The Kyle Ponterio Collection

If you ever meet someone with a real passion, there is a genuine excitement there. It is a love and devotion that cannot be faked, something that has been achieved through hard work and dedication. This passion from many people can be addictive, and every time I talk to Kyle Ponterio, I see this passion, and I learn from it. I have known Kyle for years; I have seen him grow from having a passive interest in numismatics to becoming a world-class specialist with a love that can surpass even the most devoted numismatists. With this, he has focused his pride on his collection over the years to make it something special. However, even the most passionate people sometimes make a choice to sell their collections.

At Stack’s Bowers Galleries, Kyle has the unique advantage of transforming his collection into a publication, to be shared with the world and further the numismatic study with the research he has done over countless years. From this, the Stack’s Bowers Galleries January 18th sale in NYINC Session C will offer an important catalog of reference going forward, publishing this impressive collection and study of numismatic pieces that feature this history and movement of money through its authorization and revaluation across the world.

PCGS is proud and honored to have certified the Kyle Ponterio Collection. Here are a few of the highlights of this fantastic collection:

Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

Lot 21007 – Brazil 1820-R 960 Reis. All Brazil 960 reis coins were minted over other circulating crown-size coins. What makes this piece so special is the coin it was struck over. The original host coin was a Mexico Charles IV (1803-08?) 8 Reales. This coin was in circulation in British Honduras (1810-1818) where it was countermarked with “GR” for “George Rex” for King George III to authorize it for circulation in the British colony. The coin then made its way to Brazil where in 1820 it was recoined into a 960 reis at the Rio Mint. This single coin features three countries of issue. Graded PCGS AU58, the coin carries an auction estimate is $2,000 - $3,000.

Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

Lot 21014 – Canada Prince Edward Island (1813) 5 Shilling. Holey dollars are often associated with the Australian colonial issues. However, Prince Edward Island in Canada also cut and issued such coinage. This often-overlooked issue is problematic due to counterfeits made to deceive collectors, but genuine pieces do exist. This is once such piece. It is listed by Christopher Faulkner as group F type in his book The Holey Dollars and Dumps of Prince Edward Island. This coin’s origin began in Mexico in 1783 and eventually circulated in Prince Edward Island Canada with the act of September 24, 1813. Spanish coinage was cut and countermarked to a British weight standard and would have traded at 5 shillings of value. Most pieces were removed from circulation and melted, but this is one surviving example. A tiny “X” done contemporary to the coin’s circulation hindered it from being numerically graded. Graded PCGS Genuine with VF Details due to graffiti, this coin has an estimate of $1,000 - $1,500.

Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

Lot 21017 – Costa Rica (1841) 8 Reales. This incredibly rare coin type originally was minted in Mexico City and dated 1827/6 from assayer JM. The coin at some point had made its way to San Jose, Costa Rica, where under the decree of November 19, 1841, the circulating silver was to be holed, countermarked, and test marked in very specific and consistent ways. This redenominating of coinage quickly fell out of favor, and most pieces were melted. The few surviving pieces are treasures to collectors of Costa Rica coinage and countermarks. The coin itself is graded PCGS VF30, while the countermark grades VF Details; this lot is estimated at $2,000 - $3,000.

Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

Lot 21038 – Guatemala, El Salvador, & Peru 4 Reales. Wow, simply wow! This coin started life in Peru where it was minted in 1836 at the Cuzco Mint. Eventually the coin made its way to El Salvador where under the Decree of December 18, 1834 a “Zig-Zag” scribe mark was applied to the coin to show it was silver and legal tender for the area of El Salvador. The “Zig-Zag” marking ended in 1839 which dates its time in El Salvador from between 1834 until 1839. The coin then would be countermarked in Guatemala under the October 31, 1840, which lasted until November 20, 1840, when the type II counterstamps were applied. This coin would not have fallen within weight requirements for the Guatemala countermark and for it to have gotten the stamp was an error on the assayer. From the fabulous Richard Stuart Collection to the Kyle Ponterio Collection it went. A simply stunning piece of multi-national numismatics. Graded PCGS VF35 and has an auction estimate of $2,000 - $2,500.

Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

Lot 21042 – Peru & Guatemala 8 Reales. Another fantastic rarity and the reference coin for many references, Brunk-63-764 (this coin), Duffield-764 (this coin) Fonrobert-7390 (this coin), Ulex-2161 (this coin). This coin originally was minted in Lima, Peru, in 1822 under assayer JP during Peru independence. The coin was then countermarked legal tender by the Peru Royalist in 1824, who were loyal to the Spanish crown. Eventually the coin made its way to Guatemala, where it was countermarked under the decree of October 31, 1840 which lasted until early 1841. This exact coin can be traced back to the Jules Fonrobert Collection sold February 18, 1878. It was in the Georg F. Ulex Collection sold May 11, 1908 and now is in the Kyle Ponterio Collection as of January 2020. Graded PCGS AU53 with AU details on both countermarks, this coin has an auction estimate of $1,500 - $2,500.

Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

Lot 21048 – Japan (1859) 3 Bu. Under the Treaty of Amity and Commerce signed in Japan July 29, 1858, the Mexican “Dollars” were set to the exchange rate for 3 Bu of silver. When Yokohama opened up for trade, Mexico 8 reales coins were countermarked to be authorized for circulation at the rate of “San Bu” or 3 Bu. This coin is dated 1859 and is from the Durango Mint with CP assayer. It left Mexico and was countermarked in Japan likely the same year. Kyle extensively studied San Bu coins and cataloged about 60 examples, and this is the only Durango Mint specimen currently known. It is PCGS certified AU55 and has an auction estimate of $7,000 - $9,000.

Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

Lot 21064 – Mozambique (1765) 4 Reales. This coin started in Mexico, being minted in 1740 at the Mexico City Mint. The coin eventually made its way to Africa and to the Portuguese colony of Mozambique. Under the decree of August 20, 1765, the coins were countermarked “MR” incuse to authorize their use in the colony under Governor Baltazar Manoel Pereira do Lago. This coin is one of only three confirmed examples that survives with this countermark. This coin is believed to be cited by Vazco Azevedo in “Catalogo da Moedas de Mocambique,” published in 1969 and giving it a very strong pedigree. Graded PCGS VF35 with the countermark of AU detail. It has an auction estimate of $1,500 - $2,000.

Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

Lot 21071 – Spanish Philippines 1828 8 Reales. After Spain lost its colonies in the Americas it continued to hold on to its Asian colonial trading post stronghold the Philippines. The continued need for silver for Asian trade and the loss of the Americas posed a problem for the Spanish with the new colonial coins not being given legal tender status. Two pairs of dies and a press were sent to Manila to the overstriking of these rebellious coins to make them legal tender for the Spanish Philippines. Issued with the decree of October 13, 1828 these coins didn’t last long as the dies failed quickly and were quickly replaced with smaller counterstamps. This Philippines coin is overstruck on a Peru 1828 Cuzco mint 8 Reales. This is the finest example certified by PCGS and the finest known example of this die pairing. Graded PCGS AU58 with an auction estimate of $5,000 - $7,000.

Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

Lot 21077 - Spanish Philippines 8 Reales. The replacement counterstamps to the coin listed above (lot 21071) was the crowned “F.7.0” for Ferdinand VII. This countermark was issued by the Decree of December 20, 1834 and lasted until March 31, 1837, when it was replaced with a crowned “Y.II.” for Isabella II. The Isabella II countermark was issued by Decree of February 1, 1836 and lasted until the countermarking was ended in 1837. This coin started in Peru where it was minted in Lima in 1833. It found its way to the Philippines and countermarked for Ferdinand VII. The coin at some point was holed and worn. The coin would have to be countermarked again over the hole to make it legal tender again in accordance with Philippines law at the time, so it was restamped but with the Isabella II countermark over the hole. Normally both sides would have been countermarked, but this coin has only the one uniface stamp over the hole, a rarity for a scarce coin. Kyle has recorded only four examples with this attribute of only one side being stamped over a hole, and this example is the only known one from the Isabella II countermark. Graded PCGS AU Details, it has an auction estimate of $3,500 - $5,000.