Chilean Gold Rarities and Three Great Collections in Auction 40

29 Oct

Chile has one of the most challenging and rewarding gold series of Spanish America, and in our Treasure, World Coin & Paper Money Auction 40 we are pleased to offer an unusually concentrated selection of important Santiago issues. The strength lies not only in the number of dates, but in their scarcity, survival, grade and long-established pedigrees. A number of pieces can be traced to the Fernando Segarra Collection, the Norweb Collection, and the Colección Val y Mexía, with additional important examples from Godoy and Caballero de las Yndias.

The Santiago mint was authorized in 1743 and struck its first gold coin in 1749. Unlike the better-known high-volume Spanish American mints, Santiago produced numerous gold dates in very limited quantities. That is why even a relatively modest escudo can be a far greater date rarity than its larger and more conspicuous counterpart. The transition from Charles III to Charles IV and then Ferdinand VII adds unusual portraits, old-bust combinations and scarce assayer varieties to the series.

We particularly want to draw attention to the 1758 J two escudos, one of only three known; the 1817 FJ four escudos from Norweb, reportedly one of five or six known; and several four- and two-escudos dates with mintages in the mere hundreds. We have also included a few important silver and republican pieces, especially the first-year 1817 volcano peso and the exceptionally rare La Serena countermark from the Virgil Brand Collection. These are the highlights we would examine first, but the full Chilean section merits careful study.

Click any coin photograph, lot heading or bidding link to open the corresponding lot directly on our Sedwick auction platform.

Selected colonial and republican gold

Lot 842. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 8 escudos, Charles III, 1768 A, upright assayer

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 842, Chile, Santiago gold bust 8 escudos, Charles III, 1768 A, upright assayer
Lot 842. Photo opens our auction lot.

Very rare, NGC AU details (harshly cleaned), ex Norweb. The distinctive early “rat nose” portrait is coupled with the upright A assayer, a late correction to the earlier inverted A. The crowned arms and Golden Fleece collar are particularly sharp. We have found this corrected variety scarcer than the other 1768 A arrangements, with no other certified example recorded by either grading service at cataloging.

Provenance: Norweb Collection, Spink America, March 1997, lot 107. An unusually specific mintmark and assayer rarity, not just another early Santiago eight escudos.

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Lot 843. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 8 escudos, Charles III, 1782/71 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 843, Chile, Santiago gold bust 8 escudos, Charles III, 1782/71 DA
Lot 843. Photo opens our auction lot.

NGC AU 50. An excellent intersection of two major pedigrees, ex Segarra and ex Colección Val y Mexía. The unusually long overdate is sharply expressed, with bright yellow luster, only light adjustment marks next to the portrait and minimal wear. We considered the coin close to Mint State despite its assigned grade.

Provenance: Segarra Collection and Colección Val y Mexía. A desirable overdate within the year’s reported mintage of 40,000.

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Lot 844. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 8 escudos, Charles III, 1783 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 844, Chile, Santiago gold bust 8 escudos, Charles III, 1783 DA
Lot 844. Photo opens our auction lot.

NGC AU 55, ex Norweb. A handsome late Charles III eight escudos with bold details and the documented pedigree that makes the piece particularly attractive to collectors building a representative run of Santiago gold. The large denomination provides a useful counterpoint to the much rarer fractional gold that follows.

Provenance: Norweb Collection, as stated on the certification label.

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Lot 847. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 8 escudos, Charles IV transitional, 1789 DA, private countermark

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 847, Chile, Santiago gold bust 8 escudos, Charles IV transitional, 1789 DA, private countermark
Lot 847. Photo opens our auction lot.

NGC AU details, private countermark, ex Colección Val y Mexía. A choice 1789 transitional issue retaining the bust of Charles III with the new king’s ordinal IV. Rich gold with rainbow toning and an intriguing small punch consisting of a cross within a triangle below the denomination.

We noted a similar punch on a 1794 Mexico City eight escudos. The identification remains open, but the correspondence raises the possibility of a merchant, goldsmith or trading-house mark applied to circulating gold. The marked coin itself is the evidence; the precise issuer of the punch is not yet established.

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Lot 849. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 8 escudos, Ferdinand VII, 1810 FJ, admiral bust

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 849, Chile, Santiago gold bust 8 escudos, Ferdinand VII, 1810 FJ, admiral bust
Lot 849. Photo opens our auction lot.

NGC AU 55, ex Colección Val y Mexía. The distinctive “admiral bust” is one of the most immediately recognizable Chilean transitional portraits, a short-lived design associated with Santiago. This example offers an exceptionally bold strike, complete rims and strong luster, although lightly polished.

Provenance: Colección Val y Mexía. A particularly representative coin of a turbulent period in the Spanish monarchy.

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Lot 851. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Charles III, 1786 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 851, Chile, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Charles III, 1786 DA
Lot 851. Photo opens our auction lot.

Very rare, NGC AU 50, sole example in the NGC census at cataloging. This exceptionally low-mintage issue is recorded at only 697 pieces struck. Choice strike and full rims, excellent luster, and minor reverse lamination flaws, with wear largely confined to the portrait.

Four escudos of Santiago are difficult enough in general, but a well-preserved example of this specific date is something different. We consider it one of the most significant date rarities among the smaller gold denominations in this sale.

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Lot 853. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Charles IV, 1796 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 853, Chile, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Charles IV, 1796 DA
Lot 853. Photo opens our auction lot.

Rare, PCGS AU 55, sole entry in the PCGS census at cataloging. A choice later colonial four escudos with lustrous surfaces and a strong grade for a denomination that seldom appears in this condition. An instructive comparison with the 1786 Charles III issue and the scarcer dates of the same Charles IV series.

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Lot 855. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Charles IV, 1799 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 855, Chile, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Charles IV, 1799 DA
Lot 855. Photo opens our auction lot.

Very rare, PCGS AU 50, ex Godoy, from a reported mintage of just 2,754. We located only one other auction appearance in recent decades and knew of no other certified example at cataloging. Rich gold color, minor marks and modest wear on the portrait.

Provenance: Godoy Collection, Áureo, March 2004, lot 443. The long-established pedigree is an important part of the appeal of this date.

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Lot 856. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Charles IV, 1800 AJ

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 856, Chile, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Charles IV, 1800 AJ
Lot 856. Photo opens our auction lot.

Extremely rare, PCGS AU 53. Only 646 pieces are reported struck, and our cataloging identified just two auction examples in recent decades, this coin and the Caballero de las Yndias example, each certified AU 53 by a different grading service. The strike is notably sharp, with complete rims and attractive luster.

This is the sort of coin that demands attention from collectors of Chilean gold by date, not simply by major type.

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Lot 857. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Charles IV, 1806 FJ/JF

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 857, Chile, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Charles IV, 1806 FJ/JF
Lot 857. Photo opens our auction lot.

Extremely rare, PCGS VF 30, sole example in the PCGS census at cataloging. The over-assayer FJ/JF is the feature to study here. For a specialist, a scarce assayer correction on a denomination already difficult to collect can be as interesting as a low-mintage date.

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Lot 859. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Ferdinand VII, 1817 FJ, bust of Charles IV

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 859, Chile, Santiago gold bust 4 escudos, Ferdinand VII, 1817 FJ, bust of Charles IV
Lot 859. Photo opens our auction lot.

Extremely rare, NGC AU 50, ex Norweb. Only five or six examples were reported known in our catalog, with this piece the finest graded at either NGC or PCGS at the time. Rich gold and delicate reddish toning, full rims, strong date and peripheral details; the centers are only moderately soft.

The nominal 1817 mintage is recorded as only 68, although production reportedly continued under the Republic with the colonial date and design retained. Provenance: Norweb Collection, Spink America, March 1997, lot 169. One of the clearest highlights of the offering.

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Lot 860. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 2 escudos, Ferdinand VI, 1758 J, bust of Philip V

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 860, Chile, Santiago gold bust 2 escudos, Ferdinand VI, 1758 J, bust of Philip V
Lot 860. Photo opens our auction lot.

One of three known. Extremely rare, NGC AU 53, ex Segarra, and illustrated in the Krause-Mishler references. The only date of this denomination under Ferdinand VI was struck using the portrait of Philip V, an extraordinary holdover from the previous reign. The recorded mintage is just 443 pieces.

The other two known specimens are the impaired Norweb example and the Medina specimen now held by Banco de Chile. Our coin is the best-preserved of the three and, in practical terms, the only unimpaired example currently available to private collectors. Deep red toning over luster, light high-point wear and a slightly off-center strike. Provenance: Fernando Segarra Collection, with an extensive auction history beginning with Superior, December 1990, where it appeared on the catalog cover.

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Lot 861. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 2 escudos, Charles III, 1777/6 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 861, Chile, Santiago gold bust 2 escudos, Charles III, 1777/6 DA
Lot 861. Photo opens our auction lot.

Very rare, PCGS VF 20. Both the overdate and the date are unlisted in the standard references cited in our catalog. Bright luster for the grade, a broad flan and a bold 7 over 6. We have seen only one other example in recent decades. An important unlisted variety, irrespective of numerical grade.

The PCGS insert identifies the denomination as 2 reales in error; the coin is gold 2 escudos.

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Lot 862. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 2 escudos, Charles IV transitional, 1789 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 862, Chile, Santiago gold bust 2 escudos, Charles IV transitional, 1789 DA
Lot 862. Photo opens our auction lot.

Very rare, NGC VF 30. The transitional coinage carries the portrait of Charles III but the ordinal IV of Charles IV. On a broad, well-centered flan with complete rims and even circulation, from a reported mintage of 1,632. Our catalog recorded just two NGC examples and none at PCGS.

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Lot 864. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 2 escudos, Charles IV, 1807 FJ, bust of Charles III

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 864, Chile, Santiago gold bust 2 escudos, Charles IV, 1807 FJ, bust of Charles III
Lot 864. Photo opens our auction lot.

Extremely rare, PCGS AU 55, the only example in its PCGS census at cataloging, with none at NGC. Just 340 pieces were reportedly struck. We also found no recent auction appearances. A very choice strike, complete rims, excellent luster and lovely yellow gold make this an especially impressive survival for the date.

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Lot 866. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 1 escudo, Charles III, 1779 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 866, Chile, Santiago gold bust 1 escudo, Charles III, 1779 DA
Lot 866. Photo opens our auction lot.

Rare, NGC MS 62, tied for finest in the NGC census at cataloging. Brilliant pale yellow gold with complete rims and sharply preserved detail, including a repunched final 9 in the date. The reported mintage was 6,324, and only two examples were then listed by NGC, both at MS 62.

Provenance: Ira and Larry Goldberg, May 2007, lot 4252.

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Lot 867. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 1 escudo, Charles III, 1783/2 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 867, Chile, Santiago gold bust 1 escudo, Charles III, 1783/2 DA
Lot 867. Photo opens our auction lot.

Very rare, PCGS XF 45, sole example in the PCGS census at cataloging. A specialist overdate of the smaller Chilean gold denomination, showing the same appeal that makes the larger escudos so collectible: scarce dies, limited surviving populations and a relatively short production history.

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Lot 868. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 1 escudo, Charles III, 1784/3 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 868, Chile, Santiago gold bust 1 escudo, Charles III, 1784/3 DA
Lot 868. Photo opens our auction lot.

Very rare, NGC XF 45, ex Caballero de las Yndias. Bold overdate, rich gold with pleasing luster and rims; we thought the coin close to AU. Reported mintage 3,264. It was far superior to the only other piece listed at NGC at cataloging, graded F 12, with none at PCGS.

Provenance: Caballero de las Yndias Collection, Áureo & Calicó, April 2009, lot 60.

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Lot 871. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 1 escudo, Charles IV, 1801 AJ

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 871, Chile, Santiago gold bust 1 escudo, Charles IV, 1801 AJ
Lot 871. Photo opens our auction lot.

Extremely rare, NGC VF 30, ex Norweb. A low reported mintage of 1,088 and no auction appearances we could locate in the decades since the 1997 Norweb sale. Full rims, surprisingly bold portrait for the grade, aged yellow gold and only moderate wear.

Unlike the larger 8 and 2 escudos of the period, which retained Charles III’s portrait, this smaller gold piece displays the proper portrait of Charles IV. Provenance: Norweb Collection, Spink America, March 1997, lot 128.

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Lot 872. CHILE, Santiago gold bust 1 escudo, Charles IV, 1808 FJ

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 872, Chile, Santiago gold bust 1 escudo, Charles IV, 1808 FJ
Lot 872. Photo opens our auction lot.

Rare, PCGS AU 55, the finest numerically graded example in its PCGS census at cataloging. Last year of the type, reportedly just 2,448 pieces. Remarkably brilliant, with full rims, virtually no wear, a typically soft portrait and reverse adjustment marks. A strong specimen for a date and denomination not often seen so fresh.

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The silver and republican connection

Lot 890. CHILE, Santiago silver bust 8 reales, Charles IV, 1799 DA

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 890, Chile, Santiago silver bust 8 reales, Charles IV, 1799 DA
Lot 890. Photo opens our auction lot.

NGC AU 58, tied for finest in the NGC census at cataloging. Deep rainbow toning over strong luster and a well-detailed strike with nearly complete rims. A handsome example of the late colonial silver that circulated alongside these gold issues, and a good illustration of how much harder choice preservation can be than the simple mintage suggests.

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Lot 912. CHILE, Santiago silver volcano peso, 1817 FJ

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 912, Chile, Santiago silver volcano peso, 1817 FJ
Lot 912. Photo opens our auction lot.

PCGS MS 62. The first year of independent Chilean coinage bears the new republic’s erupting volcano motif, in marked contrast to the royal portraits of the colonial period. This is an unusually appealing Mint State example, with fine light rainbow toning over luster, clean surfaces and only the slightly irregular rims typical of manufacture.

The “volcano” peso is among the most emblematic silver types of independent Spanish America, and this first-date example belongs in any serious survey of Chilean numismatics.

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Lot 916. CHILE, La Serena countermarked 4 reales, 1833, on Argentina 1815 F host coin

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 916, Chile, La Serena countermarked 4 reales, 1833, on Argentina 1815 F host coin
Lot 916. Photo opens our auction lot.

Extremely rare, ex Virgil Brand. NGC FR 2 on the host coin, with a VF countermark. The official La Serena volcano-over-SER. punch, applied in 1833 to an 1815 F Potosí four reales of the Argentine River Plate Provinces, is among the great rarities of South American countermarked coinage.

A decree of March 29, 1833 authorized six Chilean Treasury offices to validate certain earlier River Plate issues. Our catalog records just six genuine SER. countermarks across all denominations, including only three on four reales. The host is worn, but the stamp is deeply impressed and complete. Provenance: Virgil Brand Collection, Schulman, November 1964, lot 3740. The host is properly four reales, not four soles as stated in the NGC label.

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Lot 917. CHILE, Santiago republican gold 8 escudos, 1843/2 IJ, reeded edge

Sedwick Auction 40 Lot 917, Chile, Santiago republican gold 8 escudos, 1843/2 IJ, reeded edge
Lot 917. Photo opens our auction lot.

NGC AU details (edge filing), ex Norweb. We include this republican gold piece as a fitting continuation of the colonial series, with a bold 1843/2 overdate and rich red toning over luster. The edge filing cited by NGC was not apparent to us and had not been mentioned in the original Norweb catalog.

Provenance: Norweb Collection, Spink America, March 1997, lot 219. A useful bridge between the colonial bust gold of Santiago and Chile’s independent gold issues.

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Why this group deserves attention

For us the most compelling feature is the combination of rarity and documentation. The Segarra 1758 J is a true three-known rarity, not merely a sparse grading-population coin. Norweb brings documented ownership reaching back to the 1997 dispersal, while the Val y Mexía coins add a coherent run of gold and silver that can be compared across reigns, denominations and varieties. The lesser denominations, especially the four- and two-escudos issues, are a particular opportunity for the serious Chilean specialist.

Beyond the gold, the 1817 volcano peso records Chile’s deliberate break from royal imagery, and the 1833 La Serena countermark shows how the young republic regulated circulating foreign silver. Taken together, the coins tell a much broader story than a list of impressive grades or dates.


Auction information

Sedwick & Associates, LLC
Treasure, World Coin & Paper Money Auction 40

Dates: November 5 to 7, 2026
Chilean coins featured here: Session 4, Ancient & World Coins by Country
Session 4 begins: Friday, November 6, 2026, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time
Buyer’s premium: 22% added to the hammer price, plus any applicable taxes or charges
Registration: New bidders are asked to register at least 72 hours in advance so references can be verified.

Our Auction 40 comprises nearly 1,950 lots in six sessions, including treasure and shipwreck material, colonial cobs, world coins, medals and paper money. Lot pages on auction.sedwickcoins.com are the definitive source for current terms, estimates, corrections, images and live bidding.

Sedwick & Associates, LLC
P.O. Box 1964, Winter Park, Florida 32790, USA
Telephone: +1 407 975 3325

Browse Session 4 and bid directly at Sedwick

Further historical reading: Casa de Moneda de Chile, History and Museo Numismático, Chilean monetary history.

Odd Shapes, Real Minting Evidence: A Special Collection of Mexican Cobs in Auction 40

29 Oct

One of the more unusual collections in our Treasure, World Coin & Paper Money Auction 40 asks us to look at Mexican cobs in a slightly different way. Normally we begin with the date, assayer, mintmark, shield, cross and other elements impressed by the dies. With these coins, however, the first thing that attracts our attention is the silver itself.

The Special Collection of Odd Shaped Mexican Cobs consists of 67 pieces assembled over more than fifteen years for the extraordinary forms of their planchets. The collection ranges from the 1/2 real through the 8 reales denomination and focuses mainly on Mexico City issues of Charles II and Philip V.

Some are long and narrow. Others terminate in knobs, points or sweeping projections. Several have natural bubble holes or voids in the silver. In a few exceptional cases the resulting shapes happen to resemble recognizable animals or objects.

These forms are much more than curiosities. They preserve direct evidence of the process by which the silver was prepared before striking.

Daniel Frank Sedwick discussed this subject in “Straps for Cash”, originally published in our Treasure Auction 7 catalog. The evidence indicates that silver for cob coinage was prepared in relatively flat strips or straps known as rieles. Molten silver spread irregularly as it cooled, and individual blanks were then separated and adjusted according to weight.

The natural sides and ends of the original strip could therefore survive into the finished coin. Straight cuts, hammered points, natural curves, indentations and bubble holes can all tell us something about the preparation of the planchet before it was placed between the dies.

This also helps explain the traditional expression cabo de barra, particularly appropriate for certain terminal pieces that appear to have come from the end of a silver strap.

The collection was also recently discussed by the 1715 Fleet Society, following its October 2026 Treasure of the Month feature highlighting two Fleet related pieces from the group.

As explained in our catalog introduction, the collection was organized using a shape classification from S1 through S4. The collector also assigned descriptive names to many individual pieces. We retain those names below only where they belong, alongside the collector’s original tag designation.

Here are some of the pieces we find particularly memorable.

Lot 584. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, 1701 (L), posthumous Charles II

Lot 584 Mexico City cob 8 reales 1701 posthumous Charles II
Lot 584. Click image to view the auction lot.

This coin is unusual even before its shape enters the discussion. The bold full 701 is surely one of the clearest examples of the posthumous 1701 issue we have encountered. The mintmark is also full, while the assayer is off the flan because of the extreme curvature of the planchet.

The irregular outline is long, curved and pointed at the ends. Despite the shape, the coin retains a full shield and cross, with particularly well detailed castles.

With collector tag M S3 39 (“New Jersey”). Pedigreed to the Plvs Vltra Collection, Soler y Llach auction of October 2021, lot 1381, acquired from J. A. Herrero in July 1991.

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Lot 585. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Charles II, assayer L

Lot 585 Mexico City cob 8 reales Charles II assayer L
Lot 585. Click image to view the auction lot.

At 26.94 grams, this coin is recognizable immediately because of the long curved projection extending from one end. The central body is worn, with peripheral flatness, but portions of both shield and cross remain visible and the surfaces are attractively toned.

The Louis Hudson pedigree is particularly appropriate, as Hudson was known for collecting cobs whose natural or altered shapes suggested animals.

With collector tag M S4 23 (“Silver Cat”). Pedigreed to the Louis Hudson Collection.

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Lot 586. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Charles II, assayer L

Lot 586 Mexico City cob 8 reales Charles II assayer L
Lot 586. Click image to view the auction lot.

This 26.54 gram coin has a narrow barrel shaped body from which an exceptionally long projection extends at one end. The mintmark and assayer are bold and complete, most of the cross remains present and the king’s ordinal appears outside the shield.

The projection makes this one of the clearest pieces for visualizing just how irregular the original silver could be before striking.

With collector tag M S4 15 (“Rhino”). Pedigreed to the Richard A. Long auction of August 1984.

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Lot 589. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Charles II, assayer L, with Guatemala countermark

Lot 589 Mexico City Charles II 8 reales Guatemala countermark
Lot 589. Click image to view the auction lot.

Here the original irregular planchet is only the beginning of the story. The coin later received a Guatemala sun over mountains countermark, giving us two separate stages in the life of the same piece of silver.

The odd outline belongs to its manufacture at Mexico City. The later countermark records its continued monetary use generations afterward.

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Lot 591. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Charles II, assayer not visible

Lot 591 Mexico City Charles II cob 8 reales bird profile
Lot 591. Click image to view the auction lot.

This is one of the great character cobs of the collection. The 27.46 gram coin naturally forms the profile of a bird or parrot, with a pronounced curved beak at one end and an erect tail at the other.

More important, the coin remains full weight. The profile was not created later by cutting away silver. The principal later modification is the remarkably well placed piercing where the bird’s eye would appear.

The coin was formerly in the Louis Hudson Collection and was illustrated in The Practical Book of Cobs.

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Lot 592. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Charles II, ex 1715 Fleet

Lot 592 Mexico City Charles II cob 8 reales 1715 Fleet
Lot 592. Click image to view the auction lot.

The 1715 Fleet Society recently selected this coin for its October Treasure of the Month feature. It weighs 23.11 grams and combines a highly unusual natural planchet with an important shipwreck pedigree.

The cross is choice, much of the shield remains visible and the obverse shows only light surface corrosion.

With collector tag M S4 20 (“Snail”). From the 1715 Fleet, John Bamberg division, and pedigreed to Sedwick Auction 9, lot 818.

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Lot 593. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Charles II, assayer not visible

Lot 593 Mexico City Charles II elongated cob 8 reales
Lot 593. Click image to view the auction lot.

At 27.59 grams this is essentially a full weight coin, yet the planchet stretches into an exceptionally long natural curve. Most of the shield and cross are visible, together with a bold cross pattée in the surrounding legend.

We described it in the catalog as definitely one of the most dramatic shapes in the collection, and we see no reason to change that assessment.

With collector tag M S4 19 (“Worm”).

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Lot 601. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Charles II, with Guatemala countermark

Lot 601 Mexico City Charles II cob 8 reales Guatemala countermark
Lot 601. Click image to view the auction lot.

This full weight 27.16 gram coin possesses a long, thick projection extending from its otherwise squarish body. A crude old hole occupies one corner while the later Guatemala sun over mountains countermark is strongly impressed.

The original planchet, subsequent piercing and later countermark make this a particularly good example of the several different histories that can accumulate on one cob.

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Lot 607. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Charles II, assayer not visible

Lot 607 Mexico City Charles II cob 8 reales elongated planchet
Lot 607. Click image to view the auction lot.

The basic shape is a long rectangle, but a pronounced lateral projection interrupts one side. At 24.71 grams, the coin retains most of its cross and roughly half of the shield.

With collector tag M S4 07 (“Cowboy Boot”).

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Lot 608. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Charles II, with Guatemala countermark

Lot 608 Mexico City Charles II cob 8 reales Guatemala countermark
Lot 608. Click image to view the auction lot.

This 24.50 gram cob is long and slightly rectangular, with curving sides, a projection at one end and an old piercing opposite it.

The Guatemala sun over mountains countermark is especially bold, impressed into a flat peripheral area beside the cross.

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Lot 620. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Philip V, style of 1712 to 1714

Lot 620 Mexico City Philip V cob 8 reales
Lot 620. Click image to view the auction lot.

This 27.15 gram piece is particularly useful when considering the old term cabo de barra. Three sides are naturally rounded while the remaining side is comparatively straight, suggesting a terminal portion separated from a longer strap of silver.

The shield is nearly full, the cross is weaker and the denomination 8 is visible.

With collector tag M S2 41 (“Powder Flask”).

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Lot 628. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, 1729 R

Lot 628 Mexico City 1729 R cob 8 reales natural bubble pit
Lot 628. Click image to view the auction lot.

Not every important irregularity in the collection occurs at the edge. This 26.79 gram coin has a large natural depression in the center of the shield side.

Most of the crown is present, the mintmark and assayer are clear and the cross is full with a sunken center. The piece demonstrates that irregularities created during cooling could remain inside the body of the finished blank as well as around its perimeter.

With collector tag, including the collector name “Moon Step.”

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Lot 631. Mexico City, cob 8 reales, Philip V, style of 1714 to 1733

Lot 631 Mexico City Philip V cob 8 reales natural void
Lot 631. Click image to view the auction lot.

This 26.30 gram cob contains a narrow double bubble void near the edge. The feature is natural and represents another surviving defect from the original silver blank.

The surfaces are comparatively high grade even though the strike itself is weak.

With collector tag, including the collector name “Donatello.”

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Lot 642. Mexico City, cob 4 reales, Philip V, style of 1705 to 1712, ex 1715 Fleet

Lot 642 Mexico City Philip V cob 4 reales 1715 Fleet
Lot 642. Click image to view the auction lot.

This is one of the most historically interesting coins in the collection. The narrow, curving 12.90 gram planchet still carries a good full cross and much of the shield.

The coin was recovered from the 1715 Fleet and comes from Lou Ullian, one of the original Real Eight Company members. Its reported association with Ullian’s famous forty pound clump gives it a direct connection with the early history of modern Fleet salvage.

With collector tag, including the collector name “Cardinal.” Ex 1715 Fleet and ex Lou Ullian.

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Lot 643. Mexico City, cob 4 reales, Philip V, style of 1712 to 1714

Lot 643 Mexico City Philip V cob 4 reales unusual curved planchet
Lot 643. Click image to view the auction lot.

This 10.91 gram 4 reales forms a broad curve terminating in a flat ended projection. The coin retains most of its shield and cross and shows that the same irregular planchet preparation found among the 8 reales also affected smaller denominations.

With collector tag M S3 57 (“Little Penguin”).

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Lot 644. Mexico City, cob 2 reales, Charles II, assayer not visible

Lot 644 Mexico City Charles II cob 2 reales long curved projection
Lot 644. Click image to view the auction lot.

At only 5.30 grams this is one of the smallest pieces selected here, yet its long curved projection is one of the most dramatic.

The coin is heavily worn, with an old piercing at the opposite end and small notches near the tip of the extension. Whatever use it may have seen after leaving the mint, the underlying form remains another striking example of the variety possible among Mexican cob planchets.

With collector tag M S4 59 (“Sailor’s Toothpick”). Pedigreed to the Isaac Rudman Collection.

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Reading the Silver

It is easy to enjoy these pieces simply for the accidental forms created by their unusual outlines. We do too. But the real value of the collection becomes apparent when the shapes are treated as evidence.

A straight edge can represent a cut. A broad rounded edge can preserve part of the natural side of the original silver strap. A pointed or hammered end can show adjustment toward the proper weight. Bubble holes and pits record imperfections that developed before striking.

Other histories were added later. Some coins crossed the Atlantic and disappeared in shipwrecks. Some were pierced. Others received countermarks after decades or even more than a century of circulation.

That combination is what makes this collection particularly interesting to us. The dies tell us what the mint intended to place on the coin. The planchets tell us how the mint actually made it.

For this collection, we look first at the silver.


Auction Information

Sedwick & Associates Treasure, World Coin & Paper Money Auction 40

Auction dates: November 5 through 7, 2026
Location: Winter Park, Florida
Total sale: Nearly 1,950 lots offered across six sessions
Buyer’s premium: 22 percent

The Special Collection of Odd Shaped Mexican Cobs is offered in Session 3, Cobs of Mexico, Lima & Potosí, beginning Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM Eastern Time.

The pieces discussed above represent only a selection of the collection. We encourage collectors to browse the complete group in the Auction 40 catalog, where the unusual planchets can be compared across denominations, periods and individual minting characteristics.

New bidders should register in advance. Our auction terms request that new bidders register at least 72 hours before the auction so references and bidding approval can be completed when necessary.

A buyer’s premium of 22 percent is added to the winning bid. The online auction listing remains the definitive source for descriptions, corrections, bidding status and any updates made before the lots are sold.

Sedwick & Associates, LLC
P.O. Box 1964
Winter Park, Florida 32790
United States
407 975 3325

Browse Treasure, World Coin & Paper Money Auction 40 and bid online

Further Reading

Daniel Frank Sedwick, “Straps for Cash”
1715 Fleet Society, October 2026 Treasure of the Month
1715 Fleet Society, “Special Collection of Odd Shaped Mexican Cobs”

Colombia en Sedwick Auction 40: variedades, rarezas y billetes que merecen una mirada más cercana

28 Oct

La sección colombiana de Treasure, World Coin & Paper Money Auction 40 ofrece mucho más que una selección de monedas de alto valor. Entre los lotes aparecen patrones experimentales, variedades de cuño, emisiones escasas de Bogotá, Medellín y Popayán, además de algunos de los billetes privados y regionales más interesantes del período republicano.

La selección que sigue no pretende reunir simplemente las piezas más caras. El criterio es numismático: variedades, rareza, contexto histórico, características de fabricación y piezas capaces de explicar momentos concretos de la evolución monetaria colombiana.

Lote 977: Cartagena, 4 reales de imitación con fecha fantástica I88

Una de las áreas más complejas de la numismática colombiana de la Independencia son las llamadas emisiones de imitación de Cartagena.

Colombia Cartagena imitation cob 4 reales Ferdinand VII fantasy date I88 Sedwick Auction 40 lot 977

Lote 977. Cartagena, 4 reales de imitación. Fotografía: Sedwick & Associates, LLC.

Esta pieza de 4 reales lleva una fecha fantástica I88 y fue producida aproximadamente hacia 1815. Está catalogada como Restrepo 119.1 y presenta los cuadrantes de la cruz transpuestos.

Sedwick señala aproximadamente cinco ejemplares conocidos de esta variedad. Este ejemplar está certificado NGC VF 30 y aparece como el mejor graduado en el censo de NGC, aunque allí figura atribuido erróneamente a Barinas Caujaral, Venezuela.

Precisamente esa dificultad de atribución demuestra lo compleja que sigue siendo esta serie. Para el especialista, el interés está tanto en la rareza como en los errores, reutilizaciones y combinaciones de cuños que caracterizan las emisiones de los años de independencia.

Estimación: USD 4.000 a 8.000.

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Lote 1029: el patrón de ¼ real de 1825, una pieza única

Uno de los lotes más importantes de Colombia desde el punto de vista histórico es este patrón de cobre de ¼ real fechado en 1825.

Colombia copper pattern quarter real 1825 Sedwick Auction 40 lot 1029

Lote 1029. Patrón colombiano de ¼ real de 1825. Fotografía: Sedwick & Associates, LLC.

La moneda no está listada en Restrepo ni en KM y Sedwick la describe como única. NGC la certificó UNC Details por daño ambiental.

Su importancia va mucho más allá de la conservación. Una ley aprobada el 31 de mayo de 1823 había contemplado monedas menores de cobre con el busto de la Libertad, la inscripción REPUBLICA DE COLOMBIA y el valor dentro de una corona de laurel.

El proyecto fue derogado en marzo de 1826 antes de que comenzara una producción normal. Sin embargo, sobrevivieron patrones fechados en 1825.

Sedwick ya había ofrecido el ejemplar conocido de ⅛ real. Ahora aparece el ¼ real, también considerado único.

Es una pieza extraordinariamente importante para entender los primeros intentos de crear una identidad monetaria propia para la República de Colombia.

Estimación: USD 6.000 a 12.000.

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Lote 1035: Bogotá 1842 sobre 1841

No todas las variedades interesantes tienen que alcanzar estimaciones de cinco cifras.

Este 8 reales de Bogotá de 1842 sobre 1841, Restrepo 194.6 y KM 98, presenta una sobrefecha claramente visible.

Las sobrefechas son especialmente atractivas porque documentan directamente la reutilización de cuños dentro de la ceca. En lugar de limitarse al año o al tipo general, permiten estudiar cómo trabajaban los talleres monetarios y cómo se extendía la vida útil de los troqueles.

Con una estimación relativamente accesible, es una de esas piezas que demuestran que una variedad puede ser numismáticamente más interesante que monedas considerablemente más caras.

Estimación: USD 350 a 500.

Buscar lote 1035 en la sesión

Lote 1057: Popayán 1870, 10 pesos con estrellas repunzadas

Entre las grandes monedas de oro colombianas de la subasta, esta pieza merece atención no solamente por su rareza sino por sus características de cuño.

Colombia Popayan gold 10 pesos 1870 repunched stars NGC MS 62 Sedwick Auction 40 lot 1057

Lote 1057. Popayán, 10 pesos de 1870. Fotografía: Sedwick & Associates, LLC.

Se trata de los 10 pesos de Popayán de 1870, Restrepo 332.8, Sedwick 40, KM 141.3 y Fr 103.

NGC la certificó MS 62.

Sedwick registra solamente cinco ejemplares conocidos y considera este el mejor de ellos. También es el único ejemplar actualmente registrado en el censo de NGC.

La variedad se reconoce, entre otros detalles, por las estrellas repunzadas y una prominente ruptura de cuño junto a la U de UNIDOS. Esos elementos coinciden con los demás ejemplares conocidos y ayudan a reconstruir la relación entre los troqueles empleados para la emisión.

Frank Sedwick clasificó la fecha como RRRR. Además, 1870 fue el último año del tipo de 10 pesos de Popayán.

Estimación: USD 20.000 a 30.000.

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Las variedades de Medellín que pueden pasar desapercibidas

La sesión Express ofrece una oportunidad diferente para el coleccionista de variedades.

Los 5 décimos de Medellín de la década de 1870 permiten comparar cambios de busto, leyendas, valores y repunzados sin entrar necesariamente en los niveles de precio de las grandes rarezas.

Entre ellos aparecen el 1873 con efigie clásica, el 1873 con punto dentro de la D de ESTADOS, variantes de 1874 con busto de Barré, ley invertida, 12,500 repunzado, además del 1874 sobre 4 y el 1875 sobre 4.

Son exactamente el tipo de monedas que recompensan al coleccionista dispuesto a estudiar los cuños en lugar de mirar únicamente la cifra de la estimación.

Ver las variedades de Medellín


Papel moneda colombiano: mucho más que los grandes bancos nacionales

El papel moneda colombiano de Auction 40 constituye una sección especialmente fuerte.

Aquí encontramos pruebas, billetes privados, emisiones regionales y dinero local asociado a algunos de los períodos más complejos de la historia monetaria del país.

Lote 1475: prueba única de 50 pesos del Banco de Colombia

Banco de Colombia proof 50 pesos 1875 PMG AU 53 Sedwick Auction 40 lot 1475

Lote 1475. Banco de Colombia, prueba de 50 pesos de 1875. Fotografía: Sedwick & Associates, LLC.

El lote 1475 es una prueba de 50 pesos del Banco de Colombia fechada el 1 de abril de 1875.

PMG la certificó AU 53 y es el único ejemplar actualmente registrado en su censo. Está sin listar en Pick y corresponde a DP 6723p.

Fue impresa por Paredes de Bogotá y presenta una importante viñeta del cóndor andino dentro de una representación de las armas de Colombia.

El contraste entre los sellos rojos, el papel azul y el diseño negro convierte la pieza en uno de los billetes visualmente más atractivos de la sección.

Sedwick señala además que no se conocía ningún ejemplar en la colección Eldorado.

Procedencia: J. Cuartas Collection.

Estimación: USD 9.000 a 13.500.

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Lote 1476: Banco de Bogotá, 10 pesos de 1875

El siguiente billete es igualmente importante.

Se trata de un Banco de Bogotá de 10 pesos fechado el 15 de febrero de 1875, serie C, número 2584.

Sedwick lo describe como único y PMG lo certificó Choice Fine 15.

El diseño fue producido por Perkins, Bacon & Co. de Londres. La impresión negra está acompañada por medallones rojos de denominación y un reverso de elaborada ornamentación.

La pieza aparece ilustrada en el Compendio Histórico del Papel Moneda en Colombia de Danilo Parra Ariza, lo que le añade un importante pedigree bibliográfico.

Estimación: USD 7.500 a 15.000.

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Lote 1480: Agencia Bancaria de Medellín, 50 pesos de 1898

Una de las piezas más importantes para el estudio de la banca regional colombiana es este billete de 50 pesos de la Agencia Bancaria de Medellín, fechado el 29 de marzo de 1898 y numerado 79.

Está descrito como el único ejemplar conocido y el único registrado por PMG, donde recibió la calificación VF 30.

Además, es el ejemplar ilustrado en la página 393 del Compendio Histórico del Papel Moneda en Colombia.

Numerosos sellos bancarios y gubernamentales aparecen sobre ambas caras. El resultado es prácticamente un documento de circulación monetaria y administrativa.

Estimación: USD 2.500 a 3.750.

Ver lote 1480

Lote 1482: Banco del Progreso de Medellín, 20 pesos de 1898

Otro billete que merece especial atención es este 20 pesos del Banco del Progreso de Medellín, fechado el 29 de marzo de 1898.

No está listado en DP ni en Pick.

PMG lo certificó Fine 12 y es actualmente el único ejemplar registrado.

A diferencia de una prueba o specimen conservado desde su impresión, este billete circuló intensamente. Precisamente por ello es una pieza históricamente importante: representa una emisión real que sobrevivió al uso cotidiano y que durante mucho tiempo permaneció prácticamente indocumentada.

Procedencia: J. Cuartas Collection.

Estimación: USD 1.000 a 1.500.

Ver lote 1482

Lote 1486: Hacienda Entre Rios, 10 centavos durante la Guerra de los Mil Días

Una de las piezas más interesantes de toda la subasta desde el punto de vista histórico no procede de un gran banco.

Colombia Hacienda Entre Rios 10 centavos 1900 Sedwick Auction 40 lot 1486

Lote 1486. Hacienda Entre Rios, 10 centavos de 1900. Fotografía: Sedwick & Associates, LLC.

Es una emisión de Hacienda Entre Rios por 10 centavos, fechada el 28 de abril de 1900.

Fue impresa por Eugenio Pardo de Bogotá durante la alteración monetaria producida por la Guerra de los Mil Días.

Está sin listar en Pick y DP y Sedwick la describe como única.

El ejemplar está numerado 0162 y conserva el tipo de impresión ornamental y las firmas de una emisión monetaria local concebida para responder a una situación económica extraordinaria.

Su procedencia también es importante: perteneció a la colección Money of the People de Neil Shafer.

Este tipo de billete permite estudiar una dimensión de la historia monetaria colombiana que las grandes emisiones nacionales no muestran. Cuando el sistema monetario regular se interrumpe, haciendas, comercios y entidades regionales pueden terminar creando sus propios instrumentos de pago.

Estimación: USD 3.500 a 5.000.

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Una subasta para estudiar, no solamente para comprar

La selección colombiana de Auction 40 demuestra por qué una colección seria no tiene que construirse únicamente alrededor de las monedas con las mayores estimaciones.

El patrón de ¼ real de 1825 documenta uno de los primeros proyectos monetarios de la República. Las imitaciones de Cartagena reflejan la complejidad de los años de independencia. Las sobrefechas, repunzados y cambios de busto permiten reconstruir prácticas concretas dentro de las cecas.

En el papel moneda ocurre algo similar. Las pruebas de los grandes bancos conviven con emisiones regionales y dinero local que sobrevivió en cantidades mínimas.

En algunos casos conocemos un solo ejemplar.

Esa combinación de variedades, rareza, contexto histórico y diversidad monetaria convierte a Colombia en una de las secciones más interesantes de Treasure, World Coin & Paper Money Auction 40.

Sedwick & Associates, LLC
Treasure, World Coin & Paper Money Auction 40

5 al 7 de noviembre de 2026

Monedas antiguas y mundiales: 6 de noviembre.
Medallas y papel moneda mundial: 6 de noviembre.
Sesión Express: 7 de noviembre.

Ver el catálogo completo de Auction 40

Sedwick Auction 40: Shipwreck Gold, Mexican Cobs and the Rarities of Chile and Colombia

25 Oct

Scheduled for November 5 to 7, 2026, Sedwick & Associates’ Treasure, World Coin and Paper Money Auction 40 brings together nearly 1,950 cataloged lots across six sessions. More than 500 shipwreck coins sit within a broader offering of gold and silver ingots, colonial and republican coinage, historical objects, medals and paper money. The scale matters because it allows collectors to examine connected series as well as individual rarities: dates beside varieties, certified pieces beside uncertified examples, and famous pedigrees beside coins appearing with less familiar histories.

Explore the highlights

  1. Gold cobs: High grades and distinguished pedigrees
  2. Treasure fleet ingots: gold, silver and the marks of colonial commerce
  3. The Special Collection of Odd Shaped Mexican Cobs
  4. The first Mexican machine struck gold of 1732
  5. Chilean gold with exceptional pedigrees
  6. Chilean silver through independence and monetary change
  7. Chilean banknotes from provincial issues to fiscal emission
  8. Colombian gold from royal portraits to republican rarities
  9. Colombian experiments, patterns and scarce silver
  10. Colombian paper money and the institutions behind it
  11. Landmark silver from the earliest colonial mints to Lima’s Royals

Auction schedule and catalog access

1. Gold cobs: maritime survival and distinguished pedigrees

A Royal was a specially prepared issue whose broad, carefully shaped flan allowed the design a completeness rarely possible on an ordinary cob. That distinction is central to the 1714 Mexican eight escudos, but the opening gold selection also shows how rarity can develop through a different route. The Lima 1709 four escudos remained absent from standard references for generations, while the Bogotá 1753 eight escudos became a repeatedly illustrated reference specimen. Manufacture, recovery and publication each provide a reason to study these coins beyond their grades.

Lot 21: Mexico City 1714 J Royal gold 8 escudos

Lot 21: Mexico City 1714 J Royal gold 8 escudos
Lot 21. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC MS 65
Estimate: $200,000 to $400,000 USD

The extraordinary feature of this Royal is how much of the intended design remains visible. The round flan accommodates the complete legends, distinctive ornaments and strong central devices, with rich color and bright mint luster. Sedwick reports ten known examples of the 1714 date and identifies this as only the third distinct specimen offered publicly. The catalog finds no wear or shipwreck damage, although minor doubling and localized weakness remain part of the strike. Its 1715 Fleet provenance supplies the maritime connection; its dies provide a further line of inquiry. Those dies also appear on irregular and intermediate flans, making this coin a valuable reference for studying the relationship between Royals and ordinary Mexico City production.

Lot 37: Lima 1709 M gold 4 escudos

Lot 37: Lima 1709 M gold 4 escudos
Lot 37. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC MS 63
Estimate: $25,000 to $50,000 USD

The final 9 descends into the waves, a small detail that has sometimes caused this rare date to be read as 1700. The visible assayer M helps resolve the attribution. Sedwick traces four examples, two in the State of Florida Collection, and records this lustrous McGregor specimen as the highest graded in the NGC census. All four share the same pillars die, an unusually close connection within such a small surviving group. Dr. Frank Sedwick brought the previously unlisted date to scholarly attention in 1988. With its 1715 Fleet origin, June 1998 Stack’s pedigree and well preserved pillars and cross, the coin combines a documented recovery with a particularly instructive history of identification.

Lot 39: Bogotá 1753 gold cob 8 escudos

Lot 39: Bogotá 1753 gold cob 8 escudos
Lot 39. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC AU 55
Estimate: $50,000 to $100,000 USD

Its nearly circular flan and unusually complete shield give this Bogotá eight escudos an immediate visual distinction. The deeper attraction is its documented identity. The coin appeared in the Lonja del Almidón sale in Madrid on March 30, 1936, and became a plate coin in Calicó’s 1953 study of Bogotá. Later specialists repeatedly selected the same specimen for illustration, including Ponterio and Pedraza, Tauler, Restrepo and Gutiérrez. The clear date, balanced cross and warm original color make those choices understandable. Sedwick describes a striking quality approaching a Royal while retaining the coin’s classification as a regular cob. The long sequence of photographs and published references makes this an especially rewarding object for collectors who value provenance as evidence.

2. Treasure fleet ingots: gold, silver and the marks of colonial commerce

The bullion carried aboard the Atocha and Santa Margarita in 1622 retained information that would disappear if the metal were melted again. Assay cavities, fineness marks, tax stamps and accounting numbers identify stages in the handling of precious metal before its intended arrival in Spain. Modern recovery adds another documented history. The three bars below allow a particularly useful comparison: incised information on a high fineness gold bar, multiple official stamps on another gold ingot, and a Potosí silver bar bearing a date, manifest number and distinctive series mark.

Lot 56: Atocha gold finger bar 13 from the Morse Collection

Lot 56: Atocha gold finger bar 13 from the Morse Collection, multiple views
Lot 56. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

684 grams with recorded fineness of 23.5K
Estimate: $75,000 to $150,000 USD

Recovered in 1982, this gold bar belongs to an early Atocha find and carries the J. M. Morse III pedigree. Its 684 grams and 23.5K fineness give it considerable intrinsic weight, but the markings are what distinguish it. Both the weight and fineness were incised into the surface. They were not applied with the ordinary tax and assay stamps found on many other bars. Modern testing supports the recorded fineness, and the old weight notation corresponds closely to the surviving mass. The absence of tax stamps has encouraged a possible Church association, which remains unproven. Coral traces, smooth casting surfaces and the original Fisher photographic certificate complete an unusually tangible record of bullion transport and modern recovery.

Lot 57: Santa Margarita gold finger bar 20

Lot 57: Santa Margarita gold finger bar 20, multiple views
Lot 57. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

546 grams with recorded fineness of 18K
Estimate: $60,000 to $120,000 USD

The Santa Margarita bar preserves a much fuller set of official marks than the Atocha gold bar. Its 18K fineness appears repeatedly, accompanied by royal tax stamps and a foundry or assayer cartouche. A cylindrical cavity at one end records the removal of metal for assay. The identity behind the cartouche remains uncertain, but the purpose of the testing and marking is visible in the object itself. This complete 546 gram ingot also belongs to the early recovery that established the wreck’s location. Its Fisher photographic certificate, 1980 expedition investor’s certificate and early salvage seal connect the colonial object to that episode of modern exploration. It is especially attractive as an intact bar with both administrative detail and recovery documentation.

Lot 67: Potosí silver bar 387 from the Atocha

Lot 67: Potosí silver bar 387 from the Atocha, multiple views
Lot 67. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

Dated 1621 with recorded fineness of 2360/2400
Estimate: $50,000 to $75,000 USD

A date, a fineness and a manifest number survive together on this substantial Potosí bar: 1621, 2360/2400 and 4627. Their clarity makes the ingot unusually informative. Tax stamps flank the characteristic assay cavity, while a bold letter A identifies a group that lacks the ordinary owner or shipper markings. Researchers have suggested that such bars represented payments to the Crown, although that explanation remains an interpretation. The bar’s original Fisher photographic certificate and J. M. Morse III pedigree provide a documented modern identity. Its appeal rests on the concentration of readable evidence: this is silver preserved at a stage when its purity, accounting and shipment mattered more than any denomination or monetary portrait.

3. The Special Collection of Odd Shaped Mexican Cobs

The 67 pieces in the Special Collection of Odd Shaped Mexican Cobs preserve the physical evidence of an expedient minting process. Daniel Frank Sedwick’s study of Mexican blanks describes silver poured into long straps, or rieles, then divided and hammered before striking. Uneven flowing edges, cuts and natural openings produced the extraordinary outlines seen here. Assembled over more than fifteen years, the collection extends from half reales to eight reales, principally under Charles II and Philip V. Its descriptive names make individual specimens memorable: the Worm follows a sinuous curve, the Keyhole surrounds an opening in the metal, and the Cardinal suggests a bird in profile. Dates, die varieties and recovery pedigrees give these striking silhouettes substantial numismatic depth.

Lot 593: Mexico City Charles II cob 8 reales known as the Worm

Lot 593: Mexican cob 8 reales known as the Worm
Lot 593. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

Fine as cataloged, uncertified
Estimate: $900 to $1,350 USD

The Worm stretches the familiar eight reales into an extraordinary, sinuous strip of silver. Its weight of 27.59 grams makes the point particularly well: the narrow, curving outline contains the substance of a substantial coin. Most of the shield and cross survive, with a prominent cross pattée in the surrounding legend and attractive toning across the surfaces. Sedwick assigns Fine for actual wear. The accompanying collector tag places it in the collection’s S4 class, reserved for its most dramatic or complex shapes, and the original tag from Sedwick Auction 13, lot 980, preserves an earlier auction appearance. Here the shape itself provides the strongest evidence to study, especially the relationship between the undulating edges and the portions of the design that the blank could receive.

Lot 629: Mexico City 1730 over 1729 R cob 8 reales known as the Keyhole

Lot 629: Mexican cob 8 reales known as the Keyhole
Lot 629. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

XF as cataloged, uncertified
Estimate: $500 to $1,000 USD

The Keyhole has a natural void large enough to dominate both faces, yet the thick flan still weighs 26.55 grams. Shield, cross, crown and mint details survive around the opening, accompanied by light toning and wear cataloged as XF. The date requires closer attention: Sedwick identifies 1730 over 1729 from the surviving lower portions of the numerals, with elements of 29 visible inside 30. It is only the second example of this overdate the firm has encountered, a statement of its experience rather than a complete population census. That detail gives the coin a second identity beyond its memorable outline. The central opening records the preparation of the silver blank; the overdate records the reuse of the die that struck it.

Lot 642: Mexico City Philip V cob 4 reales known as the Cardinal

Lot 642: Mexican cob 4 reales known as the Cardinal
Lot 642. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

VF+ as cataloged, uncertified
Estimate: $500 to $750 USD

A pointed crest, projecting beak and sweeping tail give the Cardinal its immediately recognizable profile. This Philip V four reales also has a documented place in the modern recovery of the 1715 Fleet: Sedwick traces it to Lou Ullian’s celebrated 40 pound clump, with Frank Noga recorded in its provenance in 2015. The narrow flan retains a full cross and much of the shield, with light toning and VF+ detail. Its attribution to approximately 1705 to 1712 rests on the style of the design; the assayer initial is not visible. The name describes the accidental resemblance of the outline to a bird. Its appeal lies in that particular combination of shape and history, a distinctive product of the Mexican mint preserved among the coins of a lost treasure fleet.

4. The first Mexican machine struck gold of 1732

The date 1732 marks a fundamental change at Mexico City. Banco de México records the introduction of the screw press that year, allowing round coins with a protective edge. Auction 40 presents the first year of Mexican machine struck gold through three exceptionally rare denominations: the 4 escudos, 2 escudos and 1 escudo of Philip V, each bearing assayer F. Offered individually, they combine closely comparable manufacture with distinct survival histories. The 4 escudos and 1 escudo were recovered from the 1733 Fleet, while the 2 escudos has a published identity in Calicó. All three stand at the head of their respective NGC censuses as reported in the catalog, with the 1 escudo sharing its highest grade with another specimen.

Lot 1205: Mexico City 1732 F gold 4 escudos

Lot 1205: Mexico City 1732 F gold 4 escudos
Lot 1205. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC MS 60, Shipwreck Blue Label
Estimate: $50,000 to $100,000 USD

Recovered by Geoff Zitver from the San Ignacio site of the 1733 Fleet, this 4 escudos carries the first year of Mexican machine struck gold into the history of maritime salvage. Its modern pedigree is unusually tangible: it appeared on both covers of Ponterio’s October 1993 catalog and later returned in Sedwick Auction 22, lot 144. Sharp portrait detail, extensive luster and nearly complete rims explain its prominence. The present catalog identifies it as the sole certified Mint State example known to the firm, graded NGC MS 60, and the highest in the NGC census. Sedwick has traced six specimens of the 1732 F issue. This survivor combines the inaugural date with an individually documented wreck recovery and exceptional preservation.

Lot 1206: Mexico City 1732 F gold 2 escudos

Lot 1206: Mexico City 1732 F gold 2 escudos
Lot 1206. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC AU 58
Estimate: $25,000 to $50,000 USD

The 2 escudos carries a published identity within the 1732 group, appearing as a rubbing on page 458 of Calicó’s 2008 Numismática española. Sedwick reports four confirmed examples and only three in the NGC census at cataloging, headed by this AU 58. Its broad planchet received complete rim detail, framing a forceful portrait of Philip V and substantial remaining luster. Close examination reveals slight wear or softness in the wig, together with faint marks in the fields around the portrait. The importance of the published rubbing is practical as well as historical: it allows this individual specimen to be recognized beyond a succession of auction descriptions. For the collector of early Mexican gold, the combination of inaugural date, rarity and documented identity gives this small denomination considerable stature.

Lot 1207: Mexico City 1732 F gold 1 escudo

Lot 1207: Mexico City 1732 F gold 1 escudo
Lot 1207. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC MS 61
Estimate: $25,000 to $50,000 USD

The Rudman Collection 1 escudo brings a second 1733 Fleet survivor into the group. Its broad flan, centered strike and luminous fields give the small portrait a clarity seldom associated with such a rare early issue. Circular friction traces remain on the obverse, and a die crack appears before ET in the legend. Sedwick records approximately six surviving specimens, several with significant condition limitations. This coin’s NGC MS 61 places it jointly at the highest grade in the NGC census cited by the catalog, alongside another MS 61. The Rudman pedigree and documented shipwreck association make it a substantial historical piece independently of its appeal beside the larger 1732 denominations.

5. Chilean gold with exceptional pedigrees

Chile’s gold offering is particularly strong in the smaller colonial denominations. An extended selection of four, two and one escudos brings difficult dates and assayer varieties into the same sale, supported by established collection pedigrees. The Segarra 1758 two escudos provides the celebrated rarity, while the Norweb 1817 four escudos reveals the persistence of colonial coin designs during the transition to Republican government. The 1779 one escudo adds exceptional preservation to the group. Taken together, these selections demonstrate why the Chilean section merits attention beyond its highest estimate: a collector can examine rarity, mint practice and political change across denominations seldom encountered in such depth.

Lot 860: Santiago 1758 J gold 2 escudos

Lot 860: Santiago 1758 J gold 2 escudos
Lot 860. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC AU 53
Estimate: $25,000 to $50,000 USD

The Santiago 1758 J two escudos names Ferdinand VI while preserving the portrait of Philip V. That unusual pairing belongs to an issue confined to a single date, with a reported production of 443 pieces. Sedwick records only three survivors: the Segarra example offered here, a holed coin from the Norweb Collection and the Medina specimen held by the Banco de Chile.

The present coin appeared on the cover of Superior’s December 1990 catalog and is illustrated in the Standard Catalog references. Its rich red toning and remaining luster give the portrait considerable presence, with light wear and a slightly displaced strike consistent with the AU 53 grade. An exceptional opportunity to acquire the finest example identified in Sedwick’s account, carrying a pedigree familiar to generations of Chilean specialists.

Lot 859: Santiago 1817 FJ gold 4 escudos

Lot 859: Santiago 1817 FJ gold 4 escudos
Lot 859. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC AU 50
Estimate: $6,000 to $12,000 USD

The Norweb 1817 FJ four escudos carries Ferdinand VII’s name around the portrait of Charles IV. Its colonial appearance conceals a more complicated production history. Although only 68 pieces are reported for 1817, Sedwick notes that minting continued under the Republic, apparently preserving both the date and the royal design. The issue therefore bridges political change through the persistence of familiar money.

Only five or six survivors are reported, and this AU 50 specimen stands above the other certified examples cited in the catalog. The Norweb pedigree reaches the Spink America sale of March 1997. Reddish toning, underlying luster and strong peripheral detail enhance the coin, while characteristic softness at the center remains visible. The combination makes it a particularly desirable representative of Chile’s elusive four escudos denomination.

Lot 866: Santiago 1779 DA gold 1 escudo

Lot 866: Santiago 1779 DA gold 1 escudo
Lot 866. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC MS 62
Estimate: $3,500 to $7,000 USD

On the Santiago 1779 DA one escudo, a small detail invites close inspection: the final 9 in the date was repunched. That correction survives within a sharply defined design, surrounded by complete rims and pale gold surfaces with strong luster. The coin’s preservation gives this modest denomination the visual presence often associated with much larger gold pieces.

The reported mintage is 6,324, but available certified material is considerably scarcer: at cataloging, Sedwick recorded two NGC entries, both MS 62, and none at PCGS. Its pedigree includes the May 2007 Ira and Larry Goldberg sale. For specialists in Chile’s smaller gold denominations, the combination of mint luster, sharp detail and surviving evidence of the engraver’s work makes this a particularly attractive example.

6. Chilean silver through independence and monetary change

The Val y Mexía Collection gives Chile’s portrait silver offering substantial depth, with dates, overdates and assayer varieties inviting comparison throughout the section. Its 1788 eight reales represents the final date of an early royal type. The 1817 volcano peso then introduces an unmistakably Chilean design, followed by the La Serena countermarked four reales, an Argentine coin officially accepted into Chile’s monetary system. Together, these pieces show three ways authority could appear on silver: a king’s portrait, a national emblem and a Treasury stamp. Their histories also explain why a modestly preserved host coin can become one of the sale’s most important rarities.

Lot 876: Santiago 1788 DA silver 8 reales

Lot 876: Santiago 1788 DA silver 8 reales
Lot 876. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC AU 50
Estimate: $3,500 to $5,000 USD

The Santiago 1788 DA eight reales closes the early Charles III portrait type, and this Val y Mexía specimen gives that final date a distinguished collecting pedigree. Sedwick reports a production of 187,000 pieces and notes that most were melted. The original mintage consequently offers little guidance to the difficulty of obtaining a surviving coin in this condition.

At AU 50, the example stands alone below a single MS 62 in the NGC census cited by the catalog. Full rims and light golden toning frame a clear portrait and shield, with remaining luster, hairlines and mild wear on the central details. It is a strong introduction to the extensive Chilean portrait silver offering, where dates, overdates and assayer combinations reward comparison across the surrounding lots.

Lot 912: Santiago 1817 FJ volcano peso

Lot 912: Santiago 1817 FJ volcano peso
Lot 912. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

PCGS MS62
Estimate: $5,000 to $7,500 USD

An erupting volcano gives the Santiago 1817 FJ peso a distinctly Chilean identity. The design belongs to the first silver coinage of independent Chile, struck a year before the formal declaration of independence in 1818. Its imagery makes political change immediately visible, replacing the familiar royal portrait with a national emblem that remains among the most recognizable designs in South American numismatics.

This first date example is graded PCGS MS62, with strong luster and subtle rainbow toning across surfaces described by Sedwick as undisturbed. The slightly rough rims are characteristics of manufacture. Such preservation allows the design to be appreciated with unusual clarity. Alongside the colonial portrait issues and later Treasury countermarks in the sale, the coin marks a decisive point in the development of Chile’s own monetary identity.

Lot 916: La Serena 1833 countermark on an 1815 Potosí 4 reales

Lot 916: La Serena countermark on an 1815 Potosí 4 reales
Lot 916. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC FR 2 with VF countermark
Estimate: $10,000 to $20,000 USD

The La Serena countermarked four reales began as an Argentine coin struck at Potosí in 1815. A Chilean decree of March 29, 1833, authorized Treasury offices to validate the earlier Argentine issues following the ban on later La Rioja issues. The volcano above SER. identifies the office that approved this particular piece for circulation.

Sedwick records only three genuine examples of the La Serena mark on four reales. The Virgil Brand pedigree, documented in Schulman’s November 1964 sale, gives this specimen an especially valuable early reference in a series requiring careful authentication. The deeply impressed VF countermark remains much sharper than the Fair 2 host, whose date and denomination are still legible. The catalog also corrects the holder’s erroneous four soles description. A substantial rarity connecting the monetary histories of both countries.

7. Chilean banknotes from provincial issues to fiscal emission

The 32 Chilean lots in the main paper money section cover an unusually broad field, from local Treasury currency to private banks, collective merchant emissions and government overprints. The Valdivia 1840 four reales preserves an early provincial issue; the Banco de la Alianza 1872 twenty pesos records the reuse of another bank’s printed notes; and the 1898 fiscal ten pesos shows the government adapting private currency for its own emission. These are substantial historical documents whose rarity often outweighs their circulated grades. Seals, signatures and overprints deserve the same attention that coin specialists give to mintmarks, assayer initials and changes of royal portrait.

Lot 1472: Valdivia 1840 4 reales

Lot 1472: Valdivia 1840 4 reales banknote
Lot 1472. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

PMG Choice F 15 NET
Estimate: $2,500 to $3,750 USD

Official seals dominate the Valdivia 1840 four reales, giving this early note the appearance of an administrative document. It was issued by the combined Treasury and Customs authorities of Valdivia, within a provincial series comprising four and eight reales that circulated between 1840 and 1844. Nearly the entire issue was recalled, making surviving examples especially important witnesses to the beginnings of Chilean paper currency.

The present note retains clear printing and stamped seals on both sides. Its PMG Choice F 15 NET grade reflects a distinctly fragile survivor, with a sewn horizontal split explicitly recorded in the catalog. Sedwick lists only two PMG census examples, the other graded VF 25. The appeal lies in this remarkable survival and the unusually direct evidence it preserves of early provincial currency administration.

Lot 1455: Banco de la Alianza 1872 20 pesos

Lot 1455: Banco de la Alianza 1872 20 pesos banknote
Lot 1455. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

PMG VF 20
Estimate: $3,500 to $5,000 USD

A red overprint on the Banco de la Alianza 1872 twenty pesos records an unusual relationship between two banks. Banco de la Alianza and Banco Nacional shared the same shareholders; the former was established to enlarge their authorized note issue. Existing Banco Nacional remainders supplied the printed notes, with the overprint changing the issuing institution.

The arrangement ended with Alianza’s closure in 1879, following the 1878 crisis and suspension of redemption in precious metal. This Leon Burstyn specimen preserves a bold agricultural vignette, Chilean arms and a legible overprint, with circulation and pinholes acknowledged in the description. Graded PMG VF 20, it was the only example in that census at cataloging. Pick lists the type as rare without assigning a price, reinforcing its standing among the auction’s most significant Chilean private bank notes.

Lot 1441: Republic of Chile 1898 fiscal 10 pesos

Lot 1441: Republic of Chile 1898 fiscal 10 pesos banknote
Lot 1441. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

PMG F 12
Estimate: $2,000 to $3,000 USD

By 1898, Chile’s government was taking responsibility for note issuance as private banks lost their authority to issue currency. The Republic of Chile fiscal ten pesos makes that change visible on a single sheet. A Banco Nacional remainder received official overprints, black on its face and red on the back, adapting an existing private bank design for government use.

Its August 1 date differs from the date recorded in Pick, adding an important detail for specialists. The PMG F 12 grade describes a circulated note with a central pinhole and faded but identifiable overprints. Sedwick recorded only one other PMG example, graded F 15. Within the wider Chilean paper money offering, this provisional issue provides a particularly clear endpoint to the progression from local Treasury notes through private banking to state emission.

8. Colombian gold from royal portraits to republican rarities

Colombian gold unfolds across several monetary systems in this sale, from colonial cobs to royal portraits and republican Liberty designs. These three selections follow two mints and more than a century of change. The 1757 J 8 escudos illustrates Bogotá’s early adoption of milled production. The 1769 JV 8 escudos adds an exceptional assayer rarity with a substantial collection pedigree. Popayán’s 1870 10 pesos carries the story into the republic and the closing phase of a provincial mint. Together, they show why Colombia rewards attention to mint, date, assayer and die characteristics, with preservation providing another important dimension of comparison.

Lot 955: Bogotá 1757 J gold 8 escudos of Ferdinand VI

Lot 955: Bogotá 1757 J gold 8 escudos of Ferdinand VI
Lot 955. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC AU 58
Estimate: $7,000 to $14,000 USD

Ferdinand VI’s 1757 J 8 escudos captures Bogotá’s transition to milled gold with unusually complete preservation of its design. Struck soon after the Nuevo Reino mint adopted machinery, it gives the royal portrait and surrounding legends a regularity that helps explain the visual transformation of Colombian coinage. This example retains complete rims, a well defined bust and muted luster beneath rich gold color. NGC graded it AU 58; Sedwick records four other examples at that grade and none higher when the catalog was prepared. The distinction matters because this is both a rare early milled date and a coin whose restrained circulation has left its design unusually coherent. It establishes the technical and aesthetic starting point for the later Bogotá portrait rarities.

Lot 958: Bogotá 1769 JV gold 8 escudos with rat nose portrait

Lot 958: Bogotá 1769 JV gold 8 escudos with rat nose portrait
Lot 958. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC MS 62
Estimate: $25,000 to $50,000 USD

The key to the 1769 JV 8 escudos lies in the paired assayer initials on its reverse. This is the exceptionally elusive JV issue, distinct from the more available V variety of the same year. Sedwick traces five examples and records this NGC MS 62 coin above two lower graded NGC specimens. Its luster, detailed bust and residual die polish are especially remarkable given the visible cracks and early die buckling. Those defects suggest a short working life for the dies, although no production total is established. The pedigree runs through Numismatica Ars Classica in March 2002 and the Eldorado Collection in January 2018. Its estimate of USD 25,000 to 50,000 places it among the leading Colombian gold rarities in the sale.

Lot 1057: Popayán 1870 gold 10 pesos

Lot 1057: Popayán 1870 gold 10 pesos
Lot 1057. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC MS 62
Estimate: $20,000 to $30,000 USD

Popayán’s 1870 10 pesos brings the republican gold series to one of its most elusive dates. Sedwick identifies five known examples, including the Banco de la República specimen, and ranks this NGC MS 62 coin as the finest. It is also the only example recorded by NGC in the catalog census. The sharp Liberty portrait and lively luster are accompanied by repunched stars and a conspicuous die crack at the U of UNIDOS, useful characteristics for studying the issue. This is the final date of the Popayán 10 pesos type, struck a decade before the mint closed in 1880. Its importance therefore rests on a rare conjunction of survival and institutional history, with unusually strong preservation for a coin from this provincial mint.

9. Colombian experiments, patterns and scarce silver

The Colombian section also reaches into the difficult edges of monetary history: experimental alloys, proposals that never entered circulation and provincial issues surviving in tiny numbers. The Cartagena quarter real attributed to 1626 raises questions about early mint technology and metal standards. The 1825 copper quarter real pattern preserves a republican currency proposal abandoned before regular production. Popayán’s 1869 5 décimos supplies an established silver rarity whose importance survives substantial wear. These pieces broaden the selection beyond gold and portrait types, asking collectors to consider how attribution, legislation, institutional history and documentary survival determine the significance of an individual coin.

Lot 927: Cartagena quarter real attributed to 1626

Lot 927: Cartagena quarter real attributed to 1626
Lot 927. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC VF details, environmental damage
Estimate: $10,000 to $20,000 USD

The Cartagena quarter real attributed to 1626 preserves unusually consequential evidence. Its NR mintmark was punched over S, connecting the piece to reused dies and the early organization of New Granada’s coinage. A pomegranate stands between the pillars on the reverse. Sedwick calls this the only known example of the variety and links its manufacture to machinery devised by Alonso Turrillo. The date is not visible, while environmental damage prevents a conclusive XRF determination of the alloy. The suggested association with the roughly 25 percent silver plata baja standard of 1626, rather than the approximately 18 percent standard of 1622, is therefore an attribution, not a precise assay result. NGC’s VF details grade acknowledges that deterioration; the surviving marks still make this a significant discovery piece.

Lot 1029: Colombia 1825 copper pattern quarter real

Lot 1029: Colombia 1825 copper pattern quarter real
Lot 1029. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC UNC details, environmental damage
Estimate: $6,000 to $12,000 USD

The 1825 copper quarter real pattern gives physical form to a monetary project that never reached regular production. Colombia’s legislation of May 1823 called for copper small change bearing Liberty, the republic’s name and a denomination inside a laurel border. The authorization was repealed in March 1826, but trial pieces bearing the date 1825 survive. Sedwick describes this quarter real as unique and, together with the corresponding eighth real, part of what it considers Colombia’s earliest known pattern issue. Its sharply defined portrait and lettering remain legible despite dark toning and the NGC environmental damage qualification. Issued during the period of Gran Colombia, it connects the early republic’s proposed everyday currency with territories that now form Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama.

Lot 1066: Popayán 1869 silver 5 décimos

Lot 1066: Popayán 1869 silver 5 décimos
Lot 1066. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

PCGS F details, cleaned
Estimate: $20,000 to $40,000 USD

Popayán’s 1869 5 décimos demonstrates why a heavily sought date can command a major estimate even in a modest grade. Sedwick cites four known examples, including the Banco de la República coin and the specimen associated with the Eldorado and Whittier collections. This example previously appeared in Sedwick’s May 2014 auction and carries a current estimate of USD 20,000 to 40,000. Its deep toning, readable date and surviving peripheral detail allow the issue to be studied despite wear and softly struck centers. PCGS assigned F details for cleaning, a qualification that remains relevant alongside the auctioneer’s favorable assessment of its appearance. As the first date of the difficult Popayán 5 décimos series, it fills a position that ordinary type collecting cannot adequately convey.

10. Colombian paper money and the institutions behind it

Colombia’s monetary variety continues in paper, where private banks, local printers and emergency issuers leave remarkably different evidence. The Banco de Colombia 50 pesos face proof dated 1 April 1875 presents an elaborate design produced in Bogotá. The Banco de Bogotá 10 pesos dated 15 February 1875 records the work of a London security printer for an early Colombian bank. The Hacienda Entre Rios 10 centavos dated 28 April 1900 shifts attention to a local issue during wartime disruption. Each is described by Sedwick as unique, but their appeal extends from rarity into the practical organization and visual language of money.

Lot 1475: Banco de Colombia 1875 50 pesos face proof

Lot 1475: Banco de Colombia 1875 50 pesos face proof
Lot 1475. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

PMG AU 53
Estimate: $9,000 to $13,500 USD

The Banco de Colombia 50 pesos face proof dated 1 April 1875 makes an immediate impression through its color and composition. Paredes of Bogotá printed the large Andean condor and national arms in black, with red seals spreading across blue paper. The face proof has five punch cancellations and an unprinted back, leaving the elaborate face design as its principal feature. Sedwick describes it as unique, absent from the Eldorado Collection and the sole example in the PMG census. The catalog also assigns a J. Cuartas pedigree. Graded PMG AU 53, with corner handling, it offers a rare view of Colombian banknote production within Bogotá itself, where local printing gave a substantial private bank issue a distinctive visual identity.

Lot 1476: Banco de Bogotá 1875 10 pesos

Lot 1476: Banco de Bogotá 1875 10 pesos banknote
Lot 1476. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

PMG Choice F 15, Stains
Estimate: $7,500 to $15,000 USD

The Banco de Bogotá 10 pesos dated 15 February 1875 belongs to the institution’s early issuing period after its foundation in 1870. Perkins, Bacon and Company of London supplied the intricate black design, punctuated by red denomination medallions; the reverse places the cashier’s signature within an elaborate ornamental frame. Series C and serial 2584 identify the sole recorded example of this denomination and series according to Sedwick. Its significance is reinforced by its appearance on page 449 of Danilo Parra Ariza’s 2014 Compendio Histórico del Papel Moneda en Colombia. PMG grades it Choice Fine 15, and the stains and small internal split remain part of its condition. Its estimate of USD 7,500 to 15,000 reflects the scarcity of this documented survivor.

Lot 1486: Hacienda Entre Rios 1900 10 centavos

Lot 1486: Hacienda Entre Rios 1900 10 centavos banknote
Lot 1486. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

PMG Choice VF 35, Stains and Thinning, as photographed
Estimate: $3,500 to $5,000 USD

The Hacienda Entre Rios 10 centavos dated 28 April 1900 brings the discussion from commercial banks to local money during the Thousand Days’ War. Printed by Eugenio Pardo of Bogotá, this small private issue survives with a legible serial 0162, clear ornamental printing and signatures on its back. Sedwick describes it as unique and the only example in the PMG census. Its documented pedigree leads to Neil Shafer’s Money of the People collection, offered by Lyn Knight in Memphis in June 2014 as lot 5244. The photographed holder reads PMG Choice VF 35, with stains and thinning noted on the reverse. The catalog’s EPQ designation is absent from those photographs. Those traces of use reinforce its interest as a surviving response to the monetary disruption identified in the catalog.

11. Landmark silver from the earliest colonial mints to Lima’s Royals

The earliest colonial denominations were not always the ones that endured. Mexico City’s three reales belongs to a brief experiment at the beginning of the mint’s production, while the Santo Domingo four reales represents a short and exceptionally difficult series. More than a century later, the Lima Royal eight reales demonstrates how much visual refinement remained possible within hammered coinage. Together these pieces broaden the sale’s historical reach and give collectors three quite different reasons to examine the legends, denominations and dies of colonial silver.

Lot 579: Mexico City Early Series 3 reales of Charles and Joanna

Lot 579: Mexico City Early Series 3 reales of Charles and Joanna
Lot 579. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

PCGS XF45
Estimate: $20,000 to $40,000 USD

Three dots between the pillars identify a denomination that disappeared early from Mexican coinage. The three reales was struck only from April 1536 to early 1538 at the latest, under assayer Francisco del Rincón, before the four reales took its place. This specimen retains complete legends, predominantly Gothic lettering and the essential interior design despite some rotated doubling. Its toned surfaces and straight PCGS XF45 grade give the early issue an unusually coherent appearance. Sedwick identifies it as the highest graded example of the three dot variety across PCGS and NGC and records its appearance in Ponterio’s July 1999 sale. The attraction is immediate: a surviving coin from the brief period when the mint’s denominational system was still taking shape.

Lot 1113: Santo Domingo 4 reales of Charles and Joanna

Lot 1113: Santo Domingo 4 reales of Charles and Joanna
Lot 1113. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

PCGS VF details with saltwater damage
Estimate: $10,000 to $20,000 USD

The Rudman pedigree and illustration in the 2008 Calicó reference give this Santo Domingo four reales an identity that extends beyond its certification. Sedwick records five known examples of the type. The broad flan preserves extensive legends, the pillars and the distinctive P and S mintmarks, while the queen’s name appears with the unusual spelling YOHANA on one side. Such details reward close study in a series known for irregular lettering and arrangements. Saltwater damage and a fine edge crack remain material aspects of the condition. With a documented Cayón appearance in December 2003, the coin offers both an important early Caribbean mint issue and a published reference specimen whose individual features can be followed through the literature.

Lot 678: Lima 1689 V Royal silver 8 reales

Lot 678: Lima 1689 V Royal silver 8 reales
Lot 678. Official photograph: Sedwick & Associates, Auction 40.

NGC XF 45
Estimate: $8,000 to $16,000 USD

The full royal legend surrounding the cross immediately distinguishes this broad Lima Royal from the partial impressions so often encountered on ordinary cobs. Attractive toning strengthens the design, while the pillars and waves retain extensive detail despite doubling and imperfect centering. Its survival without a hole is a significant advantage for the type. Sedwick also notes an apparent die difference from the corresponding specimen illustrated by Lázaro, giving specialists a specific comparison to pursue. Set beside the Mexican gold Royal, this silver issue demonstrates a related ambition in a different mint and metal: enough prepared surface to display royal authority through a complete, carefully arranged design. The XF 45 grade leaves that larger achievement readily visible.

A sale to study across collections, mints and generations

The strongest impression left by Auction 40 is the number of connections that can be made within a single sale. The 1714 Mexican gold Royal and the 1689 Lima silver Royal invite comparison across mints and metals. The Worm, Keyhole and Cardinal shift attention to the preparation of irregular blanks. The Mexican gold of 1732 then presents another stage in production, with a royal portrait and the regularity associated with a new minting technology. These groups make the mechanics of manufacture visible rather than leaving them as background information.

Chile offers a similarly rich sequence through changes in authority. The inherited portraits on the 1758 two escudos and 1817 four escudos, the independence imagery of the volcano peso, and the validation mark on the La Serena four reales show how coins could retain, replace or acquire political meaning. The Valdivia note, Banco de la Alianza twenty pesos and fiscal ten pesos extend that examination to the institutions that issued paper money. The pedigrees attached to many of these pieces add a further history of study and collecting.

Colombia’s strength is the opportunity to place celebrated rarities within a much wider body of material. The 1769 JV onza and the 1870 Popayán ten pesos stand beside experimental small denominations, difficult republican silver and private banknotes. A collector can follow a particular mint, a denomination, an assayer or a change in national identity. That depth is especially valuable in series where a few famous coins can otherwise obscure the less expensive material needed to understand the whole.

Estimates naturally draw attention to the most costly objects, but they do not measure every form of importance. A rare date, a readable countermark, a published pedigree or a revealing production feature can justify attention at very different price levels. The 33 pieces selected here offer all of those qualities. Their photographs and linked descriptions provide a starting point for examining the complete catalog, where the strongest discoveries will often come from following the relationships between the objects as carefully as the objects themselves.

Auction schedule and catalog access

The auction takes place on November 5, 6 and 7, 2026. All times below are Eastern Standard Time. The November 5 and 6 sessions offer floor and live online bidding; the November 7 Express Session is online only. Each session name links to its catalog.

Sedwick Auction 40 session schedule
Session Date and time Contents Catalog lots
Session I November 5
9:00 a.m.
Gold cobs, shipwreck ingots and shipwreck coins 1 to 458
Session II November 5
4:00 p.m.
Artifacts and coin jewelry 459 to 575
Session III November 5
6:00 p.m.
Silver cobs of Mexico City, Lima and Potosí 576 to 776
Session IV November 6
9:00 a.m.
Ancient, medieval and world coins 777 to 1400
Session V November 6
5:00 p.m.
Medals, decorations and paper money 1401 to 1508
Session VI November 7
9:00 a.m.
Express session, online only 1509 to 1945

Browse the complete auction catalog and consult Sedwick’s auction information for registration, current lot status, viewing arrangements and terms.

Sedwick’s Treasure, World, U.S. Coin and Paper Money Auction 39 & Winter Park Coin Show

20 Apr
Welcome to our Auction 39! As usual, we have secured high-quality, carefully selected material for our bidders in a wide range of areas, with some neat surprises here and there. Starting with gold cobs, we follow the release of Daniel Sedwick’s landmark book, Arce’s Doubloons, with a very important selection of DATED 2 escudos gold cobs from Colombia. Be sure to check out Daniel’s latest article: click here

More than ever, collectors are beginning to appreciate and recognize the rarity and beauty of these coins following the book’s publication. We hope this marks the beginning of a broader appreciation and deeper study of this challenging series.

Our sections on Shipwreck Ingots and Shipwreck Coins are jam-packed with the usual treasure treats, with sizable offerings from the Atocha (1622), Concepción (1641), Maravillas (1656), the Spanish 1715 Fleet, and S.S. Republic (1865), the last one featuring a date-run of half dollars and a couple very rare clumps. Our shipwreck section is always the most bid-upon part of our auctions, with almost all lots getting dozens of bids. Interest and confidence are very high because we make sure all our treasure items are properly certified and/or pedigreed, something that is critically important to collectors today.

In non-shipwreck cobs we feature several collections and trophies that should not be missed. After a choice run of Mexican Charles-Joanna “Early Series” coinage, we present the next batch from The Jorge Ugaz Collection of Lima silver cobs, following our sale of his 2 reales in our prior auction. The current offering focuses on 8 and 1 reales, carefully assembled over many years with an emphasis on quality, rarity, and important pedigrees from notable prior collections. It begins with some exceptional highlights, including an example of the earliest dollar-sized silver coin struck in South America, the famous Rincón 8 reales. The collection continues with a strong selection from the early Lima mint, featuring multiple varieties, especially from the period of assayer Diego de la Torre. Next are a few special “Star of Lima” issues, followed by a comprehensive run of pillars and waves coinage, with nearly all dates represented and including several very rare round presentation “Royals” (galanos). Comprising over 200 lots, this is one of the largest offerings of Lima cobs we have presented (if not the largest). We follow Lima with a singled-out collection of Potosí dated shield-type 8 reales; watch for several more very rare “Royals” in the regular Potosí cob offering.

Throughout World Coins we feature an outstanding group of Spanish bust gold minors, covering not just Spain itself but also all major colonial mints in Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. Nearly all are certified, many at the highest levels, including numerous “top pop” examples. This is a rare opportunity to acquire multiple dates and types in a single sale that would normally take years to assemble.
 
Speaking of Spain, in this auction we proudly present The Andalusí Collection (click here to read introduction and lot listings), an important expansion into an historical area. These coins reflect a period when Spain was under a different cultural influence, offering a fascinating connection with the evolution of coinage. The selection includes some of the finest pieces offered in recent years, all certified by NGC, many at the top of their population reports. Carefully cataloged by Ana Serrano, a recognized expert in the field, this collection provides collectors with a clear and accessible introduction to this specialized area.

Pan-American highlights continue with the latest selection of top Chilean coins from The Val y Mexía Collection, including an excellent run of rare Charles III bust 8 reales. Also look for choice coin-sized proclamation medals from several Spanish colonies, particularly Colombia. Finally, be sure to check out our expanded selections of Ancient Coins and U.S. Coins & Paper Money, including bigger trophies than we have had the privilege to offer before.
 
As usual, we finish the Floor Auction with a well-curated group of Shipwreck and Non-Wreck Artifacts, which includes several gold chains and a fabulous portion of an ornate royal gold belt from the Maravillas (1656). On the last day we will run an expanded Internet-Only Express Session, in which you will find many “sleepers.” Overall, this is a diverse and carefully assembled auction with something for every collector.

This event will take place at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Winter Park, Florida. Our regulars will remember this venue from our auctions prior to last year. This time, however, instead of educational talks, we will fill the room on the day before the auction (during lot viewing) with our inaugural Winter Park Coin Show. Selected dealers from all over the Americas will have tables to browse while you wait to view lots. The date is May 6, from 10 am to 6 pm. Come see your friends or make new friends while you get ready for the auction!
 
As always, we are at your service with any questions or concerns. We wish everyone the best of luck and happy hunting!

NOTE: Floor auction lots will be available for viewing at the Central States show (Express lots by request only). All lots will also be available for viewing at our offices by appointment and on the day of the Winter Park Coin Show.
 
With thanks to all from the Sedwick & Associates, LLC team:

Daniel Sedwick, Augi García-Barneche, Cori Sedwick Downing, Michelle Heidt, Connor Falk, and Sarah Sproles

We look forward to welcoming you to Winter Park!

Sincerely,
Sedwick & Associates
www.sedwickcoins.com