The “Traveller Collection,” a massive hoard of 15,000+ rare gold coins valued at over $100 million USD (~$160 million AUD), was rediscovered in Europe after being buried underground for 50+ years to hide from Nazis during WWII. Assembled post-1929 crash by a European collector, the cache—sealed in cigar boxes and aluminum—was unearthed by heirs, authenticated, and secured in a bank vault before surfacing publicly.
Collection Highlights
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Standouts: 1629 Ferdinand III 100-ducat gold coin (348g, est. $1.35M); 1621 Sigismund III 70-ducat (243g, est. $472K); rare Qajar Tomans from Iran.
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Scope: Coins from 100+ regions spanning ancient to modern eras; many unseen in 80+ years or unrecorded. British milled coins (Charles II–George VI) lead first auction.
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Significance: “Most valuable numismatic collection ever auctioned in entirety,” per Numismatica Ars Classica (NAC). Provenance traces to 19th/20th-century sales.
Auction Details
NAC launches sales May 20, 2025 (London), spanning 3 years: British coins first, then Central European rarities (Nov 6, 2025). Full set could redefine records.
SOURCE
FAQs
Q1: Why buried 50 years?
WWII Nazi threat; collector vanished post-burial.
Q2: Total value?
$100M+ USD; individual coins to $1.35M+.
Q3: When auctioned?
Starts May 20, 2025; multi-year series.
