Watch List notes:

Straits Settlements
Victoria Three-piece silver Set 1871, consisting of: (1) 5 Cent 1871, KM10, Pridmore-122, MS66 NGC. A totally original, well struck example toned in attractive shades of gold and argent-gray. The surfaces are free of all significant flaws and the obverse fields are highly mirrored beneath the toning. NGC has certified only one piece higher than this amazing coin. (2) 10 Cent 1871, KM11, Pridmore-79, MS66 NGC. Boldy struck with a golden obverse, silver and turquoise reverse. NGC has certified only this single coin as MS66, with none finer and (3) 20 Cent 1871, KM12, Pridmore-39, MS65 NGC. Flawlessly struck, from what appear to be Proof dies. The edges are razor-sharp, the devices perfect, and the fields fully mirrored below the original gold, silver, and steel-gray toning. A truly exceptional piece. All three pieces are the plate coins from, "Brunei & Nusantara: History in Coinage,". NGC has certified one piece of this rare issue in MS61, two in MS62, and one in MS63. And then we have this Gem example---the single finest piece certified, in MS65. The MS63 was sold in our April 2012 Chicago auction and realized $29,900. That, alone, should speak for the value of these three outstanding Straits Settlements issues. The best possible 1871 set! Until 1871 the Straits Settlements and the neighboring Malay States had used a mixture of non-local silver coinage including in particular Mexican dollars and Indian rupees. Actually, during the century prior to this period until 1867 the government - this being for the most part the East India Company kept all records in Rupee currency. However the silver rupee was not popular locally.In 1842 Indian copper coins were introduced into the Straits Settlements. However, this experiment was a failure, resulting in the decision in 1844 by the Supreme Government of India that a special copper coinage would be issued in the Straits. These coins were dated 1845 and comprised 1 Cent, 1/2 Cent, and 1/4 Cent: coins bearing this date were struck and issued right up until the end of the East India Company in 1858. In 1858 the Company transferred its powers to the British Government, and the Straits Settlements became part of the Government of British India. According to Fred Pridmore, until 1862 the Government of India supplied to the Straits Settlements the three existing copper coins still bearing the date 1845. Then in1862 a new coinage was prepared for the Straits reflecting the change of title, these again comprising the Cent, 1/2 Cent and 1/4 Cent. However, it was only in 1871 that the Straits Settlements received its first silver coins, these comprising a 20 Cent, 10 Cent, and 5 Cent. Of this historic first issue of silver the 20 Cent and 5 Cent are considered rare, while the 10 Cent was minted in relatively larger quantity.  New bronze coinage for the Straits Settlements as a crown colony was not ready until the following year, and are dated 1872. Thus the first coinage for the Straits Settlements as a colony is the 1871 issue, of which the finest are presented here. From The William Barrett Collection

Estimate: 100000-125000 USD