Silberstein Collection, Bis Repetita

His second scattering was even more successful than the first, thanks to a 12-rouble coin from Nicolas I.

If the first act of the sale of the Silberstein collection, last April (see Gazette 2025 no. 15), created quite a stir, the second was no exception, bringing the total of the collection to €2,611,317. Once again, an Imperial Russian coin topped the list, this time at €581,440, five times the low estimate. Only two examples were referenced of this 12-rouble platinum, produced in the last year of the model’s mintage, 1845. The icing on the cake is that it previously belonged to Count Emeric Hutten-Czapski (1828-1896), who had the richest Polish numismatic collection. The Empire of the Tsars took the other two places on the podium : at €202 ,240 for a gold medal (diam. 166 mm, weight 173.46 g) engraved by Yudin, commemorating the coronation of Peter I in 1682, and €151,680 for 37.5 rubles (diam. 35 mm, weight 32.25 g) issued in 1902 under Nicholas II (1894-1917), of which only 225 are known. Back to France, where the reign of Napoleon I (1804-1815) was the most talked-about, thanks to a 40 franc coin (diam. 26 mm, weight 12.86 g) minted ” CL ” for Genoa, from 1806. With only two pieces like this one referenced, it fetched €141 ,568 , out of a high estimate of €5 ,000. The Kingdom of Italy was also well represented, with €135,420 offered for 50 gold lire (diam. 28 mm, weight 16.12 g – see Gazette no. 9). Issued in Turin in 1864, during the reign of Victor-Emmanuel II (1861-1878), this coin is one of only 103 in existence. The favorite of our issue no. 8, a rare 20-won gold coin (diam. 28.8 mm, weight 16.67 g) testified to Japanese domination of Korea in 1906, fetching €82,350.