$100 Million Coin Collection Buried for 50 Years Discovered, Set for Auction
A rare coin collection, buried underground for over 50 years, is expected to fetch over $100 million at auction. Named the Traveller Collection, it is considered the most valuable coin collection ever auctioned.
Spanning more than 100 territories and featuring coins from ancient to modern times, the collection will be sold gradually over three years, with the first auction set for May 20 by Numismatica Ars Classica.
The anonymous collector began acquiring gold coins after the 1929 Wall Street Crash, focusing on rare and historically significant pieces. During the 1930s, he and his wife traveled across Europe and the Americas, amassing around 15,000 coins. Sensing political instability, he packed them into cigar boxes, sealed them in aluminum containers, and buried them underground for safekeeping.
Among the standout pieces are a 50 Toman coin from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a 100 ducat gold coin of Ferdinand III from 1629, and a five-guinea coin of George III from 1777 valued at $340,000.
Auction house experts have verified the coins’ authenticity and provenance, linking some to historic sales from the 19th and 20th centuries. Numismatic specialists hail the collection’s rarity, historical significance, and exceptional preservation, making this auction a landmark event in the field.
