Several Canadian rarities were offered in the August 2020 Auction by Stack’s Bowers.
The top-earning Canadian lot – offered during the third session, featuring world coins and the Duke of Lansing Collection – was a 10-cent “Broad Leaves” variety from 1913. Described by auctioneers as a “monumental condition rarity,” the coin is certified as Mint State-64 by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). It’s tied with one other coin as the second finest known example, and just one piece appears in a higher grade – Mint State-65 – in the PCGS census.
The example offered this August sold for $24,000 as Lot 21091.
An 1890 Bank of Toronto $5 note with two rare blue ‘Cardinal’ overprints sold for $8,400, more than doubling its low estimate of $3,500.
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A pair of Canadian banknotes were also among the highlights of the sale’s first session.
A 1954 $10 ‘Modified Portrait’ note, serial number ‘0000001,’ also sold for $8,400 on an estimate of $1,250.
An 1890 Bank of Toronto $5 note with two rare blue “Cardinal” overprints doubled its estimate as Lot 30085. Certified as Choice Fine-15 by Paper Money Guaranty (PMG), it brought $8,400 on an estimate of $3,500-$4,500.
Lastly, a 1954 $10 “Modified Portrait” note – serial number “0000001” – was offered as Lot 30102. In PMG About Uncirculated-53 EPQ (Exceptional Paper Quality), it also sold for $8,400, topping its high estimate of $1,250 more than eight times.