'Una and the Lion' certified by NGC Tops Künker Sale

Two world coins certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) took the top spots in a recent Künker auction. Auction Sale #380 took place on Feb 2, 2023, and featured hundreds of vintage world coins and medals.

An 1839 Great Britain Una and the Lion 5 Sovereign graded NGC PF 63 Cameo (lot 288) realized €504,000 (about $542,000), greatly exceeding the auction house’s estimate of €100,000 (about $106,000). The Una and the Lion is considered one of the most beautiful coins in British numismatics because of its stunning depictions of Queen Victoria on both the obverse and reverse. The reverse portrays Queen Victoria in the role of Una guiding a lion in a scene from Edmund Spenser’s epic poem, “The Faerie Queene.”

1839 Great Britain 5 Sovereign graded NGC PF 63 Cameo. Realized: €504,000 (about $542,000) Click images to enlarge.

Meanwhile, a Germany 1611 Saxony 10 Ducat graded NGC MS 65★ and pedigreed to the Paramount Collection (lot 835) — the only example in the NGC Census — had the second highest price in the auction by realizing €408,000 (about $438,000). This amount was well above the estimate of €250,000 (about $271,000). The obverse features Christian II, who ruled Saxony until his death at the early age of 27.

Germany 1611 Saxony 10 Ducat graded NGC MS 65★ and pedigreed to the Paramount Collection. Realized: €408,000 (about $438,000) Click images to enlarge.

Other NGC-certified highlights in the auction included:

• a Germany 1725 IGS Saxony 8 Ducat graded NGC MS 62+ and pedigreed to the Paramount Collection (lot 843) that realized €180,000 (about $193,000)
• a Hungary 1657 AI Transylvania 10 Ducat (lot 485) graded NGC AU 58 that realized €168,000 (about $181,000)
• a 1951 Czechoslovakia 5 Ducat graded NGC MS 67 (lot 478) that realized €156,000 (about 168,000)
• a Germany 1697 GFN Bamberg 10 Ducat graded NGC MS 61+ and pedigreed to the Paramount Collection (lot 642) that realized €144,000 (about $155,000)
• a Germany 1679 Brandenburg 5 Ducat graded NGC AU 58 and pedigreed to the Paramount Collection (lot 663) that realized €120,000 (about $129,000)
• a Germany 1698 GFN Nurnberg City View 5 Ducat graded NGC MS 61 (lot 792) that realized €120,000 (about $129,000)
• a 1915-S Panama-Pacific Exposition Octagonal $50 graded NGC MS 64+ (lot 542) that realized €90,000 (about $97,000)
• a Mexico 1916 TM Oaxaca Gold 60 Pesos graded NGC MS 62 (lot 511) that realized €84,000 (about $90,000)
• a 1758/7CNB Russia 5 Rubles graded NGC MS 61 (lot 327) that realized €84,000 (about $90,000)
• a 1915-S Panama-Pacific Exposition Round $50 graded NGC MS 63+ (lot 541) that realized €78,000 (about $84,000)

Price estimates are provided by the auction house. All prices realized include a buyer’s premium. The $ symbol represents US Dollars.