Over 9 Million Francs Total Hammer Price at SINCONA’s Spring Auctions
SINCONA AG
Auction 96-98
Coins
26-28 May 2025
CH-Zürich
Numismatics is alive and well, it is incredibly diverse and one of the most beautiful hobbies out there as it combines history, art and the passion for collecting. The three catalogues of SINCONA’s May Auctions were the perfect example of this. The 3,548 lots with an estimate of around 5.1 million Swiss Francs fetched over 9 million.
However, let us put the statistics to one side for now and showcase some of the highlights from the various chapters of this sale.
Auction 96: SINCONA British Collection – Part 6
The special highlight was SINCONA Auction 96 featuring the sixth (and last) part of the British Collection with gold and silver medals of the British Empire. This exceptional series was estimated at just under 1 million Swiss Francs – but the hammer price of 2.8 million Swiss Francs far exceeded expectations. The oldest pieces date from the mid-16th century, the most recent medals from 1965. There was something for every connoisseur of this field. This resulted in intense bidding battles, which mainly took place online thanks to the Internet.
Here are a few examples:
Lot 27: Great Britain. Charles I 1625-1649. Cast Gold Medal n. d. (1630). Charles I, Dominion of the Sea. By N. Briot. Contemporary chased cast. Extremely Fine. Result: 65,000 CHF.
Lot 115: Great Britain. Charles II 1660-1685. Gold Medal n. d. (1683). “Royal Medal”, Presentation or Award Medal. By J. Roettier. Of the highest rarity. The only known specimen. About Uncirculated. Result: 110,000 CHF
Lot 134: Great Britain. James II 1685-1688. Gold Medal 1688. Landing of William of Orange at Torbay. By R. Arondeaux. Very rare. Extremely Fine. Result: 90,000 CHF.
Lot 245: Great Britain. Anne, 1702-1714. Gold Medal 1713. Peace of Utrecht. By J. Croker. Very rare. Cabinet piece. About Uncirculated. Result: 110,000 CHF.
Lot 255: Great Britain. George I 1714-1727. Gold Medal 1714. Proclaimed King of Georg Ludwig. By E. Hannibal. Very rare. Cabinet piece. About Uncirculated. Result: 110,000 CHF.
Auction 97: World Coins & Medals, SINCONA Bullion Auction and Swiss Coins & Medals
The prices of the lots sold at Auction 97 also more than doubled compared to their estimates – to be precise, the 1.6 kg catalogue fetched a total result of more than 5 million Swiss Francs.
Regarding coins and medals from all over the world, lots worth 2.27 million Swiss Francs crossed the auction block. Individual countries such as China, Germany, Italy and Japan stood out. Here you can find a small selection.
Lot 1115: China. Republic. Sun Yat-Sen. 20 Cents n.d. (1912), Nanking Mint. Gold pattern of the first Memento issue of 20 Cents commemorating the first anniversary of the Republic. NGC UNC Details. Result: 11,000 CHF.
Lot 1540: France. Brittany, Duchy. Anne, 1498-1499. Cadière d’or 1498, Nantes. Of the highest rarity. Good Very Fine. Result: 32,000 CHF.
Lot 1767: Japan. Manen Era. Manen Oban-Kin (1860-1862). Very rare. Cabinet piece. Result: 40,000 CHF
Lot 1899: Peru. Felipe V 1700-1746. 4 Escudos 1705 H, Lima. Rare. Extraordinarily well struck. NGC AU53. Result: 13,000 CHF.
Lot 1914: Poland. Michael Korybut, 1669-1673. 2 Ducats 1670. Commemorating his wedding with Eleonore Maria Josefa of Austria. Extremely rare. Extremely Fine. Result: 46,000 CHF.
Lot 2342: Czechoslovakia. Republic, 1918-1939. 10 Ducats 1934, Kremnica. St. Wenceslaus. Rare, only 1,298 pieces struck. Cabinet piece. NGC MS66. Result: 22,000 CHF
There was a lot of anticipation surrounding the Bullion Auction, given that the gold price has been steadily trending upwards in recent weeks. However, this did not stop bidders from enthusiastically bidding on many lots. Almost 80% of the lots found new owners, corresponding to more than 1.34 million Swiss Francs.
The third auction day was dedicated entirely to Swiss coins and medals. In the morning, 675 lots from Catalogue 97 were auctioned off, achieving almost 1.5 million Swiss Francs. This was followed in the afternoon by Catalogue 98 with part 3 of the Konrad Bürki Collection. We will begin with interesting pieces from Catalogue 97.
Lot 3287: Switzerland. Chur, Bishopric. Peter II Rascher, 1581-1601. 7 Ducats n.d. (1581-1601), Chur. Extremely rare. Very Fine-Extremely Fine. Result: 37,000 CHF.
Lot 3354: Switzerland. Schwyz. Ducat 1844, Schwyz. Very rare. Only 50 pieces struck. About Mint State. Very rare. Only 50 pieces struck. About Mint State. Result: 17,000 CHF.
Lot 3486: Switzerland. Zurich. Ehepfennig in gold 1658. Of high rarity. About Uncirculated. Result: 24,000 CHF.
Lot 3494: Switzerland. Zurich. Gold Medal n.d. (ca. 1780). Medal of Merit with a weight of 40 Ducats. Extremely rare. In original box. Result: 32,000 CHF.
Auction 98: Konrad Bürki Collection – Part 3
Part 3 of the Konrad Bürki Collection, Auction 98, brought SINCONA’s spring auctions to a worthy close. Once again, collectors and dealers alike were treated to some highly contested lots. This applied not only to the many gold coins weighing several Ducats, but also to smaller denominations that achieved top prices. This demonstrates that fractional pieces are also highly valued and should be part of a well-curated collection. The hammer price of 1.2 million Swiss Francs is perfect proof of this.
Lot 4037: Switzerland, Basel. City and canton. 4 Ducats 1740 (1764- 1764), Basel. Struck with the dies of the 1/4 Taler. Extremely rare. About Uncirculated. Result: 29,000 CHF.
Lot 4100: Switzerland, Bern. City and canton. Taler n.d. (ca. 1670), Bern. Extremely rare. Very Fine-Extremely Fine. Result: 28,000 CHF.
Lot 4106: Switzerland, Bern. City and canton. 3 Ducats 1684, Bern. Very rare. Magnificent condition. About Mint State. Result: 28,000 CHF.
Lot 4142: Switzerland, Bern. City and canton. 8 Ducats 1796, Bern. Extremely rare. About Uncirculated. Result: 40,000 CHF
Lot 4427: Switzerland, Solothurn. City and canton. Guldiner 1501, Solothurn. Of the highest rarity. Very Fine-Extremely Fine. Result: 29,000 CHF.
Looking ahead, SINCONA’s autumn auctions will take place in Zurich at the end of October, when the 100th auction will be celebrated. This is not to be missed! Make sure you mark 27 to 30 October 2025 in your calendar.
