Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3030 5-6 January 2014
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Jamaica
British Colony - Jamaica Authority of November gold 1758 Pistole (valued at One Pound Five Shillings), KM10.2, Fr-3, Prid-2, Gordon-2 (c), VF20 NGC. Under coin unflawed almost Very Fine with a pleasant tone, counterstamp Very Fine. A Colombia Popayan 1758-J 2 Escudos counterstamped centrally on both sides with a floriate "GR" in a circular indent (same punches as those used to stamp the silver 1 Real). Extremely rare and important with four specimens known for this type, this being one of two over a Popayan 1758 2 Escudos. The four known specimens to the cataloguer are the following:1) 2 E 1758 Popayan: the present coin, ex Madrid collector (Glendining's 6/1937, lot 416, for £ 40). This piece can be identified by the small dig next to the lower right of the shield on the reverse.2) 2 E 1758 Popayan: the Pridmore plate coin, ex Glendining's (5/1961, lot 125 for £ 160) - ex Ray Byrne (Jess Peters 6/1975, lot 798, for $ 7,500) - ex Edward Roehrs collection (Dix Noonan Webb 11/2011, lot 383 for ₤19,000). Different dies from the present piece, noticeable in the closer digits 5 and 8 in the date, and the different position for the R in "SEQUOR" v/s the shield on the reverse. Note that the description in the Byrne catalog gives an ex Murdoch-Caldecott pedigree for this piece, but this would appear to be unsubstantiated: the cataloguer inspected both of the Murdoch (Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 7/1903) and Caldecott (Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 6/1912) sales, and could not find the mentioned piece. 3) 2 E 1757 Nuevo Reino: ex Lonja del Almidon sale 3/1936, lot 1384 - Gordon miswrote the reference as Lonja de Almedo, same coin as Spink London 10/1991 sale for $28,900.4) 2 E 1759 Popayan: the Gordon plate coin. All Jamaican countermarked gold is very rare, with only 9 specimens of the doubloon and 4 specimens of the pistole (as mentioned above) having been traced by the cataloguer. Note in particular that this specimen and another specimen of the related 1759 Lima doubloon (see our lot 23510) were both sold in the anonymous "Gold Coins" Glendining's sale of June 16, 1937 as lots 415 and 416. The preface to that important sale's catalog reads The South American collection was brought together, piece by piece by a Madrid collector, and was fortunately brought out of the country a few weeks before the Civil War started... The West Indian series also produces two great rarities in the Onza and ¼ Onza of Jamaica (lots 415 and 416), neither of which appear to have come on the market before, although both are reported as being excessively rare by Howland Wood. Amazingly, an equivalent duo of extreme rarities has been once more reunited for public auction, more than 75 years later! A truly wonderful opportunity for the specialist, and a landmark of the I. Rudman collection.
Estimate: 30000-35000 USD
British Colony - Jamaica Authority of November gold 1758 Pistole (valued at One Pound Five Shillings), KM10.2, Fr-3, Prid-2, Gordon-2 (c), VF20 NGC. Under coin unflawed almost Very Fine with a pleasant tone, counterstamp Very Fine. A Colombia Popayan 1758-J 2 Escudos counterstamped centrally on both sides with a floriate "GR" in a circular indent (same punches as those used to stamp the silver 1 Real). Extremely rare and important with four specimens known for this type, this being one of two over a Popayan 1758 2 Escudos. The four known specimens to the cataloguer are the following:1) 2 E 1758 Popayan: the present coin, ex Madrid collector (Glendining's 6/1937, lot 416, for £ 40). This piece can be identified by the small dig next to the lower right of the shield on the reverse.2) 2 E 1758 Popayan: the Pridmore plate coin, ex Glendining's (5/1961, lot 125 for £ 160) - ex Ray Byrne (Jess Peters 6/1975, lot 798, for $ 7,500) - ex Edward Roehrs collection (Dix Noonan Webb 11/2011, lot 383 for ₤19,000). Different dies from the present piece, noticeable in the closer digits 5 and 8 in the date, and the different position for the R in "SEQUOR" v/s the shield on the reverse. Note that the description in the Byrne catalog gives an ex Murdoch-Caldecott pedigree for this piece, but this would appear to be unsubstantiated: the cataloguer inspected both of the Murdoch (Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 7/1903) and Caldecott (Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 6/1912) sales, and could not find the mentioned piece. 3) 2 E 1757 Nuevo Reino: ex Lonja del Almidon sale 3/1936, lot 1384 - Gordon miswrote the reference as Lonja de Almedo, same coin as Spink London 10/1991 sale for $28,900.4) 2 E 1759 Popayan: the Gordon plate coin. All Jamaican countermarked gold is very rare, with only 9 specimens of the doubloon and 4 specimens of the pistole (as mentioned above) having been traced by the cataloguer. Note in particular that this specimen and another specimen of the related 1759 Lima doubloon (see our lot 23510) were both sold in the anonymous "Gold Coins" Glendining's sale of June 16, 1937 as lots 415 and 416. The preface to that important sale's catalog reads The South American collection was brought together, piece by piece by a Madrid collector, and was fortunately brought out of the country a few weeks before the Civil War started... The West Indian series also produces two great rarities in the Onza and ¼ Onza of Jamaica (lots 415 and 416), neither of which appear to have come on the market before, although both are reported as being excessively rare by Howland Wood. Amazingly, an equivalent duo of extreme rarities has been once more reunited for public auction, more than 75 years later! A truly wonderful opportunity for the specialist, and a landmark of the I. Rudman collection.
Estimate: 30000-35000 USD