21-10-2018 – 24-10-2018
Autumn Auctions 48-53
Six catalogs full of numismatic treasures
In Sincona’s Autumn Auctions from 22 to 25 October 2018 collectors will see nearly all fields of numismatics: after the legendary Russia Auction rarities from South East Asia will follow, a Jubilee auctions, and numerous highlights of Swiss coinage. Clients of Sincona AG, Zurich will receive six auction catalogues in the mail at the end of September. These handsome hardbound catalogues have become reference works that are carefully kept by collectors.
Lot 709: Nicholas II. Gold medal (50 ducats) 1903. Erection of the Troizki Bridge (Bridge of the Trinity). This extremely rare medal weighs more than 175 g. Estimation: CHF 100’000.-
Auction 48: Russia auction
Sincona continues the tradition of important Russia auctions with Auction 48 on October 22, 2018 and it seems that Zurich has become the centre for enthusiasts and dealers of Russian numismatics.
Lot 8: Peter I., rouble 1704, Kadashevsky mint. Struck on a taler of the United Netherlands. Estimation: CHF 25’000.-
The catalogue is written in English and Russian and again contains interesting coins and medals from the time of the Czars into more modern times.
Lot 393: Alexander I. Pattern rouble 1807, St. Petersburg mint. So-called military portrait. Novodel. Uncirculated cabinet piece with wonderful patina. Estimation: CHF 75’000.-
And once again the collector will find great rarities. Listing them all is impossible in this context.
Lot 1000: The Kian Collection will be offered as a single lot with a starting price of CHF 1.5 million.
Auction 49: Kian Collection
Auction 49 is held in cooperation with Baldwin’s of St. James’s, London on the following day, October 23, 2018, and presents the Kian Collection. This collection is probably the most important collection of coins and medals of the Persian Empire of the Qajar and Pahlevi Dynasties, from Fath-Ali Shah (1212-1250 AH) / (1797-1834 AD) until Reza Shah (1304-1320 SH) / (1925-1941 AD). The collection contains the machine struck gold, silver and copper coinage. Closer examination reveals what an enormous amount of great rarities and unique specimens are contained herein. Such an assortment is in its completeness nowhere else to be found. Therefore, it was decided to auction the collection in one lot. Thus the chance is given that the collection will remain in its integrity.
The hammered coinage of the Persian rulers will be offered at a later point in time.
Lot 1118: Italy. Republic of Lucca. Fiorino d’oro n. d. (minted 1209-1325 in the name of Emperor Otto IV). Splendid specimen of highest rarity. Estimation: CHF 100’000.-
Jubilee Auction 50
A Jubilee. The private auction house Sincona AG was founded on May 1, 2011, stemming from the Numismatic Department of the UBS AG (earlier Swiss Bank Corporation). Already on June 29, 2011 the first auction was held with 3000 lots and successfully crossed the numismatic stage. Since then the young, dynamic and professional team has held a large number of auctions featuring important and specialized collection. On October 23, 2018 this auction house will hold its Auction 50. And knowing Sincona, the Zurich team has thought up something special for this occasion. As a thank you for the good contacts to the many coin dealers and auction houses around the world, these colleagues were invited to contribute one or more exciting items from their own stock to this jubilee auction. This catalogue shows that the solidarity and cooperation of numismatists in this world is of great importance and not just empty words. Friendship and unity in the coin trade brings success to all.
Actually one should mention all 233 lots of this jubilee catalogue 50. However these are some highlights even though all other lots would have been worthy of description:
Lot 1039.
Lot 1039: Germany. Brandenburg-Prussia. Georg Wilhelm. 1/2 Taler 1630. So-called “quotation taler” from the Königsberg mint. Probably the second known specimen; the other resting in the Berlin Coin Cabinet. Estimation: CHF 10’000.-
Lot 1104.
Lot 1104: Great Britain. George III. Pattern Guinea 1798. Only 110 specimens known. Estimation: CHF 10’000.-
Lot 1191.
Lot 1191: Switzerland. Zurich. Double goldgulden n. d. (17th century). Unpublished and unique. Estimation: CHF 10’000.-
Lot 2016: Leontinoi in Sicily. Tetradrachm (c. 480 BC). Dies by the Master of the Demareteion. Of high rarity and outstanding provenance. Estimation: CHF 30’000.-
Auction 51: Ancient Coins, gold coins and medals from all over the world
The following Auction 51, Coins and Medals, on October 23 and 24, lets the collector enjoy the whole world of numismatics and will enable him to successfully obtain the one or other piece for his collection.
The auction begins with an exciting series of almost 100 ancient coins.
Lot 2700: British India. British East India Company. 1 Mohur 1841. Very rare and of outstanding conservation. Estimation: CHF 5’000.-
In the realm of gold coins, we note an exciting group of sovereigns and half-sovereigns of Queen Victoria from England, Australia and Canada, …
Lot 2293. Germany. Brandenburg-Ansbach. Margrave Karl Wilhelm Friedrich. Ducat n. d. (1753), so-called “Falcon Ducat”. Very rare. Estimation: CHF 3’000.-
… large series from Germany, France, Italy and the Holy Roman Empire. Collectors of French coinage will find gold coins especially from the 19th century including the rare mintages from Rome and Torino. A small series of Maltese gold coins can be catalogued after the newest book by John Gatt.
Following this, dealers and also private persons who wish to invest in gold will find in 89 lots the already traditional Sincona Gold Auction. This auction platform for gold investment at best conditions has become an inherent part of Sincona AG.
Lot 3187: Germany. City of Frankfurt. Double gulden 1849. Proclamation of Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia as “Emperor of the Germans”. Only 200 specimens minted. PCGS PR62 CAMEO. Estimation CHF 5’000,-
Coins and medals in silver and other metals follow from throughout the world, from medieval times to the modern period. Naturally the European countries such as Germany, France, Italy and the Holy Roman Empire are predominant. We give further headings: hunting, rare German talers, decorations from Brunswick, Prussia, Serbia and Austria, medieval coins from the city of Eger (Cheb) in the Czech Republic, medals of the French Revolution.
Lot 4611: Switzerland. Confederation Shooting Festival in Frauenfeld. Gold medal 1890. Only 119 specimens struck. Estimation: CHF 5’000,-
In addition, more than 750 lots of Swiss coins are offered for auction in catalogue 51. Swiss collectors will have to visit the Sincona auctions twice, because at the end of the auction cycle follows the Kunzmann Collection Part 2.
Lot 4316: Confederation. Pattern 20 francs 1871. Bern mint. Estimation: CHF 7’500,-
In auction 51 other areas for Swiss collectors are predominant, patterns and silver off-metal strikes, confederation coins and the by now mandatory shooting medals. Due to the new issue of Jürg Richter’s book on shooting medals, a great resonance has ensued and the market has developed accordingly.
Lot 5298: Austrian Empire. 100 Gulden of January 15, 1863. Of high rarity. Very fine. Estimation: CHF 3’000,-
Auction 52: Banknotes and historical stocks and bonds
Once a year, always in autumn, Sincona auctions banknotes and historical stocks and bonds in conjunction with the firm of HIWEPA. Once again, Auction 52 on October 25, 2018 offers more than 800 lots, including interesting series from Switzerland and this year from other countries. Especially worthy of mention are rare bank notes from Italy, Serbia, the oldest banknotes of Spain, and a fantastic series from Austria. Here the collector will find the whole history of bank notes of Austria with the oldest specimens from 1767 and 1784 until modern times. These are rarities that one will hardly find again in this completeness.
Lot 5537. From the German Reichsbank Treasure. Participation certificate (Genuss-Schein) 1920 of Chocolate Tobler in Bern. (the famous Toblerone chocolate was created by Theodore Tobler in 1908). 60 pieces. Estimation: CHF 300.-
The second part of the catalogue contains historical securities. Of special mention is the so-called German Reichsbank Treasure (Deutscher Reichsbankschatz). The German Federal Office for Central Services and Open Asset Questions has turned over these Swiss papers to Sincona from the Reichsbank Treasure in order to be sold for a good price. The result will be paid into a Fund for Compensation of Nazi Injustice. This historically unique inventory has had an eventful history. It survived World War II without damage in the bomb secure vaults of the Reichsbank Berlin and stayed there during the whole time of the German Democratic Republic from 1949-1990, practically untouched.
Lot 5756. Vereinigte Dampfschiffahrtsgesellschaft für den Thuner und Brienzersee (United Steamship Travel Society for Lakes Thun and Brienz). Registered share 500 francs 1871. Extremely rare specimen and very attractive. Estimation: CHF 3’500,-
Further historical stocks and bonds from Switzerland and foreign countries have been gathered by the staff of Sincona and HIWEPA. Look at the special catalogue – an interesting world of information about the economic development of important firms will open itself. Enjoy the superb graphic art of the stocks and bonds, which would fit as decoration for many an office.
Lot 6862; Sitten/Valais. Merovingian mint. Gold triens c. 600. Mint master Mundericus. Of highest rarity. Estimation: CHF 10’000,-
Auction 53: Swiss Coins, Ruedi Kunzmann Collection Part 2
The end bouquet of this year’s Sincona Autumn Auctions is Auction 53: Swiss Coins on October 23, 2018. The Ruedi Kunzmann Collection Part 2. Collectors and dealers had to wait a whole year for the firework of exciting and often extremely rare coinage from all parts of Switzerland. The catalogue structure is the same as in Part 1 a year ago. Coins from canton to canton, partially by hardly known minting authorities, from penny up to double ducat.
Lot 6056: Basel. 1/2 dicken 1499. From the dies of the grossus. Of highest rarity and superb conservation. Estimation: CHF 6’000,-
Plentiful batzen, rare dicken and exciting minor denominations follow each other continuously in the catalogue. Also included are contemporary forgeries, coin mandates and foreign copies of Swiss coins.
Lot 6542; Obwalden. Kreuzer 1726 with V-O.K. (Vnterwalden ob dem Kernwald) above the arms. Imitation of a kreuzer from Montfort. Only known specimen. Estimation: CHF 1’500,-
Once more a multitude of small denominations that have not appeared in auctions in decades or never been on the market before will be found in this collection. Every chapter is preceded by a small history and the mint masters of the corresponding minting period are listed. Together with the introduction to be found in the collection’s first part (Sincona auction 44), they give a small history of Swiss coinage.
From the multitude of rarities, here are a few examples of interesting and rare specimens:
Lot 6007.
Lot 6007; Laufenburg. Plappart n. d. (17th cent.). Unique item published first in 2015. Estimation: CHF 2’500,-
Lot 6236: Fribourg. 1/2 batzen 1589. Hitherto unpublished, Estimation: CHF 3‘000,-
Lot 6353.
Lot 6353: Gottehausbund. 10 kreuzer 1568. Old gilding and mounting mark, however of highest rarity. Estimation: CHF 4’000,-
Lot 6431.
Lot 6431: Maccagno. Giacomo III Mandelli (1602-1645). Imitation 1623 of a schilling from Lucerne. The only known coin known worldwide with a portrayal and name of St. Eligius. Unique. Estimation: CHF 2’000,-
Lot 6697.
Lot 6697. Solothurn. Dicken 1632. Imitation of the dickens of Zug and Chur. Extremely rare. Estimation: CHF 8’000,-
Lot 7066.
Lot 7066: Zurich. 1/2 taler 1773. Design by Salomon Gessner. One of the great rarities of Zurich monetary history. Estimation: CHF 5’000,-
At the end of four auction days more than 5500 lots at an estimation of c. 9.3 million Swiss Francs will have been sold, Two days later the International Zurich Coin Fair will take place in the Swissôtel Zürich-Oerlikon, thus ending an exciting numismatic week.
More informationen are available on the Sincona AG website.
There you can find all auction catalogues:
Auction 48: Russian Coins and Medals
Auction 49: The Kian Collection
Auction 50: Sincona Jubilee Auction
Auction 51-1: Ancient Coins, World Gold Coins and Medals
Auction 51-2: World Silver Coins and Medals
Auction 51-3: Swiss Coins and Medals, Shooting Talers and Medals
Auction 52: Banknotes, Stocks and Bonds
Auction 53: The Collection of Ruedi Kunzmann Part 2 – Swiss Coins
Sincona Gold-Auction: Bullion and Investor Gold