On October 25 and 26, 2024, Gadoury will hold two coin auctions. The first auction will present seven collections. The material ranges from the ancient world to France, with coins from Marseilles and Brittany, as well as to coins of the Papal States, the Holy Roman Empire and Transylvania. You can look forward to many rarities – especially from Transylvania.
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Auction XVI – Gadoury Auctions – COLLECTIONS DE VRAIS AMATEURS: 7 different numismatic Collections – Ancient & Brittany, Royal & Modern French, Marseille, Papal Piastres, Gold from Austria, & Transylvanian Coins
It is always impressive to see what collectors can achieve when they build up a collection for decades. They use their coins to reflect a certain era of a specific country. And a good collection will always contain both rare and common issues.
Maison Gadoury Numismatique decided to honor the life’s work of seven collectors in their upcoming auction sale by refraining from blending all coins together. Instead, every collection was catalogued separately. Therefore, the first of two autumn auctions that will take place in Monaco on October 25 and 26, 2024 will present a spectacular range of fresh material from various collections. Estimates range from the lower three-digit segment up to five-figure sums.
Lot 67: Leontinoi (Sicily). Tetradrachm, circa 440-430 BC. From CNG Triton 19 (2016), No. 37. NGC CHOICE XF 5/5 – 4/5 brushed. Estimate: 3,000 euros.
Lot 91: Syracuse (Sicily). Dionysius, 405-395 BC. Gold, 100 litrae, Syracuse, 405-395. From Semenzato auction 27 (1989). NGC CHOICE AU 3/5 – 4/5 Fine Style. Estimate: 10,000 euros.
Lot 92: Syracuse (Sicily). Agathocles, 317-289 BC. Electrum, 100 litrae, Syracuse, 317-310. From Bank Leu auction 61 (1995), No. 84. NGC CHOICE AU 4/5 – 3/5 Fine Style, die shift. Estimate: 5,000 euros.
The Monsieur F. Collection of Ancient Coins
The Gadoury auction starts with the collection of Monsieur F., a fan of classical antiquity with a particular love for Sicily and the Punic Wars. The focus of the collection is on Syracuse and Leontinoi, as well as on Carthage and the Roman Republic.
This section consists of 176 lots and includes a spectacular series of gold and electrum coins from Syracuse. At least as impressive are the ensembles of tetradrachms from Leontinoi and Syracuse of excellent quality.
Of course, the collector did not limit his collection to these focal points. He also bought coins from other areas of the ancient world, attaching great importance to rarity and quality. All the coins on offer were graded by NGC.
Lot 202: France / Brittany. Louis XII, 1498-1515. Écu d’or Ier type de Bretagne aux porcs-épics 2ème type, Nantes. NGC MS65. Estimate: 4,000 euros.
The Monsieur L. Collection of Ancient Coins and Medals from Brittany
With 28 lots, Monsieur L. assembled a small but exquisite collection. It is made up of two parts, ancient coins including all the classical coin types as well as coins from Brittany, minted between 1442 and 1547. The highlight is an écu d’or by Louis XII, who married Anne of Brittany in 1499, thus tying this duchy to France once and for all. All pieces were graded by NGC.
Lot 212: France. Henry II, 1547-1559. Double Henri d’or dit à la Gallia, Paris, no date (1554). Extremely rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 30,000 euros.
Lot 246: Louis XIV, 1643-1715. Piéfort du double louis d’or à la mèche courte. Paris, 1644. 53,91 g (quadruple weight). Extremely rare. Very fine. Estimate: 30,000 euros.
The Monsieur R. Collection of French Gold Coins
This brings us to France, the country that Monsieur R. was most passionate about. His collection includes 159 lots with French gold coins. The timeframe ranges from Charles V (1364-1380) to 1980. The focus is on royal and imperial issues. While many pieces have estimates in the mid-three-figure range, connoisseurs will encounter some particular rarities: for example a double Henri d’or à la Gallia, struck in Paris in 1554, and a double piéfort with the childlike face of Louis XIV from 1644.
Lot 367: France. François I, 1515-1547. Teston, no year, mint of Marseilles. NGC AU55. Estimate: 4,000 euros.
Coins from Marseilles from the Monsieur T. Collection
Seventy-eight lots with coins from the mint of Marseilles – from the Merovingian denier to small change of the Second Empire – document the numismatic past of this well-known harbor city. This offer provides you with the opportunity to purchase coins at a favorable price as part of the collection is presented in carefully assembled multiple lots. You do not need to travel to Monaco to view these multiple lots as there is a depiction of every single piece.
Lot 451: Italy / Papal States. Urban VIII, 1623-1644. Piastre, Rome, AN XX. Extremely fine. Estimate: 3,000 euros.
Papal Piastres, Half Piastres, and Testons from the Collection of a Coin Lover
Those who are interested in coins whose reverses show more than a coat of arms are sure to appreciate papal coinage. This also applies to the coin lover who assembled the fifth collection in this catalogue. You can look forward to impressive reverse depictions and extensive multiple lots.
Lot 516: Habsburg Empire. Rudolf II. 1599 gold medal of 6 ducats by Valentin Maler. PCGS NO SERVICE, GENI AU53. Estimate: 5,000 euros.
Lot 533: Habsburg Empire. Francis I, 1804-1835. 1816 gold medal commemorating the emperor’s visit to the mint of Milan on 17 February 1816. Rare. PCGS SP61. Estimate: 5,000 euros.
The “Francis” Collection: Coins of the Habsburg Empire
Although the collection focuses on the 19th century, connoisseurs will come across some very early, very rare pieces such as a gold medal of six ducats minted in 1599 with the portraits of Rudolph II and the seven electors. However, most of the coins were created under the rule of other Habsburg sovereigns, starting with Joseph II. The major part of them is from the mint of Vienna, but the collection also contains other mints such as Karlsburg, Kremnica, Milan, Prague, Sofia, and Venice. A small series of Serbian coins complements the collection, which comprises a total of 150 lots.
Lot 688: Transylvania. Sigismund Rákóczi, 1607-1608. 10 ducats, Kolozsvár 1607. Extremely rare. NGC AU55. Estimate: 75,000 euros.
Lot 715: Transylvania. Gabriel Bethlen, 1613-1629. 1629 double taler. Very rare. NGC XF40 TOP POP. Estimate: 30,000 euros.
Lot 720: Transylvania. Gabriel Bethlen, 1613-1629. Gold medal of 10 ducats, ca. 1620- 1621. Very rare in gold. NGC AU58 TOP POP. Estimate: 75,000 euros.
The “Beyond the Woods” Collection with Coins from Transylvania
The undisputed highlight of the auction at Gadoury is the seventh and last collection with coins from Transylvania. Transylvania, which is at the geographical center of Romania today and borders the Carpathian Mountains in the east and the south, is currently one of the fields collectors are most interested in. Therefore, the 85 lots with coins from Transylvania will be in high demand, especially because they include some extremely rare and historically exciting pieces.
For example, the collection contains a tenfold ducat minted by Sigismund Rákóczi in 1607.
Rákoczi was one of the richest men in the country and ruled for a short time before withdrawing to his personal life to avoid a civil war. His successor, Gabriel Bethlen, was very different, and the collection includes the spectacular 1629 double ducat of this ruler as well as two gold representational coins of 10 and 9 ducats, respectively. A Calvinist, he made a pact with the Turks against the Catholic Habsburgs. With Ottoman support, he became a central figure in the Thirty Years’ War. Whether he is described as an enlightened prince or a cruel plunderer depends on which country the historian comes from. In this regard, historiography still follows the propaganda of the Thirty Years’ War.
The history of Transylvania is exciting because it is still the subject of hot debate today. The coins, however, tell the story of how a small region caught between the great powers of the West and the East managed to remain – relatively – independent of both for many years.
By the way, all coins in the upcoming auction by Gadoury were graded by NGC.
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You can order the catalogue at Maison Gadoury Numismatique, 57, rue Grimaldi, 98000 Monaco; phone: +377 93 25 12 96; fax: +377 93 50 13 39; email: [email protected]. You can find the catalogue online at auction.gadoury.com, It is also possible to bid live on your computer at home via www.biddr.ch!
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