The most expensive collection of coins to ever reach the auction block has a backstory straight out of Hollywood.
An anonymous collector first began assembling coins in the 1930s after the stock market crash of 1929, eventually gathering 15,000 extremely rare and historically significant pieces, many of which are the only known examples of their kinds.
Soon, he and his wife left the day-to-day of their family business and set off on an adventure, spending a decade traveling the Americas and Europe hunting the most obscure coins imaginable. All the while, they kept a detailed log of their purchases and inventory.
Finally, they ended their journey in Europe (the country is not disclosed) — only for the Nazis to take over soon after. They opted to remain in country rather than flee, potentially due to the difficulty of transporting their massive collection.
So, the collector buried the coins on his property in cigar boxes. He would die shortly after, leaving the coins undisturbed underground for 50 years, until his heirs retrieved the collection, eventually consigning the massive haul to Numismatica Art Classica for a three-year auction series expected to be the largest single-owner sale in the long history of numismatics.
“The vast range and superb quality of the coins offered, the sheer number of great rarities and the fascinating story of the collection’s formation will make these sales a landmark in the history of numismatics,” Arturo Russo, director of Numismatica Art Classica, said in a statement.
Coins in the collection come from over 100 territories and range from ancient times to the modern era. Dubbed “The Traveller Collection,” the auction house says it is “the most prized collection of coins to be sold at auction in the history of numismatics.”
Among the gems in the collection are multiple coins estimated to fetch more than $1 million, such as a gold coin of Ferdinand III of Habsburg and rare coins minted in Tehran in the late 18th century.
The first auction will feature British machine-struck coins and medallions.
“When it came to cataloguing the British coins from the Traveller Collection I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming,” David Guest, consultant to the collection, said in a statement. “Not only was the quality exceptional, but many of the coins before me were of types not known to have been offered for sale in over 80 years and, in some cases, completely unrecorded."
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.