Heritage World Coin Auctions
CICF Signature Sale 3032 10-12 April 2014
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
Paraguay
Republic silver Pattern 10 Reales 1854, Paris mint, KM-Pn1, Peña-7 (var.), Pratt-M2, SP55 PCGS. A slightly mishandled Proof showing light contact marks in the fields, but an attractive specimen of this rare and classic Paraguayan pattern engraved by Louis-Charles Bouvet - his signature "BOUVET F(ECIT)" or "Fabricated by Bouvet" appears at 4 o'clock on the date side. This piece is struck on silver-plated tin or white metal. A similar example was lot 10183 in the Fonrobert 1878 sale. Silver examples are extremely rare, and the cataloguer has been unable to confirm any specimen, since the examples held in the ANS from the Herz collection (referenced as Herz 150 and 151) show values for both the weight (20.737 and 19.833 grams respectively) and specific gravity (7.652 and 7.516 respectively) that appear incompatible with a 38 mm silver crown of normal thickness. Nevertheless, silver examples were indeed very probably struck as shown by a little known almost contemporary reference: the "Explication des ouvrages de peinture, sculpture, gravure, litographie et architecture...", a catalog of the artistic items exposed on May 15, 1855 at the Exposition Universelle of that year, lists Bouvet's works under # 4259. Apart from French medals and pattern, it lists patterns of Spanish coinage in gold and silver made for the 1852 Salon, and "gold and silver patterns of the coinage of Paraguay". The latter appears to the cataloguer as a reference to the 1854 10 Reales and (excessively rare) 1855 4 Pesos. Ex: Stack's Bowers (11/2012, lot 10583 for $2,800)
Estimate: 2500-3000 USD
Republic silver Pattern 10 Reales 1854, Paris mint, KM-Pn1, Peña-7 (var.), Pratt-M2, SP55 PCGS. A slightly mishandled Proof showing light contact marks in the fields, but an attractive specimen of this rare and classic Paraguayan pattern engraved by Louis-Charles Bouvet - his signature "BOUVET F(ECIT)" or "Fabricated by Bouvet" appears at 4 o'clock on the date side. This piece is struck on silver-plated tin or white metal. A similar example was lot 10183 in the Fonrobert 1878 sale. Silver examples are extremely rare, and the cataloguer has been unable to confirm any specimen, since the examples held in the ANS from the Herz collection (referenced as Herz 150 and 151) show values for both the weight (20.737 and 19.833 grams respectively) and specific gravity (7.652 and 7.516 respectively) that appear incompatible with a 38 mm silver crown of normal thickness. Nevertheless, silver examples were indeed very probably struck as shown by a little known almost contemporary reference: the "Explication des ouvrages de peinture, sculpture, gravure, litographie et architecture...", a catalog of the artistic items exposed on May 15, 1855 at the Exposition Universelle of that year, lists Bouvet's works under # 4259. Apart from French medals and pattern, it lists patterns of Spanish coinage in gold and silver made for the 1852 Salon, and "gold and silver patterns of the coinage of Paraguay". The latter appears to the cataloguer as a reference to the 1854 10 Reales and (excessively rare) 1855 4 Pesos. Ex: Stack's Bowers (11/2012, lot 10583 for $2,800)
Estimate: 2500-3000 USD