Over $5.1 million in total prices were realized in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction of special Britannia and Sovereign bullion coins sold on behalf of The Royal Mint. Entitled the Royal Succession coin series, these historic pieces represent the very last coins struck featuring the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and the very first coins produced bearing the portrait of King Charles III for each series. Each of these Royal Succession coins are tangible treasures linking pivotal chapters of British and world history. They were graded and encapsulated by leading service Numismatic Guaranty Company (“NGC”). Fierce competition from collectors and investors spanned nearly nine hours of live bidding on Monday, August 21, emphasizing the significance of these historic coins and resulting in numerous record prices along with an impressive 100% sell-through rate across all 690 lots.
The top prices of the sale were achieved by the very last gold 1oz Britannia struck under Queen Elizabeth II and the very first gold 1oz Britannia struck under King Charles III, which sold for $50,000 and $42,000 respectively. These coins now rank as the #1 and #2 most valuable gold 1oz Britannia coins sold at auction since this series was introduced in 1987. The very last and very first gold Sovereign coins also brought magnificent results, selling for $42,000 and $34,000 respectively. New price records were once again set by the silver 1oz Britannia coins, with the very last coin struck under Queen Elizabeth II selling for $19,000 and the very first coin struck under King Charles III realizing $18,000.
This historic offering reflected a union of America’s most prestigious and accomplished numismatic auctioneer with the United Kingdom’s oldest continually operating company and the second oldest mint in the world. The Royal Mint was founded over 1,100 years ago, responsible for the coinage of England and, thereafter, the United Kingdom, and has since grown to become the world’s leading export mint, respected for the exceptional quality of their collectible and bullion coinage. Stack’s Bowers Galleries was founded in New York City in 1933 and has built a reputation as America’s leading auctioneer of rare coins over the past century, handling some of the greatest rarities and most valuable collections ever sold.
This joint effort between Stack’s Bowers Galleries and The Royal Mint comes on the heels of a similarly unprecedented partnership between Stack’s Bowers Galleries and the United States Mint in 2022. On behalf of the United States Mint, Stack’s Bowers Galleries sold special transitional coins from the American Eagle bullion coin series that went on to realize more than $4.6 million.
Stack’s Bowers Galleries is honored to have been selected by The Royal Mint to auction the Royal Succession Sovereign and Britannia bullion coins as part of their August 2023 Global Showcase Auction. The astounding $5.1 million result confirms Stack’s Bowers Galleries as a leader in connecting collectors and investors with the most desirable numismatic rarities from every category. For more information about these historic Royal Succession coins or to consign your coins to a future auction, please contact Stack’s Bowers Galleries today at Info@StacksBowers.com or 800-566-2580.
About Stack’s Bowers Galleries
Stack’s Bowers Galleries conducts live, Internet and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company’s nearly 90-year legacy includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable United States coin and currency collections to ever cross an auction block — The D. Brent Pogue Collection, The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, The Joel R. Anderson Collection, The Norweb Collection, The Cardinal Collection, The Sydney F. Martin Collection and The Battle Born Collection — to name just a few. World coin and currency collections include The Pinnacle Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection of World Gold Coins, The Kroisos Collection, The Alicia and Sidney Belzberg Collection, The Salton Collection, The Wa She Wong Collection, and The Thos. H. Law Collection.
The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, with galleries in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Offices are also located in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, Hong Kong, Paris and Vancouver. Stack’s Bowers Galleries hosts an annual Global Showcase in August featuring United States coins and currency, Ancient coins and World coins and currency in its Costa Mesa auction gallery. They are also the Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic events, including the New York International Numismatic Convention, the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Spring, Summer and Winter Expos, the Spring and Fall Hong Kong shows, and the Maastricht Paper Money Shows.
