We would like to thank all our clients for their trust. We hope you enjoyed our 30th auction, whether in person or via phone or internet. You can find the results of the floor auction here. Furthermore, below you will find the sale prices of some of the top items in Auction #30.
5 Heller 1924
In every auction we try to offer something unique to collectors. This time, at our 30th auction, it was a coin that has been referred to as the most mysterious Czechoslovak circulation coin, and its origins date back to the early years of the First Republic. In 1926, Július Ritter, an employee of the municipal savings bank in Kremnica, spotted a 5 Heller coin with the year of mintage 1924, and, as he had never seen such a coin before, he astutely assumed it was extraordinary. The preparation of the coin's mintage is shrouded in mystery. In fact, no minting of the 5 Heller was planned for 1924. Nevertheless, a few specimens of the 1924 5 Heller have appeared on the collector's market. In the 1980s, the so-called "fat-cat specimens" emerged, which were allegedly minted as a gift for prominent members of the Mint's delegations. These, however, already bear the signs of a cracked die, which adds another layer of mystery to the story. The starting price of the auctioned specimen, with a clear provenance and no signs of a damaged die, was EUR 30,000. The price of the coin at auction reached 66 thousand euros.
5 Ducats of Leopold I, 1675
The most expensive coin that collectors were able to bid for was the most beautiful known specimen of the Leopold I 5 Ducats struck at the Bratislava mint in 1675. The highly collectible piece with a magnificent patina and mirror-like lustre in the fields had a starting price of EUR 200,000 and its hammer price reached 312 thousand euros.
Gold medal 1765
Another interesting item in our 30th auction was an extremely rare medal from 1765. Its author was Anton Wideman, the court medallist of the Vienna mint. He created the medal to commemorate Joseph II assuming the title of Roman Emperor and becoming co-regent with Maria Theresa. The specimen that was available is in superb condition, comes from a French noble estate and had a starting price of EUR 60,000. In the end, the hammer price tripled that amount, reaching 180 thousand euros.
St. Wenceslas Ducats 1951
Auction #30 also included St. Wenceslas Ducats of 1951. The creation of these ducats was an attempt to follow the tradition of minting gold ducats in post-war Czechoslovakia. However, due to the political situation in post-war Czechoslovakia, only the 1951 Ducats were eventually minted, and the minting of subsequent years was not continued. All Ducat 1951 denominations (10 Ducat, 5 Ducat, 2 Ducat and 1 Ducat) were auctioned as lots #429, #430, #431 and #432. Their collective starting price was EUR 240,000 and they sold for EUR 391,800.
2 Koruna 1946 Pattern strike
One of the specimens of the extremely rare pattern strike of the 2 Koruna 1946, designed by J. Wagner, was auctioned as lot 428. According to our findings, there are currently only three specimens of this rare pattern strike from the period of post-war Czechoslovakia on the market. The coin sold for EUR 55,200.
Celtic coins
Popular Celtic coins were also offered to bidders at our 30th auction. These more than 2,000-year-old coins were the oldest lots in the auction. A stylized head/horse type Stater was sold for 60,000 euros. Under lot 4, a very nice 1/24 Stater of the Gallic head type reached a hammer price of 14,400 euros. This is an extremely rare coin, with only two known specimens to date.
Thaler from the "Pharmacy haul"
At the beginning of August 1911, builders in České Budějovice were carrying out construction works in the "U bílého anděla" house in the heart of the town’s historic centre. In a bricked-up alcove on the first floor of the house, they discovered a hidden treasure of silver and gold coins in a leather pouch. The owner of the hidden cash was the chemist Georg Seifferheld, who owned the house from 1614 to 1619. A Mattighoffer Thaler dated 1597, which was part of the treasure, was sold for 12,000 euros under lot number 110.
We accept auction material all year round
If you are interested in joining our auctions as a seller, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@machochlapovic.com or by phone on +421 239 020 432. We accept auction material all year round. We are currently accepting material for Auction #31, which will take place on October 20, 2023 in Prague.
