A 1681 Charles II Elephant & Castle half crown is one of the top lots in Heritage Auctions' upcoming world coins sale in Long Beach.
The lot is valued at $40,000-50,000 ahead of the September 3-10 sale.
 The Elephant and Castle half crown was issued under Charles II in 1681 |
The coins were minted from silver and gold ore mined in the Gambia by the Royal African Company whose head, James Duke of York, was the brother of the king.
They're named for the elephant symbol that appears in the bottom left of the obverse side, which was the symbol of the company.
Unusually, the silver issue is considerably rarer than the gold. Today only around 20 examples in either material across all grades are known. The present lot (graded AU55) is the finest.
A 1921 Australian George V copper-nickel specimen pattern penny is expected to make $40,000-50,000.
The coin was designed as a radical replacement for the existing copper penny, with straight sides and a kookaburra on the reverse - a potent symbol of Australian nationalism at the time.
Ultimately the project was abandoned after the cost of importing nickel and retrofitting vending machines became apparent.
The sale will also feature an 1874 South African Republic Burgers pond coarse beard, valued at $60,000-70,000.
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