NGC Grades Extremely Rare European Coins in Hong Kong, China

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) graded an impressive array of high-value vintage world coins at a recent on-site grading event in Hong Kong, China.

The coins were submitted by World Coins Japan Co., Ltd., one of the largest and most trusted numismatic companies in Japan, which serves as an Official Submission Center for NGC. The coins will be offered for sale later this year. The submission included rarities from Russia, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands.

1808 Netherlands Gold 50 Stuivers, graded NGC MS 64. Click images to enlarge.

Among the highlights are an 1808 Netherlands 50 Stuivers struck in gold. The coin is believed to have been made for Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, who ruled the kingdom of Holland from 1806 to 1810. At the time, his famous older brother was emperor of France, and Holland (roughly equivalent to the current Netherlands) was a client state.

Unfortunately for Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, he lost favor with his older brother, who deposed him, forcing him to flee to Austria. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte’s son later ruled France, first as president from 1848 to 1852 and then as Emperor Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870.

The 1808 Netherlands 50 Stuivers remained in the Bonaparte family for years, and was clearly well taken care of, as it is graded NGC MS 64. It is the only gold example graded by NGC.

This coin will be sold by Auction World, a respected Japanese numismatics firm affiliated with World Coins Japan, during its Auction 17 on July 20-21. It has a starting price of 15,000,000 Yen (about $139,000 USD).

1656 England Broad, graded NGC PF 62 Cameo. Click images to enlarge.

Another exciting coin in the submission was a 1656 England Broad that graded NGC PF 62 Cameo. The history behind this coin is immense: It was struck featuring the bust of Oliver Cromwell after the execution of King Charles I following the English Civil War and it is among the first milled (machine struck, as opposed to hammered) coins in England. This is only the seventh example graded by NGC.

"The quality of these coins was extraordinary," says Mr. Ken Krah, an NGC Grading Finalizer who was present during the on-site grading event. "This is the sort of submission that you see only once in a decade or longer."

"NGC's on-site grading event in Hong Kong, China was an excellent opportunity to have these coins authenticated, graded and encapsulated accurately and efficiently by some of the leading experts in world coins," said Mr. Eiichi Ishii, CEO of World Coins Japan and Auction World. "This benefits the thriving numismatic marketplace in Asia."

Other highlights of the group that are part of the July auction include:

• an 1876 CNB Russia 25 Roubles, graded NGC PF 61, with a starting price of JPY 10,000,000 (about $93,000 USD)
• an 1895 AT Russia 10 Roubles, graded NGC MS 62, with a starting price of JPY 8,000,000 (about $74,000 USD)
• a 1902 Russia 37.5 Roubles, graded NGC MS 61, with a starting price of JPY 7,000,000 (about $65,000 USD)
• an 1836 CNB Russia gold 10 Roubles pattern, BIT-H882, graded NGC MS 62, with a starting price of JPY 6,000,000 (about $56,000 USD)

NGC holds on-site grading events regularly in Hong Kong, China. During these events, NGC sends a team to Hong Kong, China to perform its normal grading process in a significantly shortened timeframe. NGC’s Hong Kong office in China was recently expanded to accommodate more frequent on-site grading events. The next on-site grading event is scheduled for August 19-24, 2019, with all submissions due by Friday, August 16. To learn more, click here.