Found in the cupboard: Silver coin achieves auction record of $2.5 million

A rare silver coin from 1652, which was minted in Boston, the capital and largest city of the US state of Massachusetts, is at auction at Stack’s Bowers Galleries for 2.52 million dollars (around 2.4 million euros ). ) was auctioned.

The 1.1-gram coin, which once belonged to the Quincy family of Boston – an influential political family in Massachusetts from the 17th to the early 20th centuries – surpassed the historic record for pre-Revolutionary American coins by nearly 2 million Dollar.

Silver coin 2016 found in a cupboard in Amsterdam

The coin was discovered in an old cabinet in Amsterdam around 2016 and was only identified as a historical rarity years later. Auctioneer Ben Orooji described the 12-minute bidding war as an “exciting journey and highlight of his career”.

In addition to the record coin, two New England shillings from 1652 achieved prices of 60,000 dollars (around 56,817 euros) and 192,000 dollars (around 181,816 euros) at the auction. A silver Libertas Americana medal from 1783 fetched $144,000 (136,326 euros).

Valuable coin treasure discovered by amateur treasure hunters

But valuable coin treasures aren’t just found in cupboards and attics. Even hobby treasure hunters often find coins and other valuable treasures. So did Lisa Grace and Adam Staples. They found 2,584 silver coins from the time of the Norman Conquest in the Chew Valley in England.

The South West Heritage Trust bought the treasure for 4.3 million pounds (around 5.17 million euros). The finders must share the proceeds with the landowner since they sold the coins to the charity.

The treasure will initially be exhibited at the British Museum before traveling to various museums across the UK and ultimately remaining at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton.