Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Auctions    
       

       

                             



Sale 31: The Pre-Long Beach Auction May 30 - June 1, 2005
             

             
            Lot 2330Great Britain. Silver Crown, 1746 LIMA. George II. Old 
            laureate bust. S-3689. Edge not readable in the slab. Recut "6" in 
            date. Bifurcated letters in the legends. Some will not like this 
            coin, but to the cataloguer's eyes it enjoys a special elegance, 
            coming from its deeply patinated toning, which is bluish black. Dark 
            as it is, luster gleams through it. The cataloguer has no problem 
            calling this Choice, original Uncirculated (Mint State); it is far 
            nicer than almost all others seen, as commonly the nicer examples of 
            the Lima crown are fairly drab in color, usually medium gray with 
            not much "life" beneath the color, whereas this coin enjoys a 
            special "dark bloom." In all, a beautiful coin of historical 
            significance, saved no doubt by some patriot right after it was 
            minted, to signify the hero Admiral Anson's victory of seizing, at 
            sea, an immense treasure (mostly silver, but some gold), from a 
            Spanish fleet he intercepted and overcame, on the far side of the 
            world. The seizure took place off today's Philippine Islands, and 
            the captured treasure was ore that had been mined in Peru. It is 
            said that only two galleons protected eleven Spanish treasure ships. 
            The ships were also seized and used to convey the treasure back to 
            port, arriving in Portsmouth after months at sea and given a 
            tumultuous welcome. British citizens lined the roads almost all the 
            way to London, where the treasure was deposited at the Royal Mint, 
            which produced these special commemoratives for nearly two years 
            before the ore was used up! Today, however, the Lima coins have 
            mostly perished, and almost none exist in Mint State. Few coins in 
            all of numismatics enjoy such an adventurous origin! NGC graded 
            MS-62. 
            Estimated Value $3,500-4,500. 

            Provenance: The Cheshire Collection.
             Realized $3,200
             


          








Courtesy Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers, Beverly Hills, CA. www.goldbergcoins.com