STEPHEN ALBUM RARE COINS AUCTION 56

Stephen Album Rare Coins will hold its Auction 56 from September 17 to 20, 2026, at their offices in Santa Rosa, California. The auction is made up of 3,450 lots of Ancient, Islamic, Indian, Chinese, and World Coins and Banknotes. The first two days will be in-person bidding as well as on the internet, while the third and fourth days will be internet-only sessions.

Featured in the auction will be the Bob "Swamperbob" Gurney Collection of Cap & Rays 8 Reales, the Edward W. Rataj Collection of World, Ancient & Islamic Coins, the Dr. Dirk Löer Collection of Chinese Coins, and the Bernd Löer Collection of Chinese Coins.

Some highlights of the sale follow:

LOT 675: INDIA: MUGHAL EMPIRE: Akbar Adil Shah, 1753, AR rupee (11.35g), Allahabad, year 1, KM-763, Zeno-78896 (same dies), obverse couplet sikka zad dar jahan ba-fazl alah // shah-i-'alam panah akbar shah (struck coin in the world by the grace of God // King Akbar Shah, refuge of the world), one shroff mark on reverse, a coin of the utmost rarity and worthy of a spot in any top-tier Mughal collection, PCGS graded XF details, RRR. The only other example listed on Coin Archives is the Paul Stevens piece that we offered in our Auction 24, Lot 1544 (January 2016). Akbar Adil Shah, the grandson of Kam Bakhsh, was placed on the throne by Safdar Jang in opposition to Ahmad Shah Bahadur in May 1753, but vanished from history in late November of the same year. This is only the fourth known example of this very rare Mughal Emperor, and all are dated year one from the mint of Allahabad. This is only the second example ever offered on the market. For more information see the article by Jan Lingen & Paul Stevens in JONS vol. 201 (2009), pp. 44-46, and the description of Zeno-78896. Only coins from the ruler Nikusiyar are rarer, with just 2 pieces known, as discussed on Zeno. Estimated at $15,000 to $10,000.

LOT 115: MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC: ARAB-SASANIAN: Khusraw type, 691-693, AR drachm (dirham) (2.28g), Dimashq, AH72, A-D6, Malek-524-var, standard obverse with the name of Khusro right of the portrait, and the Islamic statement bism Allah / muhammad rasul / Allah in the margin // normal reverse (fire altar & two attendants), mint name to right, date written out to left, both in Arabic; clipped down to the post-reform Umayyad standard, XF, RRRR. This is the first Islamic coin to bear the Hijri date written out in Arabic, always in Pahlavi for earlier dates. There are two subtypes, one with the mint right and date left (this piece), the other with mint left and date right, as sold in our Auction 55, lot 56. Estimated at $12,000 to $15,000.

LOT 435: MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC: WAJIHID: 'Umar b. Yusuf, 952-961, AV dinar, 'Umân (Oman), AH344, A-A1163, with the Sunni kalima divided between obverse and reverse: ruler's name below, mint/date formula in inner margin, Qur'an 30::3-4 in outer margin // caliph al-muti' lillah / wajîh below, Qur'an 9:33 in the margin; unpublished and of the highest rarity (probably unique); gold mount added, bold VF, RRRR. Darley-Doran cited no coins in any metal dated 344 (on his page 132), and cited the existence of gold dinars of 'Umar b. Yusuf dated 345, 347 and 350. The only gold dinar of 'Umar b. Yusuf listed on CoinArchives is dated 341 (sold in our Auction 30, lot 401, in January 2018). Silver dirhams of 'Umar b. Yusuf are listed on CoinArchives dated 340, 341, and 343, and Darley-Doran lists dirhams dated 341, 343, and 350, and Zeno adds 342. We have found no reference to any Wajihid coin dated AH344. Estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.

LOT 947: WORLD: SOUTH AFRICA: George V, 1910-1936, 10-coin proof set, 1923, KM-PS1, PCGS Certified Set including:1) AE 1/4 penny - PF64, KM-12.12) AE 1/2 penny - PF64, KM-13.13) AE penny - PF64, KM-14.14) AR 3 pence - PF64, KM-15a5) AR 6 pence - PF64, KM-16a6) AR shilling - PR63, KM-17.17) AR florin - PR64, KM-188) AR 2½ shillings - PR64, KM-19.19) AV 1/2 sovereign - PR65, KM-2010) AV sovereign - PR65, KM-21a lovely well matched set in the original case of issue marked "FIRST COINAGE OF SOUTH AFRICAN MINT / PRETORIA / 1923," mintage of only 655 sets, rare, set of 10 coins. Estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.

LOT 1472: CHINA: REPUBLIC: AR dollar, Wuchang, ND (1912), Y-320, L&M-43, K-638B, Li Yuan Hong wearing Wuchang New Army military cap, Tripled Die Reverse type, surfaces smoothed, PCGS graded UNC details, ex Åke Lindèn Collection. Li Yuanhong was a Chinese politician during the late Qing dynasty and the Republic of China. He was the president of the Republic of China between 1916 and 1917, and between 1922 and 1923. Estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.

LOT 806: INDIA: BRITISH: George VI, 1936-1947, AR rupee, 1939(b), KM-555, S&W-9.13, Prid-235, reeded edge type, an attractive nearly mint state example of one of the greatest rarities of British Indian coinage! PCGS graded AU58. The British Indian Government stopped minting the 1922-dated silver one rupee coins in 1923 according to mint records and never authorized another one rupee coin for circulation until more than 15 years later. This meant that the British Government had not resumed production until late 1939 or January 1940, when the 1938 one rupee coins were minted and released. The only reason new coinage resumed in 1939 was because of the increase in commerce in India from World War II. The majority of the 1938 one rupee issue was minted in the year 1940, and "a small quantity 1938 coins were minted in the end of 1939," as noted by Pridmore. It was not possible to strike the 1938 one rupee with the Type II obverse any sooner than late 1939. It is likely that the 1938 one rupee mintage was issued in its entirety, but that's not true for the 1939 one rupee. It had been speculated that the actual number of coins struck for the 1939 one rupee was between 7,500 to 10,000 coins with a survival rate of 1% to 2% making it one of the greatest rarities of British Indian coinage! Estimated at $6,000 to $8,000.

LOT 1457: CHINA: AR sycee (1930.9g), cf. Cribb Class XIV, 50-tael trade ingot, made during the late Qing Dynasty, bank name yong chang within rectangular field stamped three times, GBCA graded AU58, ex Bernd Löer Collection, ex Numismatik Lanz Auction 142, Lot 534. Estimated at $5,000 to $7,500.

LOT 1081: UNITED STATES: AR 25 cents, 1918/7-S, KM-45, Standing Liberty type, very rare over date, lustrous fields, cleaned, PCGS graded AU details. The 1918/7-S Standing Liberty quarter is one of the key date silver coin rarities of the 20th century. This variety was first noticed in the late 1930's, and the first auction appearance was in December 1937. Collectors began saving the few they could find in circulation. Today, the 1918/7-S is rare and relatively expensive even in the lowest grades. Estimated at $5,000 to $7,000.

LOT 1312: WORLD: PAKISTAN: Islamic Republic, 2-coin set, 1976, Conservation Series set with Gharial silver 150 rupees KM-42 PCGS graded PF-69DCAM and Astor Markhor gold 3000 rupees KM-44 PCGS graded MS-63, both with COAs and set in the original British Royal Mint case of issue, set of 2 coins. A very interesting and rare set produced by the British Royal Mint for the Government of Pakistan with a mint state gold coin and a proof silver coin issued together in the same set. Estimated at $5,000 to $7,000.

LOT 98: ANCIENTS: SASANIAN KINGDOM: Shahpur I, 241-272, AV dinar (7.40g), G-21, type IIc/1b, Sunrise-740, diademed bust right, wearing mural crown with korymbos // fire altar flanked by two attendants, holding long spears, each looking away from the fire and wearing mural crowns, fravahr to left of the flames, small graffito on reverse, scattered hairlines, lovely, bold strike, XF-AU. Estimated at $3,500 to $4,500.

The firm is currently accepting consignments for its Auction 57, which will take place on January 21-24, 2027, as well as future internet-only sales. Please visit www.stevealbum.com for more information.

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web