Auction #40 Europe

Bolivien: Few times does an auction have the opportunity to offer for sale a highly complete, variet
Few times does an auction have the opportunity to offer for sale a highly complete, variety-full, and rarity filled collection as the one we are proud to offer today. If we think about Bolivian coins, one immediately thinks about the Silver Mountain in Potosi, its famous mint where for 300 years it produced enough coinage to circle the globe three times. This collection, formed by one of the foremost authorities in Bolivian coinage, author of books, articles and conferences, encompasses coins from the Colonial to the Republican period, as well as medals, proclamation coins, tokens, proofs, essays, and patterns in metals raging from aluminum and tin to mainly silver and also gold

Collection starts in the colonial period, with a representation of cobs and column coins, with highlights of the first volume being ¼ real coins and bronze buttons with bust type designs. Strongest colonial period is the bust types, with ½ real to 8 reales, making a total of 110 coins, with some holed coins mixed in, all usually f-vf with several xf+.

The Republican period commences in 1827 with the issuance of the famous Simon Bolivar portrait coins in denominations of ½ sol to 8 soles, following the Spanish era coinage, with the same weights and sizes, complemented by ¼ sol coins, with an in-depth study of the 3 known die pairs and a newly discovered sub-type of the 1852 coin and a high graded 1853 type, the rarest of the ¼ sol series, all described within the collection. On the 1 sol, the collection highlights three rare examples of the Oruro mint 1849 Socabon types, which though holed, showcase a one year type of a mint that tried to operate in the rich mining area of Oruro, but the difficulties in refining mineral killed the venture. These coins and only found holed.

The 4 soles section is highlighted by countless overdates, repunched dies, and other varities that makes this a rich and hard to duplicate section. The 8 soles period starts with rare 1827 large and small alpaca varieties, a graded 1829PTS JM where an inverted A is used as a V in BOLIVIANA; a highly complete set of the left facing busts of Simon Bolivar 1848-1851; and several coins sold by Coin Galleries in 1990 as part of the famous Amon Carter collection.

We continue with the short lived La Paz mint, created by President Manuel I. Belzu, Several high grade coin enhance this section and includes a very rare and scarce 1853PAZ J, of which less than 10 pieces are known. The collection continues with the first decimal series promoted by the government of General Mariano Melgarejo, and includes a rare 1 centesimo copper 1864 piece, and a graded 1867PTS FE 1 Boliviano with the scarce inscription BOLIVIANO instead of BOLIVIANA, plus the known varieties of the 1/20, 1/10 and 1/5 Boliviano, all vf-xf+, and a highly complete runoff the crown-sized, 1 Boliviano pieces with several varieties as well.

The larger decimal collection, which is all vf-xf+ starts with the 5 centavo coins, highlighted by the 1871FP, 2 examples, of which only 6 are known; 1872FE three examples, 2 holed, only three know of this rare type; an 1872PTS ER from the Whittier Collection, auction by Heritage Auctions and several unknown and uncatalogued varieties. The 10 centavos series is practically complete all vf-xf with several varieties, both known and unknown. Continuing with the 20 centavos, the hghlights include the 1871PTS FP one of two known from the Whittier sale; 1883PTS EF two in the collection and 3-5 known; a scarce1902PTS MM graded MS65 from the Whittier sale and the rare 1907PTS MM graded MS62 also from the Whittier sale, of which maybe 5 are known; the section ends with five cut pieces of 20 centavos coin, which were used in Cuzco, Peru at the end of the XIXth century in this form, and which are extremely scare.

Continuing, with the higher values of the set, the 50 centavos, an almost complete set, is highlighted by the 2 1873 varieties, the 1879 regular and the 187
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