Incredible Prices Realized for Coins and Banknotes from Around the Globe at Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ 2025 Global Showcase Auction

Costa Mesa, CA Stack’s Bowers Galleries recently concluded its highly successful and record-breaking Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction. Over the course of two weeks following the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money, the firm conducted auctions of United States coins, United States paper money, world and ancient coins, and world banknotes. (All prices include the buyer’s premium.)

The world and ancient coins portion of the sale amassed a total of nearly $12 million, with an outstanding sell-through rate of 96.8%. The auction was anchored by two impressive collections: The Richard Margolis Collection, Part IV featured over 470 lots of rare and ephemeral aspects of French numismatics, while the Richard August Collection presented an extensive British and Latin American offering.

Standouts among the world and ancient coins include:

Lot 43411: A Cromwell portrait 1656 Gold Broad Pattern of 50 Shillings realized $396,000.

Lot 40509: A George IV 1826 Proof 5 Pounds realized $144,000.

Lot 42253: A colossal Bavarian 8 Ducats from 1598 realized $96,000.

Lot 43429: A Proof 20 Francs from 1815 during the exile of Louis XVIII, from the Richard Margolis Collection, also realized $96,000.

Lot 4038: An Oxford-produced Triple Unite from 1643 realized $87,000.

Lot 42499: A Filipino countermark from the reign of Ferdinand VII and utilizing a French Ecu of Louis XV as a host coin realized $84,000.

“Rarity and quality always attract strong bids, and there was no shortage of either in our 2025 Global Showcase, as collectors from all over the world bid vigorously,” said Matt Orsini, Director of World and Ancient Numismatics. “Many of the coins have not been offered in years, if not decades, so in many cases enthusiasts were seeing these pieces offered for the very first time. It was a very exciting auction, and the market seems to be very strong heading into the final months of 2025 and into 2026.”

The World Paper Money session, following the format of the last few years, featured over 380 lots from the Americas and realized $1.08 million.

Dennis Hengeveld, Director of Consignments and Senior Numismatist in the World Paper Money Department, noted: “This impressive sale was distinguished by several notable results from the British Commonwealth, including lot 30034, a fully issued British Guiana 1942 100 Dollars note, graded PMG Very Fine 30, which realized $78,000.” Hengeveld continued: “Another significant result came from the Leeward Islands, which produced only a single series of notes. A specimen of the 10 Shillings, graded PMG About Uncirculated 55 and offered as lot 30305, achieved $37,200. The Canadian market demonstrated overall strength, particularly for rarer local issues, as shown by a provincial issue of Nova Scotia dated 1846, the 1 Pound / 20 Shillings (NS-22a), graded Choice Fine 15 by PMG, which sold as lot 30041 for $15,600.”

“The top end of the market showed considerable strength in this auction,” said Aris Maragoudakis, Director of World Currency Auctions. “As we approach the final months of 2025, we eagerly anticipate our final world paper sales of the year, starting with the Fall 2025 Maastricht Auction on October 2 and our Hong Kong Auction later that month.”

For complete prices realized for the Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction, please visit www.stacksbowers.com. To consign your coins, medals, tokens, and paper money to an upcoming Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction, call 800-458-4646 or email Consign@StacksBowers.com.

Stack's Bowers Galleries conducts live, internet, and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins, currency, and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company's 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, the Augustana Collection of gold rarities from across western Europe, the Richard Margolis Collection of world coins and medals and The Thos. H. Law Collection. Recently, the firm was awarded the privilege of bringing the most valuable world coin collection to auction – the L. E. Bruun Collection.

Stack’s Bowers Galleries is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, which is also the location of Griffin Studios, the firm’s custom-built, broadcast-ready auction and event facility. In addition, the company has galleries in New York, Boston, Miami, and Philadelphia, as well as offices in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Paris and Vancouver. Stack's Bowers Galleries hosts a Global Showcase each summer as an Event Auctioneer Partner of the ANA World’s Fair of Money, a sale that features United States coins and currency, Ancient coins and World coins and currency. They are also the Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic events, including the New York International Numismatic Convention, the Whitman Spring, Summer, and Winter Expos, the Spring and Fall Hong Kong shows, and the Maastricht Paper Money shows.