Aureus gold coins of the 12 Caesars commands worldwide attention setting new all-time high prices in Vienna, Austria earlier this month.
Several early Roman gold coins crossed the auction block in Europe in the early morning on November 7. While the market has been strong, nobody was prepared for the record high numbers. Bidders on the floor and phone drove up sales of popular Twelve Caesars Roman gold coins. We were prepared to bid aggressively on many of the coins, and we were yet again blown out of the water by voracious collector demand. This is a trend we are seeing across all quality levels, and particularly at the higher end problem free coins (XF and better). There was a palpable energy in the room, and applause erupted throughout the hall after several highlight coins. Just a few examples include:
* A raw aureus of Galba in AU- shattered all expectations at $425,000 all in.
* A raw aureus of Otho in AU- brought a shocking $350,000 all in
* A raw aureus of Vitellius in AU- brought $212,500 all in.
* A raw aureus of Claudius in ChXF- brought $93,750 all in.
* A raw aureus of Titus in Choice AU – brought $85,000 all in.
Auction officials were overheard commenting on the increase in international bidders, many of whom were participating for the first time. I remain very excited and bullish on this segment of the market and I will continue to encourage our clients to buy Twelve Caesars gold well into the foreseeable future. As one of the most popular themes in ancients and all of numismatics, we see increased growth and demand for these world-class rarities. The best argument, of course, is the sheer scarcity, history, and relative value of these coins. We are truly ahead of a major wave in numismatics, and we owe it to our clients to continue to acquire the best of what the market has to offer in this exciting segment.