國父約翰亞當斯 (John Adams) 家族擁有的極為罕見的 17 世紀硬幣以 252 萬美元成交

1652 年鑄造的三便士銀幣週一創下了硬幣拍賣的新世界紀錄。

A silver threepence coin minted in 1652 and owned by Founding Father John Adams' family has sold for $2.52 million, setting a new world record for a coin auction on Monday.

一枚 1652 年鑄造、由開國元勳約翰·亞當斯 (John Adams) 家族擁有的三便士銀幣以 252 萬美元的價格售出，創下了周一硬幣拍賣的新世界紀錄。

The tiny coin, one of only two known to exist, was minted in pre-Revolution Boston.

這枚小硬幣是已知僅有的兩枚硬幣之一，是在革命前的波士頓鑄造的。

It weighs just 1.1 gram and has a silver value of just over $1 on today's market.

它的重量僅為 1.1 克，在當今市場上的白銀價值略高於 1 美元。

The threepence was made within weeks of the first mint being opened in what would later become the United States.

三便士是在後來成為美國的第一座鑄幣廠開設後幾週內鑄造的。

It was surprisingly discovered in an old cabinet in Amsterdam in 2016 and came to Stack's Bowers Galleries' for verification in 2020.

它於 2016 年在阿姆斯特丹的一個舊櫃子中令人驚訝地被發現，並於 2020 年來到 Stack's Bowers Galleries 進行驗證。

"We haven't been able to trace its history entirely. It came literally out of the woodwork in 2016 and to us in 2020," Vicken Yegparian, vice president of Numismatics at Stack's Bowers Galleries, told DailyMail.com.

Stack's Bowers Galleries 錢幣學副總裁 Vicken Yegparian 告訴《每日郵報》：“我們無法完全追溯它的歷史。它確實是在 2016 年從木製品中誕生，並在 2020 年來到我們身邊。”

"It came with some provenance that it had come from the Quincy family and then to a collector in the 1790's," Yegparian explained.

「它有一定的出處，它來自昆西家族，然後被 1790 年代的一位收藏家收藏，」耶格帕里安解釋道。

The Quincy family of Boston included First Lady Abigail Adams, who was married to Founding Father and second President of the United States John Adams. Their son John Quincy Adams also later went on to be President.

波士頓昆西家族包括第一夫人阿比蓋爾·亞當斯，她的丈夫是美國開國元勳兼第二任總統約翰·亞當斯。他們的兒子約翰·昆西亞·亞當斯後來也成為了總統。

"There aren't too many coins that can trace provenance back that far and the Adams family were collectors of coins," Yegparian said.

耶格帕里安說：“沒有太多硬幣可以追溯到這麼遠的來源，而亞當斯家族就是硬幣收藏家。”

Although the individual buyer has not been named, it is a private collector, not a museum or organization that now owns the coin.

雖然個人買家的名字尚未公佈，但他是一位私人收藏家，而不是現在擁有該硬幣的博物館或組織。

The only other coin of its kind has been in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society for 120 years.

唯一的另一枚同類硬幣已被馬薩諸塞州歷史學會收藏 120 年。

Auctioneer Ben Orooji, who called the 12-minute bidding battle in California, said the sale was "an exhilarating ride and a career highlight."

拍賣師本·奧魯吉 (Ben Orooji) 稱這場在加州進行的 12 分鐘競價戰是「一次令人興奮的旅程，也是職業生涯的亮點」。

The coin eventually sold for more than three times the in-house estimate.

這枚硬幣最終的售價是內部預估的三倍多。

"One can never predict where major rarity auctions will go," Yegparian told DailyMail.com.

「人們永遠無法預測大型稀有拍賣會的走向，」耶格帕里安告訴《每日郵報》。

"Firstly it is a foundational coin in American numismatics. For colonial coin collectors, New England coinage is like the king."

“首先，它是美國錢幣學的基礎硬幣。對於殖民地硬幣收藏家來說，新英格蘭硬幣就像國王。”

"The oldest coin history in America is 1652, and this is it."

“美國最古老的硬幣歷史是 1652 年，就是現在。”

There are now fewer than 100 New England coins in private hands and museums.

現在私人手中和博物館中僅有不到 100 枚新英格蘭硬幣。

For collectors of American antiques and historic items this is the era that brings in the highest prices at auctions, Yegparian said.

耶格帕里安說，對於美國古董和歷史物品的收藏家來說，這是拍賣會上拍出最高價格的時代。

Another reason the price was so far above the estimate is that prospective buyers tend to keep their cards close to their chest to avoid revealing how much they are willing to pay for an item ahead of an auction.

價格遠高於預估的另一個原因是，潛在買家往往會保守秘密，以避免在拍賣前透露他們願意為某件物品支付多少錢。

Coin collecting saw an uptick in interest while everyone was stuck at home during the pandemic and the enthusiasm hasn't waned, Yegparian explained.

耶格帕里安解釋說，儘管在大流行期間每個人都被困在家裡，但人們對錢幣收藏的興趣卻有所上升，而且這種熱情並沒有減弱。

Years of inflation and an uptick in gold and silver markets has also drawn attention to collecting as an investment.

多年的通貨膨脹以及黃金和白銀市場的上漲也引起了人們對收藏作為投資的關注。

"Some people just want to buy precious metal and others get interested in rare coins," Yegparian said.

「有些人只想購買貴金屬，而有些人則對稀有硬幣感興趣，」耶格帕里安說。

"People are trying to diversify their portfolio outside more standard investments.

「人們正試圖在更標準的投資之外實現投資組合的多元化。

"The whole fabric of collecting has changed in the last few decades. It's more focused on rarity and quality now."

“過去幾十年來，整個收藏結構發生了變化。現在更注重稀有性和品質。”