Archive | October, 2017

Treasure coins, gold artifacts brighten Sedwick’s November Auction

26 Oct

Unique gold coins and artifacts will draw attention to Daniel Frank Sedwick’s Treasure, World, U.S. Coin and Paper Money Auction 22. Over 2,340 lots will be up for bidding in the combined floor and live online auction held Nov. 2-3. Online lot viewing and bidding is hosted at www.auction.sedwickcoins.com.

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This large gold disk weighing 1,434 grams was part of the Luz shipwreck treasure find.

One impressive artifact from the sale is lot 213: a large gold disk weighing over 1.4 kilograms recovered from the Luz shipwreck, sunk in 1752 off Montevideo, Uruguay. The Luz was carrying large gold holdings owned by the King of Spain as well as Jesuit missionaries when it was smashed upon the coastline during a storm.

Although contemporary salvage efforts recovered some of the Luz’s cargo, it wasn’t until 1992 that large amounts of gold escudos as well as gold ingots were found. After the disk’s discovery, it traded from collection to collection. It originally appeared in a 1993 Sotheby’s auction and once again in a 1997 Ponterio auction where it was the pictured on the back cover of the catalog. In Sedwick’s sale, the gold disk is estimated at $80,000 to $120,000.

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This Madonna brooch is an impressive survivor from the shipwrecked 1715 Fleet.

Another unique treasure item in the auction is lot 1473: a beautiful gold-and-pearl “Madonna” brooch recovered from “Rio Mar” site of the 1715 Fleet, sunk in 1715 off the east coast of Florida. The large and ornate pendant features a crowned female figure surrounded by ornate framework decorated with many pearls. The pendant is suspended from a moving crown featuring more intricate goldwork and pearl settings. While the female figure has led to a popular reference as a “Madonna” brooch, the female appears to be Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The brooch is an impressive survivor from the wreck, given the ornate gold design that somehow survived 274 years underwater. It was discovered by the famous Mel Fisher salvaging company in 1989 and later pictured in the book Dreamweaver: The Story of Mel Fisher (1996) by Bob Weller. It will be offered with an estimate of $15,000 and up.

Other artifacts from the 1715 Fleet will be offered in the sale including lot 1474: a set of pearl earrings similar in style to the “Madonna” brooch found at the Cabin wreck site, estimated at $6,000 to $9,000. Also, a set of 1715- and 1716-dated London, England Post Boy newspapers reporting on the 1715 Fleet disaster and subsequent recovery efforts is lot 1460 and estimated at $4,000 to $6,000.

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A unique 1750/48 Guatemala cob 1 escudo pedigreed to the Richard Stuart collection.

Beyond shipwreck treasures, a number of very rare coins will appear in the auction. Notably, a unique 1750/48 Guatemala bust-type gold 1 escudo will be offered as lot 130 with an estimate of $25,000 and up. The coin features the bust of Ferdinand VI and was struck by hand using a design intended for machine-struck coins. The hammered gold coins of Guatemala are the rarest of all Spanish colonial gold coins with only four 1 escudos known. Only one, the coin being offered, is dated 1750. It is pedigreed to the Richard Stuart collection and is plated on page 183 in Historia de la Casa de Moneda de Guatemala (2010) by Carlos Jara.

The auction will feature the largest offering ever of Panama cobs, Nicaragua and Honduras imitation cobs, and Admiral Vernon medals, pedigreed to the Richard Stuart collection. A rare, unlisted pairing of a Costa Rican 8 reales with an 1846JB 2 reales counterstamp (Type V) with “8” on a Potosi, Bolivia cob 8 reales dated 1771 is lot 838 with an estimate of $8,000 to $12,000.

Another rarity also from the Richard Stuart collection being offered is lot 744: a Panama Philip II cob 4 reales with the mintmark AP above an error “III” denomination. It is a plate coin in both Spain, Portugal and the New World (2002) by Chet Krause and Clifford Mishler as well as The Forgotten Mint of Colonial Panama (2005) by Jorge Proctor. The coin has an estimate of $10,000 and up.

Other top lots in the auction include:

  • Lots 144, 145 and 146: A group of first year type, Mexico City-minted 1732 gold 4, 2 and 1 escudos, all graded by NGC and the finest known in the NGC census, estimated at $20,000 and up (for the 4 escudos) as well as $15,000 and up (for 2 and 1 escudos).
  • Lot 160: An 1822, assayer JM, Mexican 8 escudos featuring Iturbide with the corrected “Augustin” spelling variety, graded NGC MS 62, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000.
  • Lot 13: A 1701, assayer H, Lima, Peru cob 4 escudos recovered from the 1715 Fleet, graded NGC MS 64, estimated at $20,000 and up.
  • Lots 216 and 217: Two large, 89-pound silver bars recovered from the Atocha (sunk in 1622), each estimated at $25,000 and up.
  • Lot 493: An 1857-S Liberty Head $20 double eagle recovered from the SS Central America (sunk in 1857), graded PCGS MS 64, estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.
  • Lot 1334: A 1916 Standing Liberty quarter, graded NGC VG 10, estimated at $3,500 to $5,000.
  • Lot 1364: A unique 1861 Banco de Santiago 100 pesos bank note, estimated at $10,000 and up.
  • Lot 1381: A 1921 Costa Rican 2 colones bank note, the finest known in the PMG census, estimated at $2,500 to $3,750.

An internet-only session will be held Monday, Nov. 6 featuring selected items from all sessions. Bidders can register for the auction at www.auction.sedwickcoins.com. For more details, please contact Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC at office@sedwickcoins.com.

Upcoming Treasure Auction 22: Important 1715 Fleet Artifacts

21 Oct

Today we will cover some of the most important artifacts from the 1715 Fleet you can find in our upcoming auction. These pieces are important for either their rarity, their quality, their provenance or all of the above

Lot 1473: Gold-and-pearl “Madonna” brooch, large and ornate, from the 1715 Fleet, plated in Dreamweaver. 59.79 grams, about 3-1/2″ x 2-1/4″. A large and very ornate pendant of an articulated type known as a “venera,” featuring a crowned female over an angel face superimposed over an upward-facing crescent moon (topped with small posts, one of which still bears a pearl), all in a central open oval surrounded by twenty-two sunrays tipped with pearls, fastened to a frame of alternating large and small five-point ornaments with more pearls on top (on loose posts fastened with Y-backs) and on ends, with small loop at bottom, that whole piece suspended from a moving “crown” of similar ornaments encrusted with more pearls, the back showing a large horizontal ring for wearing as a brooch or pendant. This piece has popularly been referred to as the “Madonna” brooch, but more accurately the central figure appears to be Our Lady of Guadalupe (similar to the medallion from the 1733 Fleet plated on pages 158-9 of Weller’s Galleon Alley book of 2001). The pearls (fifty-two remaining) are all a bit worn and quite a few are missing, but more egregious is the absence of eleven gemstones (presumably emeralds) from now-empty sockets that show traces of light encrustation (hence they were lost or removed before salvage), although it is possible the gems were to be added later when this relic made it to Spain. The gold itself is all intact and visibly high grade. Clearly a museum piece, one of the most important 1715-Fleet artifacts we have ever offered, reportedly recovered by John Berrier and Duke Long in 1989. From the “Rio Mar” site, with Fisher photo-certificate #1611 and photocopy of a hand-drawing by K. Amundson, and featured in color photo on page 193 of Dreamweaver (1996), by Bob “Frogfoot” Weller.  Direct link

Lot 1474: Matched pair of gold-and-pearl earrings from the 1715 Fleet. 7.09 grams total, each about 2-1/4″ long. Nearly identical earrings, made with hoop of gold at top, quatrefoil ornament with pearls on posts below that in middle and the bottom piece a pearl-strung straight wire with trefoil at top and ring at bottom, each with eleven pearls total, all very small and worn but none missing, an intact pair that can still be worn and matches the previous lot (“Madonna” brooch) in style, possibly from the same ship of the 1715 Fleet but reportedly found farther up the coast. With Fisher photo-certificate #41562 (showing both earrings) and original yellow-plastic tags #41562 and 41563. Direct Link

Lot 1476: Gold chain, 66.54 grams, 24 inches long, heavy-braid links with original clasp, from the 1715 Fleet. Thick links of boxlike braiding somewhat tightly spaced to make a very ductile chain, completely intact with ring at one end and Y-shaped piece at other end (connected with oblong jumper) for fastening to the ring, eminently wearable and attractive. With Queens Jewels LLC photo-certificate #F040982 (tag #75905). Direct Link

Lot 1484: Ornate silver shaker (pounce box) from the 1715 Fleet. 313 grams, 2-3/4″ cube. Unlike gold, very few shipwreck silver artifacts are solid enough to emerge from conservation as bright and beautiful and functional as they day they were made, but this is one of those rare relics, with every finely engraved detail in the (separate) lid and embossed design on the side intact and unblemished, just a tiny corner-chip in the lid and verdigris in one corner of the plain inside of the box, the lid designed with eighteen small holes in a floral pattern in a concave circle on the top for sprinkling a fine powder (pounce) over fresh manuscripts to prevent the ink from spreading. With Queens Jewels LLC photo-certificate #F040818 (tag #77225). Direct  Link

 Lot 1482: Gold-and-emerald ring, size 7-1/4, from the 1715 Fleet. 5.05 grams. Very solid and intact ring with rectangular, table-cut emerald of decent translucence and color in a scallop-base frame, the ring itself with straight sides, high-karat gold. From the “Cabin wreck” site, found on the beach in 1985, with a photo-certificate from salvager Carl Lazzeri and another from Daniel Frank Sedwick. Direct Link

Related Important Item:

Lot 1460: Unique set of newspapers with accounts on the sinking and salvage of the Spanish 1715 Treasure Fleet, consisting of four issues of The Post Boy (London) from 1715-16.

Four very rare, complete issues of The Post Boy, a major London newspaper, from November 19, December 8 and 19, 1715 and July 3, 1716, each issue a single 14” x 8” sheet (“broadsheet”) of high-quality rag stock printed on both sides, and in Fine to Very Fine condition. In all probability these papers are the only ones in private hands.

These four historic newspapers provide accounts of the legendary disaster and Spain’s frantic attempts to recover the hundreds of millions of dollars of gold and silver coins and precious jewels carried by eleven Spanish galleons, accompanied by a French warship that was the only ship to escape the hurricane on July 30, 1715, as the treasure-laden Fleet attempted to sail from Cuba to Spain. Hundreds of seamen and passengers drowned in the vicious storm with the survivors going to St. Augustine or Havana. Although much of the treasure was salvaged over the next few years—and present-day salvors have uncovered millions of dollars in coins and jewels—more treasure remains unclaimed in the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of Florida. Several whole ships have yet to be found.

The first report of the disaster in the November 19, 1715 issue reads: “Letters from the Havana, of the 17th of September, advise that the Flotilla, consisting of Ten Ships, met with such a violent Storm, upon the 31st of July, that they were forced to run ashoar upon the Coasts of Florida, 50 Leagues from Cape S. Augustin, and 20 from Cape Canaveral; and that only one Ship, v.z. the Flying-Hart, escaped: That upon this News, several Ships were immediately sent from the Havana to fish up the Gold and Silver; that good Part of it was already recover’d and particularly that on board the Urza de Lima; and that it was hoped, most of the rest would likewise be got up. They add, that 4 or 500 Men were drown’d, and among them several Passengers. This News was brought to Rochelle by the S. Francis, whose Cargo is very rich, consisting of 500000 Pieces of Eight besides Merchandizes.”

Further details from the December 8 issue are more positive (possibly to buoy public opinion on the disaster). Some of the reporting stated: “We have receiv’d better News concerning the Flota of New Spain…that only two Ships of it were cast away; Some others were indeed run aground upon the Coast of Florida; but all the Gold and Silver, and most of the Merchandizes were taken out of them.” The King then sent four ships to Florida, “…and shall take on board those of the Flota, which amount to 12 Millions of Crowns in Gold and Silver only.”

From the December 17, 1715 issue came the following: “Letters from Cadiz, of the 28th past, say, that all possible Diligence is used in fitting out the Men of War, which are to go and take on board the Cargoes of the Galleons run aground upon the Coast of Florida. By a Vessel arrived from thence they heard, that the Galleons could not be put a float again; but the Chests of Gold and Silver had been all taken up, and great part of the Merchandizes; so that only the Cochineal will be lost.”

Finally, after just over six months of salvage attempts, the July 3, 1716 issue reported the following gleaned from letters from Havanna at the end of March: “…they had recover’d out of the Capitana, a thousand Chests of Silver, and seven hundred and fifty out of the Admirante (Almiranta), but no Merchandizes out of those two Ships, whereas all those of the Urca de Lima had been fish’d up; that some English Barques being come in Sight of Palmaer, five (Spanish) Barques were fitted out at the Havana to observe them; that nevertheless the English seiz’d some Part of the Plate above specify’d whereupon a Deputy was order’d from the Havana to the Governor of Jamaica to complain of that proceeding….”

These newspapers represent highly important accounts of the disaster and the subsequent attempts to salvage the enormous treasure Spain and other European countries were counting on for their economies. In our time, ironically, these newspapers are vastly rarer than the treasure itself! Direct Link

 

Subasta de Monedas y Billetes de Daniel Frank Sedwick, llc #22

20 Oct

Sesiones 1-7. En SALA y por Internet Jueves-Viernes Noviembre, 2-3, 2017 / Sesion 8 – Solo por internet, Lunes Noviembre, 6, 2017.

Al igual que con todas nuestras subastas, muchas grandes colecciones han convergido en una increíble presentación una vez más. Esta será nuestra mayor venta hasta la fecha, particularmente con la segunda parte de selecciones de la colección de Richard Stuart. Algunas de las áreas en la cual poner atención:

  • En las macuquinas de oro ofrecemos la mejor selección de Lima que hemos tenido, en su mayoría de la flota de 1715, incluidos MUCHOS de los mejores ejemplares conocidos.

Nuestras secciones usuales de macuquinas de México, Lima y Potosí están llenas de trofeos numismáticos, envolviendo muchas monedas importantes de Carlos y Juana de México (¡incluyendo un fantástico 3 reales!), Pero esta venta tiene un área dedicada a una de las macuquinas más rara hechas en América se trata de la mayor colección de macuquinas de Panamá que se ha armado, gracias a Richard Stuart.

Hablando de Richard Stuart, las selecciones de su amplia colección de material centroamericano continúan poblando nuestra sección de Monedas de Plata del Mundo, con la mejor oferta de Honduras y Nicaragua “macuquinas de imitación” provisional (presentada por Carlos Jara), la más grande jamás vista selección de contramarcas de Guatemala (incluido el tipo “moclón” de 1662) y presentaciones significativas en Costa Rica y Panamá también.

En la sección de monedas mundiales de oro, tenemos el honor de presentar, como el único 1 escudo de Guatemala macuquino fechado 1750/48 e importantes rarezas de oro de la República Centroamericana de Costa Rica y Guatemala y otros países como un set de las primeras monedas producidas en moneda de Oro de cordoncillo en América, se trata de 1,2 y 4 Escudos de 1732 de la ceca de México.

Una colección a recalcar es la Colección Potomac de Columnarios Mexicanos, la mayoría en grados exquisito, claramente ensamblados con un ojo para la calidad sin perseguir capsulas plásticas.

Otro logro de Richard Stuart se refleja en la sección de Medallas con su colección de medallas del Almirante Vernon, presentada aquí como la oferta única más grande y selecta en los tiempos modernos, con una breve presentación de Daniel Frank Sedwick.

Nuestras secciones de Monedas y Papel moneda de EE. UU. Continúan creciendo, con importantes ofertas de América Latina y México, como una única presentación de 100 pesos del Banco de Santiago (Chile) y un conjunto completo de pruebas de Chihuahua (México).

Como siempre habrá presentaciones académicas en SALA el día antes de la subasta, esta vez de Jorge Proctor nos dará una cátedra oportuna sombre las macuquinas de Panamá, Carlos Jara nos deleitara con una disertación sobre numismática provisional de Honduras y Nicaragua. Con gran honor tendremos la presencia internacional de Manuel Chacón (curador del Museo del Banco Central de Costa Rica) y finalmente cerramos las disertaciones con el estudioso y Capitán, John Brandon que nos presentara historia y conservación de naufragios. El lunes después de la subasta en SALA será la subasta solo por Internet, (tenga en cuenta que el Lunes 6 de noviembre cambia la hora en EE. UU. de EDT a EST), la “sección de “internet only” está llena de cientos de lotes enfocados en coleccionista conscientes de su presupuesto pero aun buscando la calidad. Con material de todas las secciones.

Página principal de la subasta:  http://www.sedwickcoins.com/ta22/catalog.htm

Pujas y registracion: www.auction.sedwickcoins.com

The Admiral Vernon Medals of 1739 and 1741

10 Oct

by Daniel Frank Sedwick

If the heart of collecting is visual and intellectual stimulation mixed with historical study, then the “Admiral Vernon” medals crafted in England in the period 1739-1741 are the perfect collectibles. The sheer number of different varieties of these medals makes collecting them both challenging and feasible. Fascination with these historic pieces has spawned more than a dozen studies over the past 180+ years, culminating in the book Medallic Portraits of Admiral Vernon (2010), by John Adams and Fernando Chao (the “AC” reference we quote in our lot descriptions). With this well-illustrated book alone, one can spend many enjoyable hours attributing each piece down to exact die details. The biggest challenge with these medals is condition, as they were heavily used and abused, which makes the present offering comprising the collection of Richard Stuart an exceptional opportunity.

The conflict began with the capture and torture of the British merchant ship captain Robert Jenkins by the Spanish off Havana, Cuba, in 1731. His alleged punishment for smuggling was the removal of one of his ears, which he physically produced for British Parliament in 1739, setting off what became known as the “War of Jenkins’ Ear” starting that year, effectively “Great Britain’s first protracted naval war in the Americas.”[1] In a burst of vengeful braggadocio, the experienced British admiral Edward Vernon reportedly said he could take the Spanish port of Portobelo, Panama, “with six ships only,” the larger goal being to disrupt the flow of Spanish shipping of treasure from the New World. It is easy in retrospect to see why the Spanish viewed this as simple piracy under the guise of war. While the British lauded Vernon as a hero and the Spanish vilified him as a pirate, the truth is somewhere in between.

Using Jamaica as a base of operations, Vernon made good on his boast in December of 1739 (with Commodore Charles Brown), but from there things went south. While news of his victory at Portobelo was reaching England, Vernon’s squadrons were battling storms and the threat of a French fleet. Vernon’s subsequent attack on Cartagena, Colombia, in March of 1740 was unsuccessful and resulted in his taking a sort of consolation prize: Fort Chagre in Panama (near Portobelo). More than a year went by, as both sides beefed up forces, the British side (including ships under Rear Admiral Chaloner Ogle) eventually becoming “the largest force yet deployed in the West Indies.”[2] A renewed assault on Cartagena utilizing over 100 ships and 12,600 troops (almost a third of which were colonial Americans, thus representing “the first deployment of Americans abroad”[3]) began in the spring of 1741 and delivered Vernon’s ships and foot-soldiers into the harbor before yellow fever and miscommunication between Vernon and Brigadier-General Thomas Wentworth forced a retreat. Most interestingly for us numismatists, upon breaching the harbor the boastful Vernon had already sent word back to England of his “victory” at Cartagena against his Spanish counterpart, Admiral Blas de Lezo, spawning a new round of medals dated 1741. Vernon’s final attempt was against Cuba that same year, initially planned for Havana (and, once again, reported back to England as a victory there) but instead visited upon Santiago on the south coast and successfully repelled by the Spanish and their mosquito-borne partner, yellow fever, as in Cartagena. In sum, Vernon’s only victories were in relatively quiet and unimportant Panama.

The medals themselves depict all these events in the most favorable light possible for Vernon, to the point of comical misrepresentation. Beyond the basic organization based on location (Portobelo, Fort Chagre, Cartagena and Havana), these medals are grouped according to legends (on both sides, often with errors) and figures of Vernon and the other players in the events (often almost cartoon-like in quality), in addition to icons like cannons and ships and scenery like forts and cities (most depicted without regard to perspective or scale). Minute details like where Vernon’s finger points and where a church steeple sticks up are integral to pinpointing exact dies. Since so many of these medals are well worn, it is not always to make attributions right away, but almost always one small, visible detail can make the difference.

Besides a few examples in silver and tin (plus a unique specimen in gold), the primary metal used to make these pieces was copper alloyed with a variety of other metals, like zinc and tin. Often the generic term used is brass or bronze, but more specific references mention “pinchbeck,” referring to a proprietary alloy invented by a family of clock and watchmakers in London named Pinchbeck, who advertised their metal as resembling gold in color and ductility. Presumably the Pinchbecks were the makers and purveyors of the Vernon medals. Relatively few of the medals are signed by engravers, most of whom are unknown. Overall it is clear these medals were made in haste to satisfy and capitalize on demand from a brief hysteria.

While every collector seeks a reason or connection to collect a certain thing (like Richard Stuart’s connection with Panama for these medals), the Admiral Vernon medals can and should be collected simply for their “collectibility” as a well-studied series that has been appreciated by top numismatists for over 180 years.

Link To Admiral Vernon Medal Collection

[1] Adams-Chao, page 21

[2] Adams-Chao, page 22

[3] Adams-Chao, page 159