Tag Archives: numismatic

The Great Cob Collector: Luis Roberto Ponte Puigbó

13 Oct

We are honored to present the second part of the remarkable collection of Luis Roberto Ponte Puigbó, focusing on rare 4 reales and 8 reales cobs from Lima and Potosí. Luis Roberto’s passion for South American cobs was unmatched, and his collection reflects years of dedication to acquiring some of the finest and rarest examples. It’s a privilege for us to now offer these exceptional pieces to collectors around the world.

In this publication, we also share a tribute from his brother, Alejandro, which beautifully captures Luis Roberto’s love for numismatics and the legacy he leaves behind.

Luis Roberto Ponte Puigbó

Luis Roberto Ponte Puigbó
17/04/1962 – 14/03/2023

“Born in Caracas, Venezuela, descended from an ancient lineage linked to the culture, history, and science of his country, he was a passionate numismatist and historian, a respected lawyer, graduating with Honors from the prestigious Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in 1986. He pursued his profession successfully and brilliantly, being one of the best lawyers in Venezuela, legally representing major companies of the country, demonstrating his dedication and commitment to excellence. His legal background, combined with his passion for history, provided him with a unique and valuable perspective that he applied both in his professional life and in his personal interests.
“Numismatics fascinated him so much that he became an eminent researcher and one of the most outstanding collectors in the world, with vast knowledge of macuquinas (cobs), Hispano-American mints such as Lima, Potosí, and expertise in Venezuelan coins. He presented countless conferences, publications in national and international forums, contributing significant discoveries to this world. He served as Secretary and Legal Advisor of the Venezuelan Numismatic Society. He was a Corresponding Member, Secretary, and Legal Advisor of the Venezuelan Numismatic Society (Sonuve); Lifetime Member of the American Numismatic Society (ANS); Corresponding Member and District Representative for Venezuela of the American Numismatic Association (ANA); Member of the Spanish Numismatic Association (ANE); Member of the Numismatic Association of Chile (ANUCH), Member of Colombian Numismatists (Numiscol); Member of the Philatelic and Numismatic Circle of Barcelona (CNFB); Corresponding Member of the Federal Institute of Numismatic Researchers of the Argentine Republic (IFINRA); Number Member of the Dominican Numismatic Society (SND); among others.
“Luis Roberto dedicated the last years of his life to meticulous research in the historical archives of the Indies in Seville, Spain, leaving several of his findings in progress, which will be published in the near future. He was not just a coin collector; he was an investigator and explorer of the past. Each coin in his collection told a story, which was a small piece of the puzzle of our civilization. As a historian, his insatiable curiosity and meticulous attention to detail allowed him to delve into the mysteries of the past in a way that few could. Luis was always an exemplary, virtuous, cultured, brilliant, dedicated, and enthusiastic human being, whose generosity, simplicity, and humility transcended in all those who had the opportunity to know him. Despite the sadness we feel, he will be remembered for his love of life, his dedication, and passion for history and numismatics. His loss is irreparable, but his legacy will endure for decades in his research, his coins, and in our memories.”

ALEJANDRO LUIS PONTE PUIGBÓ

Link to his collection

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Sedwick & Associates presents Treasure, World, U.S. Coin and Paper Money Auction 36 Live In-Person & on the Internet, Thursday-Friday, November 7 & 8, 2024

8 Oct

This auction is one of our biggest to date, with many important rarities in coins, currency, and artifacts!
In our Gold Cobs section you will find such trophies as a Seville, Spain, 1681/0/79 S gold cob 8 escudos graded NGC MS 61 (Lot 23) and the finest known Seville, Spain, 1659 (R) gold cob 8 escudos graded NGC MS 63 (Lot 17). Also note a lovely Lima, Peru, 1748 R gold cob 8 escudos graded NGC MS 63 (Lot 37).
Shipwreck Ingots hosts one of the finest selections of shipwreck gold bars that we’ve had so far, with several unique gold ingots from the “Golden Fleece” wreck, the Atocha, the 1715 Fleet, the Luz, and the “Nanking Cargo” (Lots 73-77). Four large silver bars from the Atocha in this sale make a veritable grade set with Class Factors 0.7 up to the perfect 1.0 available for bidding (Lots 82-85).
A new feature in Shipwreck Coins is that gold cobs are now included with their respective wrecks. The Silver Banks Collection hosts over 60 silver cobs recovered from the Concepción by Captain Tracy Bowden (Lots 132-195). There’s an incredible selection of Capitana and Maravillas cobs from the Luis R. Ponte Collection including numerous countermarked pre-1652 shield-type 8 reales along with transitional and post-transitional types. The popular 1715 Fleet features a strong assortment of high-grade gold cobs including a fantastic Mexico City, Mexico, 1715 J cob 8 escudos graded NGC AU 58 (Lot 296) and the spectacularly rare Cuzco, Peru, 1698 M cob 1 escudo graded NGC AU 58 (Lot 311). A selection of U.S. shipwreck coins from the S.S. New York, S.S. Central America, and the S.S. Republic are up for sale including a rare San Francisco Assay Office gold $10 graded PCGS XF45 recovered from the S.S. Central America (Lot 424).
Mexico Silver Cobs has a small but nice group of rare “Early” and “Late” Series Charles-Joanna reales (Lots 448-451). Within Lima Silver Cobs, there are several Philip II rarities including a 4 reales of Assayer Rincón plated in Grunthal-Sellschopp’s The Coinage of Peru (Lot 457) along with many more choice pieces pedigreed to the Luis R. Ponte Collection.
Our robust Potosí Silver Cobs section features more key coins from the Luis R. Ponte Collection including a Philip II cob 8 reales of assayer L (1st period) with denomination o-VIII over P-M to right, a rarity also plated in Grunthal-Sellschopp (Lot 518). A number of very rare Royals from the Potosí Mint are being offered: Watch for the finest known 1704/3 Y cob 8 reales Royal graded NGC AU 55 (Lot 654) and the extremely rare 1709 Y cob 8 reales Heart ex-von Schuckmann (Lot 655) in this section.
Several very important collections are featured in World Coins including the Jorge Becerra Collection of Colombian Colonial Coins, the JEAS Collection of Gold Coins of Independent Colombia, Part I of the Emilio M. Ortiz Collection of Gold Coins, and Part I of the John M. O’Brien Reference Collection of Peruvian Coins. Collectors of classic Chinese coin rarities should watch for Lots 870 through 911 for numerous vintage Chinese coins from the imperial and republican eras with particular highlights being the eye-appealing Tsao-Kun military attire silver dollar of 1923 graded PCGS MS 64 (Lot 906) and the ever-popular Kweichow Year 17 (1928) “Auto” dollar graded PCGS VF 30 (Lot 909). A key coin in this session is the rare Jamaica GR countermarked of 1758 on a Lima, Peru, gold bust 8 escudos of 1751 J graded NGC c/s AU strong pedigreed to the Farouk and Rudman collections (Lot 1282). Spanish gold milled 8 escudos are well represented with several finest known and “top pop” pieces up for bidding including the gorgeous and finest known Seville, Spain, 1714 M gold 8 escudos graded NGC MS 65 (Lot 1429). Chile is another very strong area in this sale with many Spanish colonial and Republic gold and silver types available for the expert collector including the very rare Coquimbo 1828 TH “volcano” peso graded NGC AU 50 (Lot 830).
The curated Medals and Decorations section hosts several tough Bolivian medals and orders including a gold Ingaví millitary decoration of 1841 (Lot 1458). We also present another selection of Admiral Vernon medals from the prestigious John Adams Collection (Lots 1465-1486). Within U.S. Coins, Medals, and Tokens there are several important early American rarities, notably an amazing 1787 Fugio cent graded NGC MS 66 Brown—a lofty “top pop” grade for this historical type (Lot 1500). Other highlights include a 1883-S gold $20 double eagle graded PCGS AU53 from the Saddle Ridge Hoard (Lot 1490) as well as an 1894 gold proof $2½ quarter eagle graded NGC PF 58 (Lot 1491). The U.S. Paper Money section has several tough Obsoletes including two Civil War-era State of Florida notes (Lots 1506 and 1507). World Paper Money hosts many beautiful, high-grade, Latin American specimens and proofs including the finest known Costa Rica Banco Mercantil specimen 20 colones graded PMG Superb Gem UNC 67 EPQ (Lot 1523) and a very rare PMG-graded set of five Dominican Republic progressive proofs from 1978-1982 (Lot 1536).
The fifth session of our sale starts with Ancient and Medieval coins with many popular Ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine designs, including a beautifully toned Imperial Roman silver “elephant” denarius of Julius Caesar (Lot 1561) and a lustrous NGC-graded Mint State Byzantine Empire gold solidus of Justinian II (Lot 1565). Following that, the popular Coin Jewelry section hosts many gold and silver shipwreck, Spanish colonial, and ancient coins mounted into settings and ready for wearing.
This auction has a very strong Shipwreck Artifacts section featuring many pieces from the Concepción salvage work done by Captain Tracy Bowden as well as pieces he recovered from Bannister’s pirate ship Golden Fleece sunk off the Dominican Republic in 1686—an historic first offering of a new pirate shipwreck!—in addition to items from the Guadalupe and Tolosa of 1724. The Non-Wreck Artifacts section holds an array of fossils (Lots 1640-1650) as well as historical items like a sword presented in 1856 to Heinrich Halfeld for engineering work in Minas Gerais, Brazil (Lot 1654). We close out the sale with the online-only Express session featuring over 400 lots from all categories.
We wish you all good luck and hope you find the next great treasures for your collection in this sale!

For more details about the auction email us or call us.

Event Summary
Start Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 (Lot viewing and educations talks)

Educational Talks:
2:00 – 2:45 PM: Jorge Becerra Leon (Bogotá,) – “Colonial Colombian Coins”
3:00 – 3:45 PM: Jorge Ugaz (Lima,) – “The Cob Coinage of El Peru” (Spanish)
4:00 – 4:45 PM: Ignacio Gutierrez (Madrid) – “Los Doblones de a Ocho”
5:00 – 5:45 PM: Emilio M. Ortiz (Puerto Rico,) – “Gold Coinage of The Caribbean”
6:00 – 6:20 PM: Charlie Winn – (Representing The 1715 Fleet Society)
6:45 – 8:00 PM: Invitation-only cocktail reception at SpringHill Suites.

Thursday, November 7, 2024
9:00 AM: Floor auction with live internet bidding begins Gold Cobs | Shipwreck Ingots | Shipwreck Coins | Silver Cobs by mint

Friday, November 8, 2024
9:00 AM: Floor auction with live internet bidding continues:
World Coins (by country) | Medals and Decorations | U.S. Coins | Paper Money
Ancient Coins | Coin Jewelry | Artifacts

9:00 PM: Express Session (selected items from all categories)

Saturday, November 9, 2024
9:00 – 11:30 AM: Lot pick-up

For Hotel reservations please follow this LINK

SpringHill Suites Winter Park 1127 North Orlando Avenue | Winter Park, Florida, USA, 32789

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Unique Declaration of Independence medal leads record $4.27 million Sedwick auction

11 Nov

A unique American silver medal depicting the presentation of the Declaration of Independence set a new record during Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC’s Nov. 3 & 4 Treasure Auction 32.

The live online and floor auction was itself a record sale for the firm with over $4.27 million sold across 1,622 lots.

The large proof silver medal was created in 1851 by artist Charles Cushing Wright. It was the only example he struck in silver and has been called Wright’s masterpiece.

On one side, the medal depicts the presentation of the draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress on June 28th, 1776. Founding Fathers John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin along with Richard Sherman and Robert R. Livingston on the drafting committee are shown presenting the draft Declaration to the president of Congress, John Hancock. Of the 47 men present in the entire scene set at Independence Hall, 42 of them were signers of the Declaration of Independence. The design is based heavily upon the famous 1818 painting by John Trumbull that currently hangs in the US Capitol rotunda.

The other side of the medal presents a highlight of formative American historical events from the “DISCOVERY OF NORTH AMERICA BY THE ENGLISH.JLY.3.1497” to “ASSAULT ON QUEBEC BY AMERICANS.DEC.31.1775.” A vignette of Europeans landing on America’s shores as a Native American awaits graces the top of the reverse design. The bottom scene depicts a developed, busy American harbor.

The entire ownership pedigree for this unique medal can be traced dating back to Charles Ira Bushnell (Chapman auction of June 1882, lot 1274), the Garrett Estate (Bowers & Ruddy auction of April 1981, lot 1910), Julian Leidman (Bowers & Merena auction of April 1986, lot 4126), and Charles A. Warton (Stack’s Bowers auction of March 2014, lot 2077), subsequently purchased by numismatist John Adams in the Stack’s Bowers auction of August 2018 (lot 46).

NGC graded the medal as MS 62 though a specimen designation is more appropriate to describe this unique piece.

The pre-sale estimate for the lot was $25,000 and up. After spirited bidding, both online and via phone, the medal sold for $168,000. Thus, another pedigree for this unique medal has been added – as part of the Resolute Americana Collection.

“We were honored to offer this uniquely American medal at auction and see it sell so well,” said Daniel Frank Sedwick, president and founder of Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC. “It’s really fitting that the prior owner, John Adams, is himself related to Founding Father John Adams depicted on this medal.”

Shipwreck treasure also saw considerable interest during the auction with many lots surpassing their high estimates.

A unique gold bar recovered from the “Corrigan’s” wreck site of a 1715 Fleet treasure ship at Vero Beach, Florida attracted heavy bidding.

The gold ingot, weighing 915 grams and marked with a fineness of 22k, was made in Colombia before being shipped to Spain in the ill-fated fleet. It bears the royal tax stamp as well as a decorated assayer/foundry stamp (B)ARBACO(A)S indicating its origin from the important Colombian gold mining town, Barbacoas. Salvors recovered the bar in 1983 and, soon after, it went into the collection of 1715 Fleet investor Don Anderson.

With an estimate of $60,000 to $90,000, considerable bidding led to a final sale price of $132,000 for the 1715 Fleet gold bar.

The highest selling coin lot in the auction was an extremely rare gold Venezuela essai 5 venezolanos dated 1875-A in its first auction appearance ever.

The coin, graded by NGC as Proof 62 Cameo, is one of ten struck by the by the Paris Mint for the nation of Venezuela. Only five examples, including this piece, are in private hands. Another four are in museums like the Banco Central in Caracas, Venezuela. The tenth example is buried in the cornerstone of the Simon Bolivar statue by Adamo Tadolini in Plaza Bolivar also in Caracas.

The rarity and importance of this coin in Latin American numismatics sparked a bidding war. The coin ultimately sold for $78,000 on a pre-sale estimate of $30,000 to $45,000.

Other top lots in the sale include:

  • Lima, Peru (State of North Peru), gold 4 escudos, 1838 M, extremely rare, graded NGC AU 53, finest known in NGC census, ex-Hammel, ex-Goodman (lot 1040) sold for $66,000.
  • Philippines (under Spain), silver 8 reales, crowned Isabel II “Y.II” countermark (Type VI, 1834-37) on an Argentina (River Plate Provinces), 8 soles, 1815 FL, Potosi mint, graded NGC AU 53, c/s AU standard (lot 1048) sold for $45,000.
  • Venezuela (struck at the Paris Mint by Barre), silver essai 1/2 real, 1863 E, graded NGC SP 61 (lot 1114) sold for $45,000.
  • Lima, Peru, gold bust 8 escudos, Ferdinand VI, 1758 JP, graded NGC MS 63, ex-Karon, ex-Segarra (lot 1020) sold for $33,600.
  • Guanajuato, Mexico, gold 20 pesos, 1872 S, NGC MS 66, finest known in NGC census (lot 1008) sold for $31,200.
  • Segovia, Spain, gold 4 excelentes, Ferdinand-Isabel, mintmark at top, denomination Arabic 4 above K at bottom between busts, rare, NGC AU 53 (lot 1065) sold for $26,400.
  • Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales Royal (galano), Louis I, 1727 Y, very rare, graded NGC AU details / holed (lot 485) sold for $24,000.
  • Seville, Spain, gold milled 8 escudos, Philip V, 1701 M, florets flanking fleece, 8-S-8-M in tressure-dimples, graded NGC MS 65, finest known in NGC census (lot 1080) sold for $22,800.
  • Panama, proof silver 25 centimos, 1904, very rare, graded NGC PF 64 (lot 1015) sold for $21,000.
  • To see these and other highlights sold at auction click here

Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC’s next Treasure Auction will be held in May 3-4, 2023. Interested consignors should contact the company by email at office@sedwickcoins.com or phone +407.975.3325 (deadline February 10, 2023). Full auction results are available at auction.sedwickcoins.com.

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What You Can’t Live Without Buying in Treasure Auction #20 (part two)

25 Oct

In this blog, we will cover some of the big-ticket items (i.e. gold and gold and silver bars) you can find in our upcoming auction. These coins and bars are important for either their rarity, their quality, their provenance or all of the above. They are for the discerning advanced collector who can afford the best. These lots also represent historical treasures which anyone can appreciate whether they can buy them or not.

 

 

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Lot 30, Sedwick Treasure Auction #20

The above Lima 8 escudos cob is the finest known of its type in the NGC census with a grade of MS 63. Dan has described it as “a superb specimen all around, befitting the top honors.” Over and above that, it’s from the 1715 Fleet!

 

 

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Lot 35, Sedwick Treasure Auction #20

Another Lima 8 escudos cob, this coin is tied for finest known in the NGC census with a grade of MS 62. Dan’s description: “Clearly top grade but probably also the best in terms of strike, and apparently one of very few of this date and denomination recovered” from the Luz. ‘Nuff said!

 

 

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Lot 48, Sedwick Treasure Auction #20

A Bogota 8 escudos cob, this coin is the finest and only specimen in the NGC census with a grade of XF 45. Per Dan’s description it’s a “royal-like specimen on a broad flan with 100% full and bold date and king’s name in legend….one of just a handful of full-date specimens from this mint that seem to have been intended as presentation pieces, so great is the contrast between them and the regular issues with only partially or non-visible dates.” Furthermore, he notes that “this Philip V issue is much tougher than the Ferdinand VI type that followed.”

 

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Lot 89, Sedwick Treasure Auction #20

This Potosi bust 4 escudos is the finest and only known in the NGC census with a grade of AU 58. As Dan has noted, only 170 pieces (both laureate and non-laureate types) were minted and this date is the rarest bust-type issue in any denomination from this mint. It’s “a trophy gem and has no equal in any sales records known to us,” with “trophy” seeming like an understatement!

 

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Lot 161, Sedwick Treasure Auction #20

The above is a Lima, Peru, bust 8 escudos from the time of Ferdinand VI and dated 1751. This lot is “one of only two of this ‘large wigged bust’ type” from the Luz shipwreck. Pretty rare stuff!

 

 

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Lot 202, Sedwick Treasure Auction #20

On to bars! Above is a complete gold “strap” ingot for making oro corriente pieces, marked five times with circular tax stamp of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (Charles I of Spain) from an unidentified early 1500s wreck in the Caribbean. As Dan states, “its near-uniform flatness and its markings all indicate that this piece is the first example ever recorded of a complete ‘strap’ (in Spanish: riel) for cutting into the known (but very rare) money pieces (small) known as ‘oro corriente,’ which were used in place of actual gold coins (which were in short supply) in the colonies and thus represent the ‘first fish out of the lake’ from the colonies in terms of local gold coinage.” It dates to the 1520s and hence is “unique in importance, especially as the earliest form of Spanish colonial gold treasure we have ever offered.”

 

 

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Lot 203, Sedwick Treasure Auction #20

Another important bar, the above gold “finger” bar is encrusted with coral as from the “Golden Fleece wreck” and was made “in a period when gold coins were not yet made in the New World and ‘oro corriente’ was being phased out” says Dan. Shipwreck bars are always in demand in our auctions.

 

 

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Lot 210, Sedwick Treasure Auction #20

A very unusual silver “tumbaga” bar (#M-61) whose “most intriguing aspect is a large area of exposed pure copper, revealing how most ‘tumbaga’ silver was created by hammering silver and copper together and therefore showing the true nature of ‘metal of Michoacan’,” according to Dan. You should read The Tumbaga Saga by Agustin Garcia Barneche to learn more about these important and fascinating early silver bars.

 

 

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Lot 211, Sedwick Treasure Auction #20

What’s an auction without a large silver Atocha bar (#451)? As Dan notes of special importance, accompanying this bar is a “complete manifest report, which was an optional (and mostly declined) item when the bars were first distributed.” Rarity and provenance!

That’s all for now, and we hope this note will whet your appetite for our auction.

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Sedwick Treasure, World and US Coin Auction #20 Preview

7 Sep

christmas-packages

While all of us at Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC, are diligently working on making our November Treasure World & US Coin Auction #20 the BEST ever, I thought I would pause to tell you about some of the cool stuff we will have for you to bid on and *hopefully* buy. First off, make sure your Christmas wish list is empty because there are lots and lots of goodies you’ll want! I’m already making my list.

In the upcoming auction, we have a Maravillas Research Collection of countermarked Potosi cobs. Here’s a refresher about the Maravillas from our website (abridged):

Maravillas, sunk in 1656 off Grand Bahama Island

shipwreck

As the almiranta (“admiral’s ship,” or rear guard) of the homebound Spanish fleet in January of 1656, the Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas was officially filled with over five million pesos of treasure (and probably much more in contraband, as was usually the case). That treasure included much of the silver salvaged from the South Seas Fleet’s Capitana of 1654 that wrecked on Chanduy Reef off Ecuador. The ill-fated treasure sank once again when the Maravillas unexpectedly ran into shallow water and was subsequently rammed by one of the other ships of its fleet, forcing the captain to try to ground the Maravillas on a nearby reef on Little Bahama Bank off Grand Bahama Island. In the ensuing chaos, exacerbated by strong winds, most of the 650 people on board the ship died in the night, and the wreckage scattered. Spanish salvagers soon recovered almost half a million pesos of treasure quickly, followed by more recoveries over the next several decades, yet with over half of the official cargo still unfound. The first re-discovery of the Maravillas in the 20th century was by Robert Marx and his company Seafinders in 1972. The second big salvage effort on the Maravillas was by Herbert Humphreys and his company Marex in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The wreck area is still being searched today, but officially the Bahamian government has not granted any leases on the site since the early 1990s.

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Roberto Mastalir Divisek

 

In addition to the above Potosi shipwreck cobs, we are honored to present a collection of “Transitional” 1652 Potosi 8 reales cobs put together and written about extensively by Robert Mastalir. All of his coins in the upcoming auction are featured (photographed) in his book The Great Transition at the Potosi Mint, 1649-1653, the 1652 Transitional 8 Reales, which is out of print already, but we plan to re-print it for the auction soon.

 

 

Unfortunately, sometimes collections come to us after the death of the collector, and that’s the case for the Charles Eidel collection of shipwreck coins and ancient Greek and Roman coins. Charlie was a genial retired NYC policeman whose appetite for coins was wide ranging. His meticulous record keeping and coin descriptions reflect his love for the hobby. It’s now time for him to posthumously pass along his gems for the next generation of collectors.

Near and dear to my heart is our major offering of Charles and Joanna coinage (both Early and Late Series) in this auction. We have a smattering of coins from several different sources which complement each other very well and will give you a lot of opportunities to enrich your collection…or start one! While we generally feature 4 reales from shipwrecks, this time we will have a large selection of the very hard-to-find smaller denominations. We will even have an early series Assayer R 1 real. And when’s the last time you saw Assayer S in any denomination? We’ve got a 2 reales for sale!

That’s it for now, but it should help you decide on what you’d like to see under the Christmas tree this year (or before)! Happy bidding.

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