IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, hosted their Beverly Hills Rarities Sale on Saturday, September 13, 2008, at The Tower Beverly Hills. The 933-lot auction of high-end rarities realized a total of $3,317,135.

The spotlight of the auction was on the new discovery 1851 Augustus Humbert $50 Gold piece of the Reeded Edge, 880 THOUS (K-5, Rarity-5) variety graded MS-65 * by NGC that realized $460,000 after an excited round of bidding. Prior to the auction, NGC chairman Mark Salzburg called it "the most memorable coin I have graded all year."

It is the only Humbert gold coin of any denomination with an NGC grade of MS-65 *, and no Humbert gold coins of any denomination or variety have been graded finer than MS-65 at either PCGS or NGC.

"A new discovery piece the caliber of this Humbert is so special and rare that I can think of only a very few in this league that I have come across in my 40-year span in the business," said Steve Deeds, president.

"It is very exciting to be able to present a coin like this to the world of collectors who will appreciate it for its history and value to the numismatic community. This is a showcase piece for its new owner and one that will be remembered for years to come."

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Highlights Include Extraordinary Gem 1851 Augustus Humbert $50 Gold Piece, the Only Humbert Gold Coin of Any Denomination or Variety Graded MS-65 * by NGC

IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, will host their Beverly Hills Rarities Sale on Saturday, September 13, 2008, at The Tower Beverly Hills, prior to the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectible Expo.

Lot viewing for the entire auction is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, September 11-13. The catalog includes more than 900 exceptional coin rarities

Topping the list of highlights is a very special new discovery, Lot 681, an August Humbert $50 Gold piece of the Reeded Edge, 880 THOUS (K-5, Rarity-5) variety graded MS-65 * by NGC. It is the only Humbert gold coin of any denomination with an NGC grade of MS-65 *.

No Humbert gold coins of any denomination or variety have been graded finer than MS-65 at either PCGS or NGC.

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The Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG) reports a successful benefit auction with sales of donated ancient coins, related books, and antiquity lots netting $45,811.

The online auction was held in August and hosted on the Vauction site to raise funds for ACCG — a non-profit organization.

The auction was organized to help in anticipated legal expenses and initiatives in opposition to the State Department imposed import restrictions on ancient coins.

The original donor supported goal of 150 lots for the auction were exceeded, as were pre-auction total estimates.

ACCG reports 208 lots were offered and 1,481 bids registered. Stated highlights include:

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The Highest Graded Mint State Humbert Gold Coin of Any Denomination or Variety Graded MS-65 * by NGC

IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, will auction an extremely rare and exceptional 1851 Augustus Humbert $50 Gold Piece at their Beverly Hills Rarities Sale on Saturday, September 13, 2008, at The Tower Beverly Hills, prior to the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectible Expo.

Lot viewing for the entire auction is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, September 11-13.

The coin, cataloged as August Humbert. $50 Gold. Reeded Edge. K-5. Rarity-5. 880 THOUS. MS-65 * (NGC), boasts a combined PCGS and NGC Population (1851 $50 Reeded Edge, 880 THOUS variety only) of just 1; 0 finer.

"This coin is a new discovery that has never been available for sale to our knowledge," said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena.

"The rarity, the quality, the history – it all adds up to make this one spectacular coin of the caliber that even the most experienced numismatists only see a few times in a lifetime.

This coin is one of the high points of the year at Bowers and Merena and we know it is going to a cause a big buzz for our September Beverly Hills Rarities Sale."

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Top Coin and Currency Honors from the Baltimore Rarities Sale Prior to ANA World’s Fair of Money Go to 1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel in PCGS MS-64 at $155,250, and 1928 $500 PMG Gem 65EPQ Uncirculated Gold Certificate at $97,750

IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin auction house, hosted their Baltimore Rarities Sale on July 26, 2008, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, just prior to the ANA World’s Fair of Money. The auction presented approximately 1,100 coin and 200 currency lots and realized a total of $4,427,243.

Earning top dollar was Lot 384, a 1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel, FS-016.5, graded MS-64 by PCGS that realized $155,250. A major condition rarity, this near-Gem is easily among the finest-known survivors of the variety, with a PCGS Population of 31 and a mere three finer in MS-65.  Lot 1093, a 1795 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle, Small Eagle, BD-8, HBCC-3041, Miller-10, Rarity-5+, graded MS-63 PL by NGC, realized $146,625.

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Winter Park, FL — Treasure Fever has struck again! Expert numismatist and auctioneer of shipwreck coins and artifacts Daniel Frank Sedwick has released the results of his Treasure Auction #3. This mail-bid auction surpassed predictions by grossing over $800,000 ($700,000 + 15%), with an unprecedented 92%+ of the lots sold.

Consignments for Sedwick’s next auction (Treasure Auction #4) in the fall of 2008 are already pouring in. One of the top highlights of the sale was a rare mariner’s astrolabe that sold for $28,750.00 (with buyer’s premium). Other major highlights include a Lima, Peru, cob 8 escudos of 1703 that sold for $17,250 and a Cartagena, Colombia, cob 2 escudos of 1622 (the first gold coin struck in the New World) that sold for $23,000 (both prices with buyer’s premium).

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Bowers and Merena Auctions realized more than $6.2 million as Official Auctioneer of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention. Highlights include the sale of an exceptional 1801 Capped Bust Right Eagle in PCGS MS-64 and Fr. 114 1901 $10 Legal Tender Note S/N 1, PCGS Very Fine 30PPQ.

IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin auction house, posted another highly successful outing in Baltimore as Official Auctioneer of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention. More than 3,000 lots crossed the block in three sessions June 5-6, 2008, realizing $6,258,873.

"The June Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention is the kick-off to the summer show season and we were very pleased with the attendance at the show and our three sessions of live bidding.

Bidding was very active for coins as well as currency and we are happy with the results," said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena.

"All three sessions were very busy and we were glad to see many bidders join us for their very first auctions, alongside our regular bidders that we look forward to seeing each time we come to Baltimore.

The atmosphere in the auction room and on the bourse floor was lively and enthusiastic and I am looking forward to what the rest of the summer season brings."

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Conducting the highest grossing auction in its 22-year history, Teletrade breaks records June 1 with total online auction sales surpassing $1.1 million and "The Green Holder Collection" realizing 100 percent sell-through.

IRVINE, Calif. – Teletrade, America’s largest fully automated Internet auction company for certified coins and currency, conducted its highest grossing online auction of certified coins in the company’s 22-year history on Sunday, June 1, 2008, realizing $1,124,253.

The featured highlight of the auction was “The Green Holder Collection,” more than 250 coins in classic PCGS early generation holders, which achieved 100 percent sell-through.

“This is a spectacular accomplishment for an online coin auction to exceed $1 million, which is not only huge for Teletrade but for the industry as a whole,” said Ian Russell, president of Teletrade.

“The Internet opens up so much possibility for buying and selling coins and currency at levels of success never imagined possible, and I am so thrilled that Teletrade is leading the way in Internet certified coin auctions.”

Russell attributes the success of the June 1 online auction to the extraordinary quality of the coins represented in “The Green Holder Collection,” supported by a dynamic marketing campaign of print advertisements, public relations, email blasts and online promotion, as well as very well-attended lot viewing at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectible Expo in the days leading up to the auction.

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Sedwick’s Shipwreck Treasure Auction #3 includes a rare astrolabe, silver coins, gold ingots, Chinese porcelain and other artifacts carefully selected for quality and eye-appeal.

In this latest auction, Numismatist Daniel Frank Sedwick included treasure artifacts of over 1100 lots from many shipwreck finds, including:

• Gold cobs from the Spanish 1715 Fleet of the east coast of Florida,
• Gold ingots and nuggets from the Espadarte wreck of 1558 off Mozambique,
• Silver “tumbaga” ingots from the still-unidentified wreck of ca. 1528 off the Bahamas,
• Rare mariner’s astrolabe from a Florida wreck (ca. 1580),
• Small artifacts from the Arqueonautas finds off Africa,
• Porcelains from wrecks off the Philippines (the Ying Lung collection).

The shipwreck coins section of the auction includes two large offerings:

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IRVINE, Calif. – Teletrade, America’s largest fully automated Internet auction company for certified coins and currency, will auction “The Green Holder Collection” on Sunday, June 1, 2008, in online Auction #2536. The auction will be live at www.teletrade.com from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. eastern time and will include more than 1,500 certified coin lots.

The complete catalog will be viewable on the Teletrade website beginning Friday, May 23. Highlights from “The Green Holder Collection” will be on display at the Long Beach Expo May 29-31 at table 427.

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