$679,456 in Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency coins was sold by Stack’s Bowers Galleries in the Physical Cryptocurrency Session of their Spring 2023 Showcase Auction. This set a new record as the single most valuable live auction of crypto coinage and also reflects a 40% year-over-year increase in prices realized compared to the firm’s Spring 2022 offering. Presented in the latest sale was a combined face-value of 11.53 Bitcoin, among other minor currencies, equal to approximately $325,000 at the time of the auction. With average premiums approaching 200% of face-value, bidders have clearly embraced cryptocurrency coins as desirable numismatic collectibles.
The Spring 2023 Physical Cryptocurrency session featured 302 lots including 168 Loaded with cryptocurrency and 134 Non-Loaded coins. These spanned the Bitcoin, Litecoin, Monero, Dogecoin, ViaCoin, and BitCore cryptocurrencies and encompassed the most popular series including Casascius, Lealana, BTCC, Alpen Coin, Bitcoin Penny Co., Crypto Imperator, Denarium, 1HoDLCLUB, Microsoul, MoonBits, NastyFans, Satori, Titan Mint, and many others.
The Casascius coinage claimed the largest premiums and top prices of the session, led by a brass 2012 1 BTC that sold for $60,000 (over 2x premium) and a silver 2013 0.1 BTC that realized $13,200 (nearly 5x premium) and set a new firm record for the type.
Strong premiums were also realized by the Lealana series, including a six-coin set of Pattern 2013 Lealana Bitcoins that realized a total of $101,000 against a face value of approximately $57,400 (2.05 Bitcoin). The matching five-coin Pattern Litecoin set also performed well, achieving a total of $12,720 against an approximate face value of $3,822 (42 Litecoin)—over a 3x premium.
Also offered was an exciting assortment of BTCC coins including a silver Proof-66 Deep Cameo (PCGS) 1 BTC that brought $45,600 (over 1.5x premium) and a 2017 0.1 BTC “Poker Chip” that earned a 2.7x premium at $7,800. A 2018 0.001 BTC from the MoonBits series realized an astounding 42x premium at $1,200.
The Non-Loaded category featured several incredible rarities across the Unfunded, Redeemed, and Crypto-Themed types. Highlighting this category was an Unfunded 2014 Titan Mint 1 BTC in gold that sold for over 1.6x the gold spot price at $3,240. An Unfunded Lealana “Gold B” 1 BTC set a new firm record at $3,120, as did the Redeemed Casascius “Gold Rim” 1 BTC at $2,880.
For questions on the Spring 2023 Cryptocurrency Session or to consign your coins to a future auction, contact specialist James McCartney at [email protected]. Stack’s Bowers Galleries will be presenting additional offerings of physical cryptocurrency in their June 2023 and August 2023 auctions.
About Stack’s Bowers Galleries
Stack’s Bowers Galleries conducts live, Internet and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company’s nearly 90-year legacy includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable United States coin and currency collections to ever cross an auction block — The D. Brent Pogue Collection, The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, The Joel R. Anderson Collection, The Norweb Collection, The Cardinal Collection, The Sydney F. Martin Collection and The Battle Born Collection — to name just a few. World coin and currency collections include The Pinnacle Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection of World Gold Coins, The Kroisos Collection, The Alicia and Sidney Belzberg Collection, The Salton Collection, The Wa She Wong Collection, and The Thos. H. Law Collection.
The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, with galleries in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Offices are also located in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, Hong Kong, Paris and Vancouver. Stack’s Bowers Galleries hosts an annual Global Showcase in August featuring United States coins and currency, Ancient coins and World coins and currency in its Costa Mesa auction gallery. They are also the Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic events, including the New York International Numismatic Convention, the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Spring, Summer and Winter Expos, the Spring and Fall Hong Kong shows, and the Maastricht Paper Money Shows.
