NGC-certified Spanish Gold Royal Realizes Almost $400,000 in Sedwick Auction

An exceedingly rare 1713 8 Escudos certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) realized $396,000 in Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC’s Auction 28 sale held from November 17-19, 2020.

The Mexico 1713MXO J Royal Coinage 8 Escudos graded NGC MS 66 was the star of the auction and one of the most-expensive pieces Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC has ever sold. It was among over 500 NGC-certified coins offered in their most successful sale to date, which realized over $3 million for coins, notes and artifacts. The company also reported the highest number of registered bidders for any of its sales.

Mexico 1713MXO J Royal Coinage 8 Escudos graded NGC MS 66 and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet. Realized: $396,000 Click images to enlarge.

The rarity was first recovered in 1998 off the coast of Florida, where the Spanish Plate Fleet was lost in a hurricane in 1715. The coin had remained part of numismatist Isaac Rudman’s private collection for years. Its success in its first appearance at auction is a testament to NGC’s expertise in certifying a coin of such historic value.

Spanish Royals were made for dignitaries and the most elite members of society at the time. Unlike the irregular and thick Spanish cobs issued from 1680 to 1732, Royals were crafted with exceptional care. This example is the finer of the two 1713-dated specimens known.

“NGC’s expertise and transparency are especially important during a time when many bidders are only able to see the coins online,” said Ben Wengel, NGC Grading Finalizer for World Coins. “We are thrilled to see a coin of this significance achieve success of such magnitude in its first public offering.”

"This was the first 8 Escudos Royal our company has ever auctioned, a testament to the type's extreme rarity, and we’re delighted with the results," said Daniel Frank Sedwick, founder and president of Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC. “NGC’s trusted expertise undoubtedly contributed to the coin’s phenomenal success.”

Other NGC-certified highlights include:

• a Mexico 1714MO J Philip V Date on Obverse 8 Escudos graded NGC MS 65 and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet that realized $54,000
• a Peru 1700L H 8 Escudos graded NGC MS 65 and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet that realized $42,000

• a Bolivia 1669P E Royal Coinage 8 Reales graded NGC AU 58★ that realized $48,000
• a Bolivia 1653P E PH Royal Coinage 8 Reales graded NGC AU 55 that realized $45,000

• a Spain 1729S P 8 Escudos graded NGC MS 62 that realized $42,000
• a Germany 1812 CT Nassau-Weilburg Old Bust Taler graded NGC MS 61 PL that realized $31,200
• a Chile 1819 Santiago Silver Pattern Peso graded NGC AU 58 that realized $20,400
• a Spain 1772S CF 8 Escudos graded NGC MS 64★ that realized $16,800

• a Colombia 1904 Lucien Bonaparte-Wyse Panama Canal Contribution Gold Medal graded NGC MS 62 that realized $19,200

• a Netherlands 1729 Holland Ducat graded NGC MS 62 that realized $1,200

All prices realized include buyer’s premium.