Stephen Album Rare Coins

One of our favorite lots in the upcoming May 14-17, 2026 Auction 55!

Lot 1124
MEXICO: Maximiliano, 1864-1867, AV 20 pesos, Mexico City, 1866-Mo, KM-389, Fr-62, Grove-5445, bust of the emperor right // crowned imperial arms on top of crossed swords, flanked by griffins, the only denomination in gold issued by Maximilian, a lovely lustrous mint state example of this extremely popular type, PCGS graded MS63

On an interesting historical fact, Emperor Maximilian gave a 20 peso gold coin to each member of his firing squad before his ex*****on on June 19, 1867, in Querétaro, Mexico. He reportedly did this as a traditional gesture, asking them to aim for his chest rather than his head so his face would remain recognizable for his mother.

Drop by and visit Joseph Lang and Takeshi Suzaki at the 2026 Tokyo International l Coin convention

This lovely thaler is Lot 874 in our upcoming Auction 55 (May 14-17, 2026). This is the first example of this interestingly designed coin that we have handled. It is also featured on the cover of the printed auction catalog!

Lot Description:
WALDECK-PYRMONT: Georg Friedrich Heinrich, 1813-1845, AR thaler, 1824, KM-133, Dav-925. Cr-82, initials FW, one-year type, nicely toned, beautiful design featuring arms on a palm tree, PCGS graded MS62

Joe Lang and Mike Barry at the 54th annual New York International Numismatic Convention today.

Auction 54 is only 2 weeks from today! Be sure to get your bids in! We will have select lots on display at the FUN show and at NYINC this month.

Lot 674 in this week's Auction 53! This will be up for live bidding on Thursday, September 18. Pre-sale bids are also possible.

BOMBAY PRESIDENCY: William & Mary, 1689-1694, AR rupee, Munbai, year 5 (= 1693), Stv-1.26, Prid-27. KM-148.2, with Persian legends that translate as "coin struck during the reign of King William and Queen Mary" // "struck at Bombay in the auspicious year 5 of the English rulers"; fabulous bold strike with beautifully toned luster, especially on the obverse; at MS64, this grade is higher than any examples of the three known dates (4, 5, 6) filed on CoinArchives, ANACS graded MS64, RRR.

Only one example of year 5 and graded uncirculated is filed on CoinArchives, sold in the Noonan's Auction 268, lot 334 (2023), graded MS61.

Lot 1109 in next week's Auction 53!

MICRONESIA: Yap, rai stone money (43.5kg), ca. 1871-1931, Opitz p.316-21, Quiggin p.144, 62 x 58 x 9cm, 96lbs, post-O'Keefe type, made from crystalline calcite, holed in the center, accompanied by two wooden storyboards (with sawtooth hangers for mounting) and a flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (used 1965-1980), one of the heaviest examples of this famous ethnographic currency to ever appear in a public auction! XF

ex Clifford M. Ray Collection

Known locally as raai or fei, the Yap stone money is a disc-shaped stone with a hole in the center for transportation, with sizes ranging from 12 feet to a mere two inches in diameter. The rock for the stone money is not found on Yap itself and was instead sourced from Palau, located some 280 miles (450km) away. Prior to the arrival of European traders, a Yapese chief would grant permission to a work crew to sail to Palau, manufacture the money, and bring them back in their outrigger canoes.

Stone money was produced as late as 1931, and a contemporary survey found a total of 13,281 pieces on Yap. However, many were destroyed and used for road construction during WWII, and only half are estimated to have survived to the present day. As a result of their scarcity, the Yapese government imposed severe restrictions on their export in 1965 and has since allowed only a small number of stones to leave the island, mostly as gifts to foreign dignitaries.

The consignor arrived on Yap on June 1, 1971, as a member of Seabee 6207 of US Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 62. For eight months, the 13-member team worked on a goodwill mission to upgrade Yap's civic infrastructures, including the building of culverts, a bridge, a school, and housing for the local people. As an expression of gratitude, the Yapese presented stone money as gifts to members of Seabee 6207 before their departure on January 31, 1972. This includes an example currently on display at the US Navy Seabee Museum in Port Hueneme, CA. By the same token, the consignor was able to export the stone being offered here.