One of the auction highlights is a 100 ducat gold coin from 1629, featuring Ferdinand III of Habsburg. CNN
A massive coin collection, hidden underground for over 50 years, is heading to auction and is expected to sell for more than $100 million. Known as the Traveller Collection, it is believed to be the most valuable coin collection ever auctioned. The sales will take place over the next three years, starting on May 20.
The collection includes around 15,000 coins from over 100 regions, ranging from ancient times to modern-day. What makes it even more special is its remarkable backstory. The original collector, whose identity remains private, began purchasing gold coins after the 1929 Wall Street Crash. He became passionate about rare and historically significant coins and expanded his collection while traveling across the Americas and Europe with his wife during the 1930s.
As World War II loomed and the Nazi threat grew, the couple, sensing danger, decided to bury their treasure. They carefully packed the coins into cigar boxes, placed them inside aluminum containers, and hid them underground. The coins remained buried for five decades.
This five guinea coin of George III from 1777 is worth around $340,000. CNN
After they were finally unearthed by the collector’s heirs, the coins were placed in a bank vault before being presented to the auction house for sale. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further details about the location or the discovery of the collection have been shared.
Experts describe the collection as incredibly rare, with some coins never before seen at public auctions. The set features many coins in exceptional condition, preserved better than most other pieces from their era. Some are so rare that they have not been up for sale in over 80 years.
One of the standout pieces is a 100 ducat gold coin of Ferdinand III of Habsburg, minted in 1629 when he ruled as Archduke of Austria and King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. Weighing 348.5 grams of pure gold, it is among the largest gold coins ever minted in Europe.
A 50 Toman coin from a rare set minted in Tehran and Isfahan in the late 18th and early 19th century. CNN
The collection also includes an extremely rare set of five Tomans, minted in Tehran and Isfahan in the late 18th and early 19th century by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar. Only five complete sets of these coins exist, with one displayed at the Ashmolean Museum in the UK.
Another highlight is a five guinea coin of George III, dated 1777, estimated to be worth around $340,000. The coin’s remarkable condition and historical significance make it a highly sought-after item.
Experts at the auction house believe that the Traveller Collection’s fascinating history, combined with the quality and rarity of the coins, will make it one of the most significant sales in numismatic history.
