NGC-certified Copper Coin from Latin America Leads Ortiz Collection Sale

Hundreds of vintage coins from Latin America and the Philippines, nearly all certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®), and originating from the collection of a renowned numismatic author, were sold in a recent auction. Stack’s Bowers’ Emilio M. Ortiz Collection auction was held on January 12, 2024.

Ortiz spent a lifetime curating a museum-grade collection of Spanish, Spanish Colonial and Cuban coins. This extensive assortment, gathered over decades, includes nearly every edition of the 1/4 Real denomination minted during the colonial era in Latin America.

Among the NGC standouts is a Dominican Republic (1810-20) Santo Domingo 1/4 Real graded NGC AU 55 BN (lot 51401), which realized $15,600, tripling its estimate of $3,000-$5,000. It is struck over a rarely encountered copper coin from Maracaibo, Venezuela, that was minted during the War for Independence there, according to the auction house. These coins were in circulation for approximately six months but were shunned by the public and beset by counterfeiting issues.

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Another top-seller was a Bolivia (1760-72)PVY Anepigraphic 1/4 Real counterstruck over a 2 Reales graded NGC VG Details (lot 51344), which realized $10,800. This crude coin, called a cob, is likely to have circulated for decades before it was struck with the 1/4 Real stamp. It sold for well over its estimate of $1,000 to $2,000.

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Other NGC-certified coins sold in this auction include:

• a Colombia 1815 Cartagena 1/4 Real graded NGC MS 64 and pedigreed as the Restrepo Plate coin (lot 51091), which realized $8,400
• a Venezuela 1813 Guayana 1/4 Real graded NGC AU 55 BN (lot 51086), which realized $7,800
• a Guatemala 1822G 1/4 Real graded NGC Fine Details (lot 51114), which realized $7,800
• a Venezuela 1805 Caracas 1/4 Real graded NGC XF 45 BN (lot 51050), which realized $6,600
• a Peru (1568-70)R Rincon 1/4 Real - Philip II graded NGC AU Details (lot 51118), which realized $6,000
• a Peru 1794LIMA IJ 1/4 Real - Castle Type graded NGC MS 62 (lot 51200), which realized $6,000
• a Spanish Colonial (1750-1800) 1/4 Real - Lion & Castle Milled Anepigraphic Issue (lot 51303), which realized $5,760
• a Philippines 1830 F Quarto graded NGC XF 45 BN (lot 51253), which realized $5,520

Prices realized include a buyer’s premium. The $ symbol indicates US Dollars.