| The
Whittier Collection of Latin American Coinage
Spain's
conquest of the New World heralded a new era in
numismatics. As the various countries gained
their independence from their Spanish overlords
new themes, country emblems, insignias and
animals graced the devices of the many coin
issues. Some countries chose to keep with the
tradition of honoring their leaders or
liberators while other countries broke from this
norm and established new traditions. Themes were
used that had never before graced the surfaces
of these pieces of medallic history. This
artistic freedom allowed the creation of coinage
series with images never before seen in the
stream of numismatics.
The Whittier Collection of Latin American
Coinage is one of the finest collections to
come to the market in many years, and is loaded
with high grade and extremely rare examples of
this special time in the history of numismatics.
Although there are a number of crown-sized
silver pieces, this collection concentrates
mostly on the minor coinage of the region, and
is so extensive and wide-ranging that it merits
its own catalog in our upcoming Long Beach HWCA
Signature Auction.
Two of the most exceptional coins in the
collection, representing the Dominican Republic
and Ecuador respectively, offer collectors an
unequalled combination of both high quality and
extreme rarity. These two incredible coins are
some of the most sought-after pieces of Latin
American coinage in existence. This offering
represents a potentially once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity for collectors of this exquisite
series.
The
Dominican Republic Silver Pattern 1855 10 Reales,
graded MS62 by NGC, is fully lustrous with
slightly prooflike surfaces and minimal contact
marks. This coin is extremely rare in silver,
with only three examples known to exist. The
obverse features the Dominican coat of arms
within a wreath, and the reverse displays the
denomination, fineness and patriotic legends.
This is, without a doubt, one of the great
rarities of the entire Latin American numismatic
series.
The Ecuador Republic Specimen 1842MV-S Cuarto
- a quarter Real graded Specimen 66 by NGC - is
a sparkling jewel with impossibly brilliant
luster and reflective surfaces. This is perhaps
the most spectacular coin in the entire Whittier
Collection, based on unobtainable quality and
rarity. The reverse features a fortress on a
hill with a bird in flight above and the letter
S on the hillside. Collectors of Ecuador and
Quartillas will understand the rare opportunity
this offering provides.
Other highlights of the Whittier Collection
include:
Heritage Auction Galleries will present these
incredible coins in their upcoming Signature
Auction, to be held June 1 & 2, 2006 as the
official auctioneer of the Long Beach Coin,
Stamp & Collectible Expo, at the Long Beach
Convention Center, 100 South Pine Avenue, Long
Beach, CA, 90802. This auction will open for
bidding soon at
www.HeritageAuctions.com/Coins.
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