Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3030 5-6 January 2014
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Guatemala
Republic gold 20 Pesos 1877-F, KM199, Fr-44, MS62 NGC. Guatemala Republic 20 Pesos 1877-F. "F" is for Johann Baptist Frener, the Guatemala Mint's director and Main Engraver at the time. Head of Liberty left, with flowing hair on the obverse, and a Quetzal bird atop a scroll, over crossed arms with wreath around on the reverse. A very lustrous specimen, with minute handling marks but very attractive overall and possibly the finest known. Less than five specimens confirmed of this date.This very rare type is one of the classic rarities of the gold Guatemalan series and probably Frener's finest work as well. Of Swiss origin, Frener was instated as Main engraver of the Guatemala Mint by strongman Rafael Carrera, and begin to show his talent starting in 1859. His beautiful rendition of the Guatemalan coat of arms depicting the Quetzal bird on the reverse was used in most of that nation's coinage starting in 1872. For the coins of the present type, he carefully inserted the legend POST TENEBRAS LUX (after darkness comes light) in retrograde letters on the right sword under the scroll on the reverse. This hidden phrase is due to Frener celebrating his instatement as the Mint's Director after his temporary outing during the previous years, and be easily seen in this coin due to its unusually high condition. When commenting this specimen, the cataloguer in the Eliasberg sale noted that although both dates (1877 and 1878 of this 20 Pesos type) are priced in KM at the same levels, this date (the 1877) appears to be the more elusive one. This is very much true: nice specimens of the (still very rare) 1878 were included in the F. C. C. Boyd (Superior 8/1975, lot 2591), Norweb (Christie's Dallas 11/1985, lot 879), Haberthuer (SBC 1/1996, lot 2737), Millenia (Golberg 5/2008, lot 1064) and Caballero de las Yndias (Aureo 4/2009, lot 318) collections, while Ponterio recently offered a slightly lesser piece as well (11/2009, lot 8525). However, prior to the sale of this same specimen in the Eliasberg collection, the extremely rare 1877 date had apparently not been offered for more than 25 years! An unexpected opportunity to acquire the finest specimen of this rarity.Ex. Waldo Newcomer (Morgenthau 2/1935, lot 348) – Clapp - Eliasberg (ANR 4/2005, lot 3059 for $ 26,000).From The Isaac Rudman Collection of Guatemala Coins
Estimate: 25000-35000 USD
Republic gold 20 Pesos 1877-F, KM199, Fr-44, MS62 NGC. Guatemala Republic 20 Pesos 1877-F. "F" is for Johann Baptist Frener, the Guatemala Mint's director and Main Engraver at the time. Head of Liberty left, with flowing hair on the obverse, and a Quetzal bird atop a scroll, over crossed arms with wreath around on the reverse. A very lustrous specimen, with minute handling marks but very attractive overall and possibly the finest known. Less than five specimens confirmed of this date.This very rare type is one of the classic rarities of the gold Guatemalan series and probably Frener's finest work as well. Of Swiss origin, Frener was instated as Main engraver of the Guatemala Mint by strongman Rafael Carrera, and begin to show his talent starting in 1859. His beautiful rendition of the Guatemalan coat of arms depicting the Quetzal bird on the reverse was used in most of that nation's coinage starting in 1872. For the coins of the present type, he carefully inserted the legend POST TENEBRAS LUX (after darkness comes light) in retrograde letters on the right sword under the scroll on the reverse. This hidden phrase is due to Frener celebrating his instatement as the Mint's Director after his temporary outing during the previous years, and be easily seen in this coin due to its unusually high condition. When commenting this specimen, the cataloguer in the Eliasberg sale noted that although both dates (1877 and 1878 of this 20 Pesos type) are priced in KM at the same levels, this date (the 1877) appears to be the more elusive one. This is very much true: nice specimens of the (still very rare) 1878 were included in the F. C. C. Boyd (Superior 8/1975, lot 2591), Norweb (Christie's Dallas 11/1985, lot 879), Haberthuer (SBC 1/1996, lot 2737), Millenia (Golberg 5/2008, lot 1064) and Caballero de las Yndias (Aureo 4/2009, lot 318) collections, while Ponterio recently offered a slightly lesser piece as well (11/2009, lot 8525). However, prior to the sale of this same specimen in the Eliasberg collection, the extremely rare 1877 date had apparently not been offered for more than 25 years! An unexpected opportunity to acquire the finest specimen of this rarity.Ex. Waldo Newcomer (Morgenthau 2/1935, lot 348) – Clapp - Eliasberg (ANR 4/2005, lot 3059 for $ 26,000).From The Isaac Rudman Collection of Guatemala Coins
Estimate: 25000-35000 USD