$100 million coin collection, buried for decades, up for auction

AccuWeather ^ | March 27, 2025 | Lianne Kolirin, CNN

[SunkenCiv]

The Traveller Collection, thought to be the most expensive coin collection to ever come to auction, will be sold off over the next three years - with the first sale taking place on May 20...

When they were finally retrieved by the collector's heirs, the coins were stored in a bank vault and later presented to the auction house for sale. Unfortunately, no further details have been made available about the hiding or discovery of the coins, due to the family's request for privacy.

The collector's detailed records made it easier for the team at the auction house to research the provenance and value of the coins, some of which could be traced back to auctions of some of the greatest collections of late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Among the highlights is a 100 ducat gold coin of Ferdinand III of Habsburg, which was minted in 1629 when he was Archduke of Austria, King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, the release says. Made up of 348.5 grams of fine gold, it is one of the largest denominations of European gold coins ever minted.

Also featured is an "exceedingly rare" set of five Tomans, minted in Tehran and Isfahan in the late 18th and early 19th century by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar. Only five complete such sets are known, one of which is in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, in the United Kingdom.

[SunkenCiv]

CNN / Accuweather

[SunkenCiv]

CNN / Accuweather

[SunkenCiv]

CNN / Accuweather

[SunkenCiv]

• Lost WWII Gold Treasure Worth Hundreds of Thousands Discovered in Czech Republic [04/30/2025]

[frank ballenger]

Darn it. I put a couple of those coins into a candy bar machine yesterday. Ironically a Payday. And a Hershey with almonds. 🍫

[HartleyMBaldwin]

I found one in a CoinStar machine reject tray a while back. The guy at Circle K almost wouldn’t take it but I finally got my soda.

[MtnClimber]

I think I paid for a Coke with one of those.

[Red Badger]

And to think, all we get here in Florida is Canadian money mixed in our change in the winter......................

[frank ballenger]

The pause that refreshes.

[PGR88]

I’ve looked at purchasing some Roman aureus (gold coins) - just because I’d like to have something 2000 years and think about the history it has seen and hands it has passed through.

they aren’t cheap!

[dfwgator]

"______ machine took my quarter!"

[Teacher317]

This is AccuWeather news?

[abb]

“Another buffalo looking the wrong way...”

[Dr. Sivana]

Ironically a Payday.

Mine was the “100 Grand”.

[John Milner]

I got a Bahamian quarter recently. I think in Florida. Could have been somewhere else in the SE or MidAtlantic.

[rlmorel]

Hahahaha!

[Red Badger]

Yes, most likely South Florida.................

[rlmorel]

One of my favorite secret pleasure movies! (Okay, not really a secret!)

[frank ballenger]

Ha. I used to like those. After Bidenflation the candy bar cost was approaching the name itself.

[ComputerGuy]

Awesome!