As summer draws to a close, the Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio world coin team is eagerly preparing for our next sale, the Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo, October 29 through November 1. We are enthusiastic to share highlights with you, including the trio of coins we feature this week as “World Coin of the Week.” Oaxaca, one of the southernmost states of Mexico, produced these gold coins in 1915 during the tumultuous Mexican Revolution. This agrarian revolution aimed to depose the autocrat Porfirio Diaz. Though Diaz’s 35-year rule led to economic growth, modernization and stability, he repressed any political opposition, which led to the revolution’s inception. The revolution would grow and shift from general revolt to a multifaceted civil war with sporadic changes in the balance of power. Nearly a decade passed and hundreds of thousands of lives were lost in this all-important period that influences the politics of Mexico to the present day.
The state of Oaxaca produced gold issues during the Revolution under the issuing authority of the state provisional government. This series represents the most prolific issues of the Revolution. The coins offered in our upcoming auction are extremely high quality for this series, each graded by NGC in the Mint State 64 through 66 range. We are offering a 5 Pesos, a 10 Pesos and a 20 Pesos (individually, of course) in this auction. Each features a left facing bust of Benito Juarez. Juarez is remembered as a liberal progressive reformer and an advocate of democracy and equal rights, especially for the indigenous peoples (a group he belonged to). The state’s title: “Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca” is above and two stars flank the date, 1915. The reverse design is also similar across the three issues, featuring “Provisional Currency” above, the numerical indicator (5, 10 or 20) Pesos in the center with the fineness in gold appearing just below. A half-wreath appears below, with “TM” found between the wreath and border. Each of these pieces represents a lovely and exceptional example of their respective type, but the 5 Pesos is the finest certified example. The 20 Pesos is tied with just one other example for finest certified. All three are choice and lustrous and should inspire considerable attention and bidding once the auction is live.
Look for this and other world and ancient numismatic rarities in our upcoming October/November Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo. Preview this impressive coin along with the rest of our auction this October 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. While our Stack’s Bowers Galleries Whitman Coin & Collectibles Winter Expo Auction is no longer open for consignments, we are currently taking consignments of ancient and world coins for our January 2015 New York International Auction and our inaugural December Macau Showcase Auction of Asian Coins and Currency. 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.
