. National Bank of Egypt. 50 Piastres, 1899 (1906). P-1b. PCGS Banknote Extremely Fine 40.
• Lot 21016: Iraq. Government of Iraq. 1 Dinar, 1.7.1931. P-3a. PMG Choice Uncirculated 64.
• Lot 21080: Lebanon. Banque de Syrie et du Liban. 25 Livres, 1939. P-18. PCLB 53a. PMG Very Fine 25.
• Lot 21283: Venezuela. Banco de Caracas. 100 Bolivares, 1.9.1879. P-S122. PMG Choice Fine 15.