MDC Monaco Offers NGC-certified Una and the Lion Unsurpassed in Grade
Posted on 9/16/2025
An extremely high-grade “Una and the Lion” is among the hundreds of vintage coin rarities certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) being offered in an upcoming auction. Bidding is already underway for the MDC Monaco Auction 17, which is set to end on October 1-2, 2025.
With a starting price of €600,000 (about $705,000), the top lot in the auction is a Great Britain 1839 5 Sovereign - Una and the Lion graded NGC PF 66 Ultra Cameo (lot 1465), making it unsurpassed numerically in the NGC Census. Known today as the zenith of British numismatics, the coin was minted to celebrate Victoria, who became Queen of England in 1837 at the age of 18.
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A second Una and the Lion graded NGC PF 64 Ultra Cameo (lot 1466), with an estimate of €300,000 (about $354,000) is also being offered in the auction. The obverse features her bust, while the reverse depicts a lion representing England walking alongside Victoria as Lady Una, the protagonist of Edmund Spenser’s 1590 epic, “The Faerie Queen.”
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Additionally, an Italy 1864T BN 50 Lire graded NGC MS 62 (lot 1710) with a starting price of €150,000 (about $177,000) is being offered in the sale. This is the third highest-graded example of the nine in the NGC Census. One of the rarest coins in Italian numismatics, this Italy 1864T 50 Lire has a mintage of only 103.
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Other NGC-certified coins in the auction include:
- a Great Britain 1839 5 Sovereign - Una and the Lion graded NGC Proof Details (lot 1467) with a starting price of €120,000 (about $141,000)
- a Cambodia 1860-dated Piastre Gold Restrike graded NGC PF 60 (lot 382) with a starting price of €100,000 (about $118,000)
- a Greece 1876A 100 Drachmas graded NGC AU 58 (lot 1484) with a starting price of €100,000 (about $118,000)
- a Poland 1596-dated Herman Rudiger Medal graded NGC AU 58 (lot 1802) with a starting price of €100,000 (about $118,000)
- a Roman Empire, Constans AD 337-350 Gold Medallion graded NGC MS, 5/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface (lot 212) with a starting price of €80,000 (about $94,200)
- an Italy 1863/2T BN 20 Centesimi graded NGC MS 64 (lot 1712) with a starting price of €80,000 (about $94,200)
All estimates are provided by the auction house. The $ symbol represents US Dollars.
