Stephen Album Rare Coins

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“The Chinese Market Just Keeps Showing Incredible Upward Movement”

Stephen Album Rare Coins held its auction 43 on May 12-15, 2022, at its offices in Santa Rosa, California. The prices realized were once again strong, coming in at $2.46 million (including buyer’s fees) with a sell-through rate of 93.8%. Many items went for multiples of their estimates, including some world-record results. The Joe Sedillot Collection of World Coins, Part II was instrumental in achieving these results. Additional items from that collection will be featured in the firm’s Auction 44 in September. A selection of highlights follows (prices include buyer’s fees):

Lot 838.
  • Lot 838: India. Kushan, Huvishka, ca. 155-187 AD, AV dinar (7.96g), G-157.1, BMC-XXVIII/24, NC-XX/17 (same reverse die), ANS Kushan –, diademed and crowned half-length bust left, with flames above right shoulder, holding mace and ankusa (elephant goad), clouds below, ÞAOhAHOÞAO O-OhÞKI KOÞANO // three nimbate figures standing facing on double dais within ornate aedicule, the central figure crowned, the others with their heads turned toward him, tamgha in inner left field, MA-AC-H-NO BIZAΓO CKANΔO K-OMAPO, Choice AU, RRR. Estimated at $50,000 to $55,000. Realized $57,000.
Lot 704.
  • Lot 704: China. Chihli. Kuang Hsu, 1875-1908, AR 50 cents, Peiyang Arsenal mint, Tientsin, year 24 (1898), Y-64.1, L&M-450A, variety with dragon marked by almond-shaped eyes and hook-like whiskers, an attractive lightly toned example! PCGS graded AU50, RR. Estimated at $2,000 to $3,000. Realized $54,000.
  • Lot 715: China. Republic, AR 20 cents, year 21 (1932), Y-391, L&M-854, WS-1066, Canton Martyrs Commemorative issue with Yellow Flower Mound Mausoleum (Huanghuagang), double die reverse, a fantastic, toned example and rarely so nice! PCGS graded MS66, ex Joe Sedillot Collection. This is by far the finest graded example by PCGS or NGC as both have graded only a single coin in MS-64 and none higher. Estimated at $3,000 to $5,000. Realized $54,000.
  • Lot 1082: World. Kuwait. Abdullah II b. Sabah II Al-Sabah, 1866-1892, AE baiza, al-Kuwait, AH1304 (1886/87), KM-1, tughra seal of the Sheikh // mint/date formula, average strike, but boldly clear mint & date, VF, RRR. Sheikh Abdullah ordered the minting of a copper coin, known at that time as the Kuwaiti baiza (paisa) in 1886, due to the lack of Indian copper coins circulating in the local economy. The primitive, crude, hammered coins were locally produced. According to Kuwaiti Islamic coin specialist M. Al-Hoseini, the person overseeing the minting operation was a senior member of the prominent Bodi tribe. Very few coins were produced, with up to 4 possible types with notable distinctions in the text, design, and even planchet thickness. They circulated for several weeks, but the coinage was short lived. Estimated at $2,000 to $4,000. Realized $24,000.
Lot 1095.
  • Lot 1095: World. Nepal. Prithri Narayan, 1768-1775, AV 2 mohars, SE1696 (1774), KM-462, a lovely mint state example of this rare type! PCGS graded MS63, RR. Incorrect Krause number on the PCGS holder. A very rare denomination in gold for this ruler and the first we have encountered; nor could we find any auction records of a sale of this double mohar type. Estimated at $3,000 to $5,000. Realized $19,200.
  • Lot 262: Islamic: Abbasid. al-Muqtadir, 908-932, AV dinar, Tabariya, AH311, A-245.2, Bernardi-242Gi, one of the rarest dinar mints for the Abbasids, a Palestinian city on the shores of the Sea of Galilee; bold strike, EF-AU, RRR. Estimated at $12,000 to $15,000. Realized $14,400.
Lot 536.
  • Lot 536: Islamic. Great Mongols. Chingiz Khan, 1206-1227, AV dinar, Samarqand, AH(621), A-1964B, obverse legend khani / chingiz khan / al-‘adil al-a’zam / shah jahan- / -gir, with the last two lines meaning “royal conqueror of the world”, and that certainly was the goal of Genghis Khan! the reverse has the kalima with the mint name above; struck from the same dies as the example published by A.E. Davidovich (Zeno-265552), which shows the final digit of the date in full, VF-EF, RRRR. The only other specimen listed on CoinArchives is a horribly struck piece from a different set of dies, with the name of Chingiz Khan almost completely illegible, but date 621 is very clear (sold in our Auction 41, Lot 520). Estimated at $4,000 to $5,000. Realized $13,200.
  • Lot 878: India. Cooch Behar. Nripendra Narayan, 1838-1911, AV nazarana mohur, CB354 (1864), KM-180, sri sri / siva char(ana) / kamala mad / huka(asya) in Bengali; pellet within crescent after legend; all within linear quadrate border with floral ornaments at corners; additional floral ornaments in external voids; all within border of alternating dentils and pellets // sri sri / nripendra / nara / yana / san 354 sake in Bengali; floral ornaments flanking sri sri, a lovely toned lustrous nearly mint state example! PCGS graded AU58, RRR. Estimated at $10,000 to $15,000. Realized $13,200.

Company CEO Joseph Lang commented “the Chinese market just keeps showing incredible upward movement, but all areas are doing quite well. Big ticket items as well as lesser material are both doing well at auction.”

 

View all results of auction 43 in the online catalog.

Steve Album’s Internet Auction 16 is currently online and takes place on July 11-12, 2022. Pre-bidding has already begun and can be accessed through their website. They are also taking consignments for their next Premier Auction, number 44, which will take place September 15-18, 2022. For further information, visit the Steve Album website.