The largest gold coin ever struck in Europe – the Centén segoviano of 1609 – will return to the auction block in Geneva this Nov. 24, offering collectors a rare chance to acquire one of the most imposing and historically charged pieces of Spanish numismatics.
Weighing an extraordinary 339.35 grams and certified AU-58 by NGC, the coin is the first 100-escudos issue ever produced and the only known example of its kind, according auction house Numismatica Genevensis SA.
Struck during the reign of Philip III, the massive gold piece was never intended for circulation. Instead, it was created as an elite presentation item designed to showcase the wealth, reach and political ambitions of the Spanish empire at the height of its global influence.
The gold used for this coin almost certainly came from the Americas, reflecting the extraordinary flow of precious metals from Spanish territories such as Mexico and Peru that fuelled the Crown’s military, architectural and courtly ambitions.
The coin’s design also highlights Spain’s technological prowess. Its obverse features the famous Segovia aqueduct, indicating that it was struck at the Real Ingenio, the kingdom’s most advanced mint.
Established with equipment and expertise imported from Hall, Tyrol, the mint combined state-of-the-art machinery with meticulous hand-finishing. The 1609 Centén is described in the catalogue as the crowning achievement of this mint and as the product of some of the realm’s leading specialists, including engraver Diego de Astor, treasury official Luis Jerónimo de Cabrera and assayer Melchor Rodríguez del Castillo, whose “C” mark guarantees the coin’s purity.
Although further 100-escudos pieces were issued in 1614, 1617, 1618 and 1620, the original 1609 Centén stands alone as a unique survivor. No other example of this inaugural issue is known, and it sits at the top of the population reports as NGC AU-58, the catalogue states.
The coin also boasts distinguished provenance, having once formed the most iconic piece in the celebrated Caballero de las Yndias Collection, one of the greatest assemblies of Spanish gold ever formed.
Auction 22 – The Centén Segoviano 1609 is scheduled for Mon., Nov. 24, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva, with the coin offered as Lot 314 and a starting price of 2,000,000 CHF (approximately C$3.50 million).
For full details go to: https://www.ngsa.ch/current-auctions/