World Coins

Lot # 389 - Switzerland. Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (Swiss Confederation), 1848-present. 20 Francs, 1889 (Gold, 21.22 mm, 6.41 g), Bern. CONF&OElig;DERATIO HELVETICA, Head of Libertas facing left, with hair tied with ribbon, wearing tiara and laurel wreath; LIBERTAS on the diadem. Rev. 20 FR 1889. Coat of arms of Switzerland; five-pointed star above, oak and laurel wreath around. HMZ 2, 1194. KM 31. Friedberg 495. Chaponniere 6.5a. Marks and hairlines, Nearly Extremely Fine. 100'000 examples minted.

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Lot # 388 - Switzerland. Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (Swiss Confederation), 1848-present. Set of 4 coins, two in gold and two in silver, on the 200th Anniversary of the Helvetic Republic and on the 150th Anniversary of the Swiss Federal Constitution. By W. Jeker, Bern. 100 Franken ,1998 E (Gold, 27.8 mm, 22.58 g) HELVETIA 100 FR 1998. Square tiled with 25 Swiss crosses; mint mark B on the right. Rev. 1798 1998, in a frame surrounded by two Swiss crosses, reproduction of the obverse of the 40 Batzen coin of the Helvetic Republic issued in 1798 with HELVET: REPUBL: 1798; with 20 Franken 1998 Essai-Pattern (Silver, 32.80 mm, 20 g) same as the previous coin but 20 FR on obverse and mint mark E and a cross within a circle; with 100 Franken 1998 B (Gold, 27.8 mm, 22.58 g). HELVETIA 100 FR 1998. Square tiled with 25 Swiss crosses; mint mark B on the right. Rev. 1848 1998. In a frame surrounded by two Swiss crosses, reproduction of the obverse of the 5 Franc silver coin engraved by Antoine Bovy with HELVETIA; with 20 Franken 1998 Essai-Pattern (Silver, 32.80 mm, 20 g), same as the previous coin but 20 FR on obverse and mint mark E and a cross within a circle. HMZ 2-1218a, 2-1218b, 2-1221k and 2-1221m; Friedberg 516, 517. Chaponnière OC 103, OC 104 (gold). Richter Proben 2, nn. 328 and 327 (silver). Total 4 coins issued in protective capsules, never handled; in original case of issue. PROOF. Only 2,500 gold coins and 250 silver coins minted.

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Astarte 26

Lot # 387 - Switzerland. Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (Swiss Confederation), 1848-present. 100 Franken, 1925 B (Gold, 36 mm, 32.25 g), Bern. HELVETIA Bust of Helvetia in front of Alpine panorama to left. Rev. 100 - FR / 1925 Radiant Swiss cross above a sprig of rhododendron and gentian; mintmark B at the bottom. Divo 359. Friedberg 502. HMZ 2-1193a. Chaponnière OC 10. Divo&Tobler 291. Rare. Mintage of just 5,000 examples. Minor scratches, otherwise uncirculated.

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Astarte 26

Lot # 386 - Switzerland. Solothurn. Thaler (Silver), circa 1550-1570. MONETA SOL - ODORENSIS, Two headed eagle above coat of arms. Rev. SANCTVS VR - S - V - S MARTIR, St. Ursus in full armor right, holding lance with banner and sword. HMZ 2-821b. Simmen 53. Old cabinet tone. Good Very Fine. Rare - in NGC slab, graded AU 55 (5778835-013).

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Astarte 26

Lot # 385 - Netherlands. Utrecht. Dutch Republic. Rose Nobel (Rozenobel)(Gold, 35.04 mm, 7.58 g), circa 1582-1600. MONE NOVA ORDIN TRAIECTEN, King in ship facing, holding sword and shield with provincial arms; on stern, banner with rampant lion left; large rose on ship's hull. Rev. CONCORDIA RES PARVÆ CRESCVNT, Cross fleurée with eight-rayed central star, in each quarter, crown above passant leopard left; all within double octolobe of arches. HPM Ut 20. Delmonte  958. KM 6. Friedberg  277. Usual areas of flattening. Otherwise, Good Very Fine. Rare.

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Lot # 360 - France. Second Empire. Paris. Napoleon III, 1852-1870. 100 Francs 1856 (Gold, 35.00 mm, 32.21 g). Laureated head of right. Rev. Ecu decorated with an eagle on a beam surrounded by the collar of the Legion of Honor. Gadoury 1135. KM 786.1. Friedberg 550/3. Brilliant. A tiny mark on the obverse rim at 11 o’clock. Extremely Fine. Rare in this condition.

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Lot # 359 - France. Kingdom. Paris. Louis XIII the Just, 1610-1643. 1/12 Écu 1643 (Silver, 20.89 mm, 2.23 g). LVDOVICVS XIII D G FR ET NAV REX, Laureate and draped bust right. Rev. SIT NOMEN DOMINI A BENEDICTVM1643, Crowned arms.  Duplessy 1352. Droulers 65. Gadoury 46. Cabinet tone with iridescence. A full Very Fine.

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Lot # 358 - France. Kingdom. Philip IV the Fair, 1285-1314. Gros Tournois (Silver, 26.51 mm, 3.91 g), circa 1290-1295. BNDICTV SIT NOmE DNI NRI DEI IҺV XPI / PhILIPPVS REX, Cross pattée. Rev. TVRONVS CIVIS, Châtel tournois topped by a cross cutting through the legend; outer border of twelve lilies. Duplessy 213. Lafaurie 217. Lightly toned. A full Very Fine.

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Lot # 357 - France. The Carolingians. Lothair I as Emperor, 840-855. Denier (Silver, 20.76 mm, 1.60 g). LVTHARIVS IMP, Cross with pellets in quarters. Rev. XPISTIANA RELGO, Stylized temple with four columns, topped with cross. Depeyrot 1185. Morrison 580 var. Old cabinet tone. Good Very Fine.

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Astarte 26

Lot # 356 - Ethiopia (Empire). Menelik II, 1889-1913. Original steel reverse die of the Pattern Gold Birr. (Steel, 51 x 35 mm, upper diam. 39 mm, 458 g). Addis Ababa mint. 1897 - Ethiopian Era 1889 ሞዓ ፡ አንበሳ ፡ ዘእምነገደ ፡ ይሁዳ። (conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, in reversed Ge'ez), Crowned Lion of Judah standing right, head facing, holding cross-banner over shoulder; in exergue, አንድ፡ብር (one Birr, in reversed Ge'ez). Cf. KM Pn5 (for type). Gill M21 (for type). Friedberg -. CNG, Triton XIX, 15 January 2016, lot 232 (for the struck coin - 32,500 USD realized). Heritage, NYINC Signature Sale 3105, 9 January 2023, lot 32169 (for the struck coin - 26,000 USD realized). Dark patina, with very few areas of rust. A section of the die - the edge from 12 to 4 o’clock - shows slight corrosion. The struck coin is Extremely Rare: this worn die is Possibly Unique.   From a British private Collection formed before 1960s.   Under Menelik II the Ethiopian currency reform of 1893 introduced the Birr, with the first coins struck at the Paris Mint between 1894 and the early 1900s. In an effort to achieve monetary independence from Europe, a national mint was installed in Addis Ababa between 1903 and 1905, equipped with machinery imported mainly from France. The extremely rare gold pattern issues belong to this experimental phase: they were official trial pieces struck to test the new dies and local metal alloys. Only by closely examining such a die, bordering on artisanal production, can we understand the numerous weight discrepancies and minting defects found in the Pattern issues of Ethiopia. The Addis Ababa Mint, however, never reached full efficiency - production was irregular, the equipment difficult to operate, and supplies of precious metal scarce - so only a handful of specimens were ever produced, and no regular gold coinage followed.

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Astarte 26

Lot # 355 - Colombia. State of Cundinamarca (Guerra de Independencia). Quarter Real or Cuartillo, 1816 (Silver, 11.76 mm, 0.50 g). Liberty cap. Rev. Pomegranate. Not in KM, cfr. F2 (for type). Not in Restrepo, cfr. 130 (for type). Near Very Fine. A date we have never seen appear at auction. Unique?   Issue from the turbulent years marked by internal conflicts among the independence factions. After permanent independence was achieved in 1819, this chaotic phase came to be remembered as “La Patria Boba,” the “Foolish Fatherland.”

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