Rare Queen Anne coin to go under hammer
19 Nov 2012 7:43 AM IST
A 'lost' Queen Anne coin made of gold seized from a Spanish treasure ship in 1702 is expected to fetch a whopping 120,000 pounds at an auction in the UK. The rare coin was discovered by a woman from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, while clearing out her late husband's chest of drawers.
After an expert inspected the coin, it was revealed to be made of gold taken from a Spanish treasure ship coming back from America in Vigo Bay, the Daily Mail reported.
To celebrate the victory over an adversory, the Royal mint had about 20 Queen Anne Vigo five guinea coins made. The coins, that have the Queen's bust on one side, would have been very expensive at the time and became a collectable item.
Of the 20 that were struck, only 15 are known of and they are in private hands. It is thought the woman's late husband inherited the exceptionally rare coin as he showed no interest in coin collecting when he was alive.
It has a pre-sale estimate of between 80,000 pounds to 120,000 pounds. ‘A client of ours asked to bring in some coins that she had found at home. I wasn't really excited at the time because most coins we came across are worth very little,’ Leslie Gillham, of auctioneers Gorringes, said.
After an expert inspected the coin, it was revealed to be made of gold taken from a Spanish treasure ship coming back from America in Vigo Bay, the Daily Mail reported.
To celebrate the victory over an adversory, the Royal mint had about 20 Queen Anne Vigo five guinea coins made. The coins, that have the Queen's bust on one side, would have been very expensive at the time and became a collectable item.
Of the 20 that were struck, only 15 are known of and they are in private hands. It is thought the woman's late husband inherited the exceptionally rare coin as he showed no interest in coin collecting when he was alive.
It has a pre-sale estimate of between 80,000 pounds to 120,000 pounds. ‘A client of ours asked to bring in some coins that she had found at home. I wasn't really excited at the time because most coins we came across are worth very little,’ Leslie Gillham, of auctioneers Gorringes, said.
Next Story
