The ANA World’s Fair of Money Auction to be held by Stack’s Bowers this August in Chicago is rapidly gaining momentum. Aptly named the “World’s Fair of Money,” the August ANA coin show and auction offers a world tour through numismatics. This preview will take you to the canton of Basel in Switzerland. Nestled between the Swiss, French and German borders, Basel is one of the many multi-cultural centers of Switzerland. Basel derives its name from the ancient Greek Basileia, which means “kingship.” Basel hosts Switzerland’s oldest university, dating from 1460, and many famous minds worked here for a time, including Erasmus and Nietzsche. The coat of arms for Basel reflects the canton’s long religious history. The arms show a black bishop’s crook, which has been in place since 1529.
The obverse of this beautiful 2 Goldgulden displays the city’s coat of arms, the bishop’s crook within an ornate cartouche. The legend around reads: “Mon Nova Aurea Basileensis” which translates to “the new gold coin of Basel.” The reverse displays another piece of religious iconography, the globus cruciger. An ornate six-sided flower like design encompasses the central design. This orb surmounted by a cross was first seen on Byzantine coinage and has remained a symbol of religious authority, in this case as wielded by the Bishop of Basel. The reverse inscription reads: “Domine Conserva Nos In Pace,” which means “Lord, preserve us in peace,” This particular example was struck on a nice broad flan, which allowed for the maximum amount of design, inscription and edge detail. Highly pleasing mint luster remains. NGC has encapsulated this coin with a Mint-State 62 grade, which conveys the excellent appearance of this piece.
Look for this and other World and ancient numismatic rarities in our upcoming August ANA World’s Fair of Money Auction and Sale. Preview for this auction will be held this July at the Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio office located in Irvine, California. For details please refer to the Events Calendar link at www.StacksBowers.com. To schedule an appointment, please call 800.458.4646. Our Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio August ANA World’s Fair of Money Auction is still open for further consignments of world and ancient coins, and our 2014 August Hong Kong Showcase Auction and sale is still taking consignments of Asian coins as well. Time is running short, so if you are interested in consigning your coins and paper currency (whether a whole collection or a single rarity) be sure to contact one of our consignment directors.
