NGC-certified Shipwreck Gold Bar Shatters Estimate, Realizes $156,000 in Sedwick Sale

An extremely rare shipwreck treasure gold bar, which was the first of its kind to be certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®), far exceeded expectations when it realized six figures in a recent sale. The Treasure, World, U.S. Coin & Paper Money Auction 33 was presented by Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC on May 3-4, 2023.

The circa 1650 Colombia Gold (336.3g) Maravillas piece, certified by NGC as genuine (lot 60), had a pre-auction estimate of $40,000 to $80,000. However, the gold bar shattered expectations, becoming the top lot in the auction as it realized $156,000. (Read more about this astounding historical treasure here.)

Click images to enlarge.

The second-highest price realized in the auction was by another NGC-certified rarity: an Spain 1591M C Madrid 4 Escudos graded NGC MS 64 (lot 27), which realized $90,000. The gold coin is the highest graded out of the three known to exist in the world, according to the auction house. Further, the example is believed to be the highest denomination minted in Madrid using a novel minting process called Ingenio de la Tijera ("shearing machine").

Spain 1591M C 4 Escudos graded NGC MS 64 Click images to enlarge.

Other NGC-certified coins that realized top prices in this auction include:

• a Mexico 1715MO J 8 Escudos graded NGC MS 65 and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet (lot 28) that realized $54,000
• a Mexico (1607-16) MOF Real – Royal Coinage graded NGC XF 45 and pedigreed to Clyde Hubbard (lot 560) that realized $48,000
• a Costa Rica 1917 GCR 50 Centimos graded NGC MS 63 (lot 896) that realized $45,000
• a Bolivia 1726P Y 8 Real - Royal Coinage graded NGC XF Details (lot 743) that realized $42,000
• a Peru 1660L* MV 4 Reales – Star of Lima Type graded NGC XF 45 (lot 684) that realized $36,000
• a Peru 1711L M 8 Escudos graded NGC MS 64 and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet (lot 34) that realized $32,400
• a Peru 1712 M 8 Escudos graded NGC MS 62 and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet (lot 35) that realized $31,200

Prices realized include a buyer's premium.