Unearthed after decades: $100 million Traveller Collection set to rock numismatic world

Indian Defence Review describes in a fresh article that a long-lost stash of rare gold coins, buried underground for over 50 years, has been unearthed and is now valued at more than $100 million. Dubbed the Traveller Collection, this extraordinary discovery is set to revolutionise the world of rare coins.

Experts are calling it “the most valuable numismatic collection ever to be auctioned in its entirety,” and the tale behind its discovery is just as captivating as the coins themselves.

Following the 1929 Wall Street Crash, a European collector and his wife embarked on a journey to acquire the rarest and most historically significant coins. They traveled throughout Europe and the Americas, handpicking coins noted for their historical value, rarity, and beauty.

Each item was meticulously cataloged, resulting in a detailed archive of their growing collection. As the threat of World War II loomed and Nazi forces advanced across Europe, the collector made a pivotal decision.

To safeguard the treasure, he placed the coins into cigar boxes and aluminum containers, burying them underground. After that, he vanished from the historical record, and the location of the buried collection remained a mystery for many years.

Over 50 years later, the heirs of the collector uncovered the long-lost coins. They stored the collection in a secure bank vault before revealing it to the public.

Numismatica Ars Classica (NAC), the auction house handling the sale, plans to present the collection through a three-year series of auctions, starting on May 20, 2025.

The first auction will feature British machine-struck coins, spanning the reigns of monarchs from Charles II to George VI. These coins will be displayed to the public throughout April at NAC’s London office.

Arturo Russo, director of NAC, noted that many of the coins have not been seen in over 80 years, and some were never officially recorded.

A key highlight of the collection is a 100 ducat gold coin from 1629, minted for Ferdinand III of Habsburg, weighing an impressive 348.5 grams. Experts estimate its value at approximately $1.35 million.

Another notable piece is a 70 ducat gold coin from 1621, minted for Polish King Sigismund III, weighing 243 grams and valued at around $471,700.

The collection also includes an exceptionally rare set of five Tomans, minted in Tehran and Isfahan during the late 18th and early 19th centuries by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar.

Only five complete sets of these coins are known to exist, with one of them held at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, UK.

The Traveller Collection includes coins from over 100 regions, spanning from ancient civilisations to modern times. Experts praise its exceptional diversity, outstanding quality, and the remarkable preservation of numerous coins.

A press release from NAC highlighted that “several types have never been offered in a public auction,” underscoring the rarity of many of these coins.

Thanks to the meticulous archives maintained by the original collector, researchers were able to trace many of the coins back to prestigious sales from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

David Guest, director of David Guest Numismatics and a consultant for the collection, remarked, “When it came to cataloguing the British coins from the Traveller Collection, I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”

By Naila Huseynova