Have you heard of the extremely rare coin that sold beyond expectations at a British auction?
The extremely fine Congressional Gold Medal, presented to Lieutenant Robert Henley, as instructed by the President of the United States, James Madison, following the Battle of Lake Champlain, sold for a hammer price of £180,000 at auction last year.
This was against an estimate of £40,000-50,000 at Noonans Mayfair, in a sale of British, World Coins and Historical Medals.
A rare and uncirculated complete set of first issue Euro banknotes could fetch up to £30,000 in Noonans Mayfair’s sale of World Banknotes tomorrow.
See link to catalogue https://t.co/m8hPDBvSXX #banknotes #euros #papermoney #numismatics #europeancentralbank #firsteuros pic.twitter.com/cJPtt8mYHJ— Noonans Mayfair (@NoonansAuctions) May 27, 2025
Nimrod Dix, Deputy Chairman of Noonans, said at the time: “This medal is a unique and splendid testament to one of the defining moments in Anglo-American history.
"There are very few Congressional gold and silver naval medals known to exist – possibly only four of each.”
A silver example from the same collection was also in the sale, which had been awarded to Captain Isaac Hull while in the Naval Engagement of U.S.S. Constitution and H.M.S. Guerriere on 19 August 1812.
"Estimated at £12,000-15,000, it fetched a hammer price of £46,000.
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Elsewhere in the sale, one of the earliest coins, an oak tree shilling, from Boston, Massachusetts, dating from 1652 – the year that round coinage was implemented - fetched a hammer price of £44,000 and was bought by a private collector.
It had been in the possession of the same British family for the last 300 years.
Not bad, eh? Always worth a little root around your grandparents' attic, just in case.
