DALLAS, TX.- By the time the auction hammer fell for the final time in Heritage’s January 13 NYINC Platinum Session World & Ancient Coins Signature® Auction, demand drove the so-called “unicorn coin” of the entire series of South African coins to $2.16 million to lead the auction to $18,466,337.

That total, when added to the January 20 NYINC Physical Cryptocurrency Featuring the Otoh Collection, Part III Platinum Session Signature® Auction that ended January 20 at $4,102,590 and the NYINC World & Ancient Coins Signature® Auction that brought $3,934,164 January 21-22 made NYINC one of the biggest ever for the world’s largest coins auctioneer, with a total of $26,503,091.

The total is part of a remarkable start to 2025 for Heritage Auctions’ numismatics departments — along with the more than $78 million from FUN auctions of US coins and currency, Heritage brought in more than $100 million in numismatic auctions in the first three weeks of the calendar year.

Soaring past pre-auction expectations to lead the event was a Republic gold “9” Pond 1898 MS63 Prooflike NGC from the Gatsby Collection that has been called “The King of South African Coins.”

“This unique coin is one of the most valuable and rare coins in the world,” says Cris Bierrenbach, Executive Vice President of International Numismatics at Heritage Auctions. “It has an incredible pedigree — it once was part of King Farouk’s illustrious ‘Palace Collections of Egypt’ —and has been held privately for the past 14 years.

“The appeal for the coin only increases because it comes from The Gatsby Collection, an extraordinary curation of pre-1960 South African coinage. The Gatsby Collection represents the single greatest collection of South African coins ever assembled, and not surprisingly, drew out every advanced collector around the world, along with creating many new collectors of the series in the process. The popularity of the series, and importance of this collection, is evidenced by the fact that the vast majority of lots in this collection actually sold to collectors in countries other than South Africa.”

All told, the Gatsby Collection produced 94 lots in the auction, including:

A Republic gold “99” Pond 1898 MS65 NGC: $108,000

A Republic gold Proof “Double Shaft” Pond 1892 PR64 NGC: $78,000

A Republic gold “Coarse Beard” Burgers Pond 1874 MS65 NGC: $72,000

The auction featured treasures from multiple collections, incuding the Robert C. Pickett Collection, the highlights of which included a magnificent Victoria gold Proof “Una and the Lion” 5 Pounds 1839 PR62+ Ultra Cameo NGC that closed at $336,000. Designed by Royal Mint Chief Engraver William Wyon, this elusive and highly coveted issue was struck just two years into Queen Victoria's reign and narrates a symbol drawn from Edmund Spenser's 16th-century epic, “The Faerie Queene,” with Una representing Truth and the lion symbolizing the full might of England.

Reaching the same $336,000 was a James II gold 5 Guineas 1688 MS64 Prooflike NGC. The last example of the denomination that approached a Gem assignment at Heritage was the William & Mary Paramount specimen in 2021. This example is tied with just one other for the finest, not only for the date, but across all of James II’s 5 Guineas series at both PCGS and NGC.

A gorgeous George IV gold Proof 5 Pounds 1826 PR65 Deep Cameo PCGS, also designed by Wyon, achieved $300,000. Other examples have been offered before at Heritage, but almost always at the 63 grade level. The PR65 grade puts this example in the top 5% of the certified population between both grading services.

Numerous records were set in the auction, including a Victoria gold Proof Pattern “Bonomi” Crown 1837-Dated (1893) PR66 PCGS that sold for $228,000, establishing a new record for the type. Designed by Joseph Bonomi, it is an astounding rarity from a mintage of just six pieces in gold that has not been offered in any metal at Heritage since the Cape Coral specimen in silver in 2018.

A João V gold 6400 Reis (Peça) 1730-B UNC Details (Cleaned) PCGS brought $228,888 to set a new auction record for all João V coinage. It is a behemoth of the Brazilian series, with dates surrounding this example coming to market in the last decade, but never the 1730 of Bahia. The example sold in this auction is the only example to come to market in recent memory.

Russian coins were popular among collectors, including a Nicholas I platinum 12 Roubles 1830-CПБ MS63 Prooflike NGC that drew a winning bid of $132,000 and a Nicholas I platinum 6 Roubles 1830-CПБ MS67 NGC, St. Petersburg mint, KM-C178, Bit-56 (R2), Sev-600 (R), Fr-159 from the Eternal Collection that set a new auction record for the date at $114,000.

The Eternal Collection is an extraordinary assemblage of some of the most prized and impeccably preserved examples of each distinctive type ever seen. More treasures from the collection will be sold in four installments over the next year.

Other lots from the Eternal Collection that set new records for the date included a R.S.F.S.R. gold Proof Chervonetz (10 Roubles) 1923-ПЛ PR65 NGC and a Paul I “Heavy” Rouble 1797 CM-ФЦ MS66 NGC, each achieving a record $96,000.

Also setting a record for the date at $96,000, but not from the same collection, was a Philip V 4 Reales 1733 MX/XM-MF MS63 Prooflike PCGS.

Ancient Coins

More than two dozen bids poured in from collectors oping to build the ultimate 12 Caesars in gold for a Gaius (Caligula) (AD 37-41), with Divus Augustus. AV aureus NGC MS 5/5 - 5/5 until it reached $600,000. The result was the best for any ancient coin offered by any auction house at NYINC, and established a world record by far for a Caligula aureus.

Several other ancient coins fared exceptionally well, including:

• A Macrinus (AD 217-218). AV Aureus (20mm, 7.18 gm, 6h). NGC Choice MS“star” 5/5 - 4/5, Fine Style: $132,000

• A Hadrian (AD 117-138). AV aureus (21mm, 7.30 gm, 6h). NGC Choice AU“star” 5/5 - 5/5, Fine Style: $126,000

• A PTOLEMAIC EGYPT. Berenice II (267/266-221 BC). AV mnaieion or octodrachm (27mm, 27.81 gm, 12h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 3/5: $120,000

• A PTOLEMAIC EGYPT. Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-222 BC). AV mnaieion or octodrachm (27mm, 27.85 gm, 1h). NGC MS“star” 5/5 - 4/5: $114,000
Complete results can be found here.

Cryptocurrency

The Otoh Collection of Physical Cryptocurrency, Part III included an atounding variety of offerings, including Casascious, Lealana and Crypto Imperator. The collection is named after bitcointalk.org forum member “Otoh,” whose journey into cryptocurrency began in 2011, soon after the advent of Bitcoin.

Leading the collection was a Casascius gold Unloaded (Unfunded) “Gold Cas” 1000 Bitcoin (BTC) 2012 PR68 Ultra Cameo NGC that ended at $168,000. A breathtaking 1000 Bitcoin Casascius coin, it is made from one ounce of pure gold and currently unloaded, and is tied for the currently highest awarded designation at NGC with two others. The so-called “Gold Cas” was the first gold coin funded with cryptocurrency and the highest denomination coin produced by Caldwell. It is estimated that just 5-7 coins were made with one private key, and an uncertain number, presumably around 20, were issued with the 2-factor authentication as seen here.

A Casascius silver Proof Loaded (Unredeemed) 1 Bitcoin (BTC) 2013 PR66 Deep Cameo PCGS sold for $117,000. This is a supremely desirable pure silver Casascius 1 Bitcoin in a solid state of preservation.

Four other Bitcoins in the auction realized $114,000:

• A Casascius silver Proof Loaded (Unredeemed) 1 Bitcoin (BTC) 2013 PR69 Ultra Cameo NGC

• A Lealana silver Loaded (Unredeemed) “King Kam - Gilt/Frosted” 1 Bitcoin (BTC) 2016 MS70 PCGS

• A Lealana silver Proof Loaded (Unredeemed) “King Kam - Gilt/Mirrored Bust” 1 Bitcoin (BTC) 2016 PR67 PCGS

• A BTCC silver Proof Loaded (Unredeemed) 1 Bitcoin (BTC) 2017 PR69 Ultra Cameo PCGS