Tierra del Fuego 1889 5 gramos
This specimen was lot 34332 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2022), where it sold for $21,600. The catalog description[1] noted, "ARGENTINA. Tierra del Fuego. 5 Gramos, 1889. Buenos Aires Mint. NGC MS-65. A tremendous example of this RARE issue, this Gem displays a resolute strike and avoids any evidence of circulation or major chatter and marking. Softly lustrous and semi-reflective, the surfaces are incredibly clean, and the elite status of this piece is confirmed by NGC as this is the sole finest graded example. Struck with gold dust from the beach of El Paramo on the Patagonian Peninsula, this piece has intrigue to complement the beauty. A type endlessly sought by numismatists, and given the unique state of preservation, a specimen certain to capture much attention. The issue of Julius Popper, a powerful and controversial figure, who was granted the rights to prospect for gold on Tierra del Fuego by the Argentinian government. Popper amassed wealth and power, and these coins symbolized his near dictatorial control of the archipelago. His abuse of and conflict with the natives led to the reduction of the population of the Selk'nam from 4000 to 500 by the end of the 19th Century. Popper died in 1893 under mysterious circumstances that some have speculated to be poisoning by his enemies. From the Augustana Collection."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-1; KM-Tn8; Janson-7.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Janson, Hector Carlos, La Moneda Circulante En El Territorio Argentino, 1767-1998, Buenos Aires, 1998.
- Cunietti-Ferrando, Arnaldo José, Monedas de la República Argentina, Asociación Numismática Argentina, Buenos Aires, 1965.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 ANA Auction - Ancients & World Coins - Featuring The Salton Collection Part III, the Augustana Collection and the Robert C. Knepper Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
Link to: