Sedwick auction this week - spotlighting a few interesting pieces
realeswatcher
Posts: 529 ✭✭✭✭
Sedwick's always-anticipated semi-annual auction hammers this Thu-Sat, May. 7-9, starting out with a bang with the true treasure coins - gold cobs - promptly at 9am Thursday. They of course present a premier offering of Spanish Colonial, Latin American, and shipwreck/treasure material, all of which has never been more popular and in-demand. Prebidding is open now right up until each lot hits the block - as usual, access and register at:
https://www.icollector.com/Sedwick-Associates-LLC_ae1154
Prebidding is also available through Numisbids and SixBid, I believe until the day before the auction begins.
I have a group of coins in the sale and want to highlight a few I think are noteworthy:
-- Lot 11: Madrid Philip IV cob 4 Escudos (ca. late 1630s):
Much scarcer mint for peninsular Spain gold cobs, far less common than Seville 4E of this period. Some flatness around the periphery but most of the central detail is there and the vertical MD mintmark is just visible. By style, it looks to date to right around 1638. Not a coin you'll find here in the States very often - and of course it's a nice hunk of cob gold! They called it AU det., cleaned - didn't seem so to me, if so any cleaning is certainly not egregious. Surfaces are fairly nice in hand.
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-- Lot 111: Atocha 1619 clear date Potosi (Bolivia) 8 Reales - Grade 1, nice patina!:
About as nice an Atocha piece as you'll ever find. Fairly common type for the wreck, but very UNcommon condition - if there was a "+" for Atocha grades, this is absolutely a "1+". Complete detail, well-struck on both sides, full weight w/no corrosion/seawear and attractive pewtery toning... MUCH nicer appearance than the stripped/overbuffed look a lot of Atocha pieces have. And, lest we forget, it comes WITH DATE - the bottom half of the full 1619 is readily visible. Comes complete with full photocert. and flip tag.
Compare to what you find on eBay (and others in this auction), even other Grade 1 pieces, and you'll see this is a piece for the collector who seeks quality.
https://www.icollector.com/BOLIVIA-Potos-cob-8-reales-1619-T-Grade-1_i59766492
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-- Lot 130: 1617 Potosi (Bolivia) 8 Reales from the "Dry Tortugas" wreck:
Scarce wreck provenance. Commonly called "Dry Tortugas", the actual ship name is "...(many Spanish religious names)... Rosario". This was another doomed ship of the 1622 Fleet along with the Atocha and the Santa Margarita. The coins salvaged from the wreck site were rather scattered and exposed and often in rather poor condition. This example has a striking look - it clearly shows significant environmental impact on one portion of the coin, yet VERY boldly contrasted detail where it was obviously protected by another coin(s). Super bold mintmark, assayer and digit "7" of the 1617 date. Desirable with the original early 90s Seahawk numbered COA.
https://www.icollector.com/BOLIVIA-Potos-cob-8-reales-1617-M_i59766511
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-- Lot 854: RARE UNHOLED & STRAIGHT GRADED!! Galano (aka "Royal" or "Redondo") 1638 Potosi (Bolivia) 8 Reales:
If you know, you know... Galanos (Royals) RARRRRRRRELY EVER come without a hole/plugged hole or some other mount mark. This one miraculously escaped that fate and is STRAIGHT-GRADED XF40 at PCGS! Slightly doubled full detail... exception being the last digit isn't perfectly struck up. The bottom half is discernible and the coin diematches 1638 as shown in the authoritative Lazaro reference.
If you've seen the piece and have been contemplating it... not that I'm biased or anything, but I would make your play for it. I strongly suspect that a high-end dealer will look to scoop it up then mark it up to moon money and wait until they get it because GOOD LUCK EVER FINDING ANOTHER UNHOLED & STRAIGHT-GRADED. This is your chance at a very attainable level for the special piece that this is.
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-- Lot 1327: Ferdinand & Isabella 1500s 4 Reales - RARE Segovia mint, VF25:
If you are an advanced collector of Reyes Catolicos coinage I probably don't have to tell you this, but I almost GUARANTEE that you won't find another example here in the U.S. Rare, rare denomination/mint combo with eye-popping valuations in the Calico guide. Checking ACsearch, I find only (5) different examples appearing at auction in the last 12-15 years. (3) of them were some combo of crummy, corroded, damaged and still sold on average for about $1500-2000... the other (2) are quite nice and brought $10-12,000 apiece!!!
This piece represents a nice middle ground for the dedicated collector. Obviously somewhat weakly-struck central detail, a few darker toning spots on the reverse... but overall a nice look with rich, old patina and a wonderfully large, round flan that fully frames the legends.
Again, this is another example of "find another" (let alone here in the States), let alone at an attractive starting bid. This is another piece where I suspect a peninsular Spain dealer or flipper will turn this around for a significantly higher price back in Espana in inventory or at auction Aureo, Cayon, Vico - now's your chance.
Comments
Outsanding writeup and consignment. Hope the coins get lots of strong bids!
Auction house wants to do credit checks...
Pass for me
No, they do not...
"You allow us to verify my credit history with any references provided" - i.e., the coin industry references they ask for above that... meaning if you're a new bidder, they reserve the right to check with the other firms you mention to make sure people aren't deadbeats/joybidders. In other words, if you say "oh, I've bought from XXX and YYY and ZZZ, they know me"... well, they may very well ask said firms if that's true.
They're not doing an actual Experian or similar "credit check".
Live auction begins tomorrow, Thursday, 9AM with Session I - gold cobs followed by shipwreck coins. Session II is then scheduled for 6pm (no earlier, but could be later if Session I runs late) with Mexico, Lima and Potosi silver cobs.
You look to have done pretty well, though admittedly I’m not up on prices for these items. The galano is to die for.
Were you happy with the results?
Yes, yes I was...