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Significant Collections Without Significant Fanfare

I spent some amount of time this morning digging through some lovely images on coinfacts to see what pieces are available I am missing out on.


this lovely example is the highest graded at PCGS at MS67. Upon further inspection the MS66 shown on the coin facts page is the literal next cert #


following this lovely example is a MS65+ from the same submission.


After those we shift to another type but going from cert to cert I mapped out the full submission and it's certs 26559502 to 26559650.

I don't know what is considered significant but in the world of 19th century British coinage this group was astounding. No pedigree to accompany it despite it being a significant portion of the highest grade coinage of the era. Perhaps a half or more of the coins in the submission were top pop or tied for it. The lowest grade in the run is a lone MS64 but there's loads of 66/66+ maybe a dozen 67s and at least 4 or 5 68s. Following some of the past sales of pieces within the collection I see the earliest sales of the group in a HA auction.

https://coins.ha.com/c/search-results.zx?N=3184+790+231+4294956312+4294956142

Just 23 of the incredible pieces were auctioned together here listed as from "The Kairos Collection". I can find no other mention or explanation of this collection except for a recent 2022 stacks bowers sale of a large group of Chinese coinage. Hard to know for sure if it's from the same source. Some amount of time HA and other auction houses have been known to give a name to a group of coins to enhance their potential sales prices. That could be the case here, but it would be an impressive group to be assembled simply for an auction house sale.

In your own collecting areas of interest have there been similar instances? I find it hard to have a significant achievement such at that group just go out into the world without note or explanation as to why or how it was assembled. The original auction was in 2013 and here we are 10 years later with a significant portion of that submission being un-challenged.

For some eye candy here's a few of my favorites in the 148 coin run.





https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery

The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"

Comments

  • jdmernjdmern Posts: 313 ✭✭✭

    There are some pretty remarkable raw collections out there that are very under the radar...

    Justin Meunier

    Boardwalk Numismatics

  • robp2robp2 Posts: 168 ✭✭✭✭

    @jdmern said:
    There are some pretty remarkable raw collections out there that are very under the radar...

    Very much so, and when you see one it's pure unadulterated pleasure.

  • ClioClio Posts: 566 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jdmern said:
    There are some pretty remarkable raw collections out there that are very under the radar...

    Oh for sure I don't mean to suggest otherwise but raw just the same as slabbed stay in private collections for years before coming to market. I am surprised a collection of this caliber was so quiet to the market when it seems most collections sold within my tenure collecting are not half as nice with loads more publicity.

    Looking at any auctions from 10 years ago and there's multiple coins in each sale I would've liked for my collection whereas in this era I rarely see pieces I feel can't be replaced.

    https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery

    The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"

  • 7Jaguars7Jaguars Posts: 7,574 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Trap door spider collectors....Quiet of a purpose but sadly coins disappear for some period(s) of time.

    Love that Milled British (1830-1960)
    Well, just Love coins, period.
  • tcollectstcollects Posts: 1,112 ✭✭✭✭✭

    nice coins, interesting post - IMHO UK collectors don't value luster as much as US collectors, so it's super rare to assemble such a collection of original gems

  • robp2robp2 Posts: 168 ✭✭✭✭

    @7Jaguars said:
    Trap door spider collectors....Quiet of a purpose but sadly coins disappear for some period(s) of time.

    Aren't we all? There has always been collectors who start young and collect their whole lives. Off the market for 50 years is not uncommon. 20 or 30 years frequently the case. That's why patience is a definite virtue.

  • TiborTibor Posts: 3,612 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Many collections in Europe that are generations old and still
    being added. Not the modern pieces but rounding out or upgrading
    the collection.

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