As Australians gear up for the Paris Olympics, Sydney is set to host a different kind of Olympic gold competition. A rare, solid gold coin, minted by the Royal Australian Mint in 2016 to commemorate Australia’s Rio Olympics team, is going under the hammer next week.
The massive coin, valued at $3,000 and weighing one kilogram with a purity of 9999, is one of only five ever minted. It is expected to fetch over $100,000 at auction. Currently, the market price for a kilo of pure gold is approximately $118,000.
This remarkable coin will be auctioned by Noble Numismatics at the State Library in Macquarie Street, Sydney, on Tuesday, 30 July. Alongside it, a one kilo, $30 silver Olympic coin, also a rarity with only 30 minted, will be up for grabs, valued at $1,500.
Noble Numismatics Sale 136, running from 29 July to 1 August 2024, will feature a mix of online and live bidding sessions. The event kicks off with an eSale, followed by live auctions at the Dixson Room of the State Library.
Among the highlights of the sale are several noteworthy items:
- An 1813 New South Wales five shillings or holey dollar, the first coinage issued by NSW and Australia, estimated at $200,000.
- A 1813 New South Wales fifteen pence or dump, another early coinage example, estimated at $35,000.
- A nearly uncirculated Adelaide pound from 1852, Australia’s first gold coin, estimated at $35,000.
- A rare 1930 Australian penny, one of the top 25 known examples, estimated at $35,000, and another slightly worn example estimated at $18,000.
- A collection of Chinese coins, including a 1927 uncirculated Sun Yat-sen silver dollar, estimated at $7,500, and a 1926 uncirculated Chang Tso-lin silver dollar, estimated at $5,000.
- An OBE group of six medals awarded to a medical doctor wounded in action, with congratulatory telegrams from Governor-General W. J. Slim and Prime Minister R. G. Menzies, estimated at $3,500.
- A selection of ancient Greek coins from a North Queensland collector, featuring a rare gold stater of Philip II of Macedon and a silver tetradrachm from Himera, estimated at $6,000 and $8,000 respectively.
- Other ancient coins include a rare Greek silver tetradrachm of Thrace (323-281BC), estimated at $3,000, a silver stater of Boeotia (400-375BC), estimated at $15,000, and rare Roman silver denarii of Mark Antony and Clodius Albinus, estimated at $1,000 and $2,000 respectively.
- A specimen set of Australian coins from two dollars to one hundred dollars, issued in 1985, estimated at $40,000.
- A trial 12-sided Australian fifty cents coin from 1988, estimated at $6,000.
- An extremely rare consecutive pair of 1949 Australian one pound star banknotes in top condition, estimated at $18,000.
- The auction promises to be a thrilling event for collectors and investors alike, offering a unique opportunity to own a piece of history.
The full catalogue can be viewed here.
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