12-09-2018 – 13-09-2018
Auction 32
World Record at Stephen Album
Stephen Album Rare Coins held its Auction 32 on September 13-14, 2018 at its offices in Santa Rosa, CA. The auction was a big success for the firm, with a total hammer price of $1.54 million (including buyer’s fees) and a sell-through rate of 90%. Excitement had been generated many weeks prior to the sale due to the offerings of a handful of Chinese dollars in extremely rare high grades. Bidders came out in large numbers for the sale, hoping to be one of the lucky few to successfully bid for one of these rarities. The final results exceeded even the highest of expectations.
Especially noteworthy in the auction were three exceptional items:
Lot 751.
Lot 751: Kirin: Kuang Hsu, silver dollar, ND (1898), Y-183, L&M-515, Kann-287, branched horns type, a fantastic example of this scarce type, brilliant white original luster, PCGS graded MS64.
There is one MS-60 example and one MS-62 graded example from NGC, and the highest example graded by PCGS is AU-58, making this the finest known example. This specimen, with light peripheral toning, brought $188,000 (including buyer’s fees) on a $10,000-15,000 estimate, undoubtably a world record for the type.
Lot 1866.
Lot 1866: Mughal: Jahangir, gold portrait mohur (10.80g), Ajmer (Ajmir), AH1023 year 9, KM-197.6, magnificent design and calligraphy, same dies as #319 of the British Museum (published by Lane-Poole in 1892), NGC graded AU55.
The so-called “bacchanalian” mohur portrays, on the obverse, Jahangir seated cross-legged on the throne, nimbate, holding up a wine cup, boldly proclaiming his love of wine and other alcoholic beverages. The reverse center bears the radiant sun, said to represent the month of his birth, with the date & mint to the left, his regnal year to the right. The Persian couplet, engraved in the most elegant Persian calligraphy, is divided between obverse & reverse, which was translated by Stanley Lane-Poole as “Destiny has drawn on money of gold / The portrait of his Majesty Sháh Jahángír / The letters of Jahángír and Alláhu Akbar / Are equal in value from the beginning of time.” The abjad value of each of Jahángír and Alláhu Akbar equals 292.
This piece brought a hammer price of $288,500 (including buyer’s fees) on a $220,000-260,000 estimate.
Lot 748.
Lot 748: Kiangnan: Kuang Hsu, silver dollar, Nanking mint, ND (1897), Y-145.1, L&M-210A, Herringbone (Ornamental) edge type, with Chinese ink stamp on the obverse, cross-legs in the A of both parts of KIANG NAN barely visible, absolutely stunning grade, PCGS graded UNC details (details only due to the ink chop), otherwise a lovely Mint State example!
This piece brought a hammer price of $85,187 (including buyer’s fees) on a $4,000-6,000 estimate.
Joseph Lang, CEO for the firm, said “This sale confirms that the market is quite strong for quality material, particularly for India and China.”
The firm is currently inviting consignments through November 2 for its Auction 33, which will be held January 17-18, 2019, with lot viewing at NYINC in New York the week prior.
You can view the catalog of auction 32 online.
You can download the complete results list as PDF.
For more informationh please visit the Stephen Album website.