The Beaver Club gold medal, attributed to famed fur trader Angus Bethune, will feature in Session 2: Ancient Coins & World Coins Part 1: Afghanistan to French Indo-China.

A Beaver Club gold medal attributed to famed fur trader Angus Bethune and a rare 1917 Bank of Ottawa $5 note are among the highlights of Stack’s Bowers January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, set to take place in two sessions on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Waldorf Astoria New York.

The Beaver Club medal, attributed to Angus Bethune, will feature in Session 2: Ancient Coins & World Coins Part 1: Afghanistan to French Indo-China. Live bidding for this session opens on Friday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 p.m. EST, with online bidding already underway.

This gold medal, Lot 31207, dated “1801” but struck in 1818, is graded Extremely Fine with mount removed by Stack’s Bowers. Measuring 39.5 mm in diameter and weighing 7.17 grams, it features intricate hand-engraved details crafted with remarkable precision. Its warm honey and rose-gold tones, scattered marks, and minor bends reflect its well-travelled history, while the sharpness of the engraving and its deeper patina within recesses attest to its enduring appeal.

Bethune, an American-born fur trader and a key figure in Canada’s fur trade, was inducted into the Beaver Club in 1818. The medal’s 1801 date commemorates his first voyage into the interior at the age of 18. Born on Carleton Island, New York, Bethune was the son of a Scottish Loyalist, Rev. John Bethune, who served as a chaplain during the American Revolution. Angus Bethune rose through the ranks of the North West Company, travelling extensively across North America and the Pacific. His assignments included Fort Astoria, Oregon, where he witnessed the transfer of the fur trade fort to the North West Company in 1813.

The Beaver Club, founded in 1785, was Canada’s most exclusive social club, reserved for the leaders of the fur trade. Its membership included the titans of the North West Company, and its activities reflected the economic power of the fur trade in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The club ceased operations by 1827, leaving behind a small number of medals, most of which reside in institutional collections.

The Bethune medal, recently discovered in a California family collection, represents a rare opportunity for collectors. It joins a distinguished lineage of Beaver Club medals, including the David David medal, which realized $84,000 in a 2021 auction. The Bethune medal is estimated to sell for $30,000–$40,000 USD.

A rare 1917 Bank of Ottawa $5 note, graded PMG Very Fine 25, is among the highlights of Stack’s Bowers January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction. With only four examples known, this note represents a remarkable opportunity for specialists in Canadian paper money.

Lot 20083, a rare 1917 Bank of Ottawa $5 note, is another highlight of Stack’s Bowers January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction. This elusive note, graded PMG Very Fine 25, represents a remarkable opportunity for specialists in Canadian paper money.

The note is featured in Session A: World Paper Money Part 1: Afghanistan to Hungary, which begins on Friday, Jan. 17, at 2:30 p.m. EST (11:30 a.m. PST), with online bidding already open.

This 1917 $5 note is from the Bank of Ottawa’s final series before its merger with the Bank of Nova Scotia. Established in 1874 by pioneers of the lumber industry, the bank issued notes reflecting its ties to the region. This series, produced using an altered 1906 plate, represents a small run of 150,000 notes, most of which were likely destroyed during the merger.

According to the Canadian Paper Money Society’s Note Registry, only three examples of this date were previously known. This newly discovered note becomes the fourth known example, with two housed in the National Currency Collection and one appearing only as an image in the Charlton Catalogue. Likely appearing at public auction for the first time, it is a significant find for collectors. With vibrant colour, clear manuscript signatures, and honest signs of circulation, the note is estimated to sell for $8,000–$15,000 USD.

Both the Beaver Club medal and the Bank of Ottawa $5 note are extraordinary highlights in an auction that also features other Canadian numismatic treasures. These pieces showcase the depth and richness of Canada’s history and offer collectors a chance to acquire items of unparalleled significance.

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