A multiple of 10 excelentes of Fernando and Isabella sold for EUR 310 000 plus buyer's fee
According to an article Elsen published on February 21, 2025, a multiple of 10 excelentes of Fernando and Isabella of Spain (lot 1165, Segovia mint, assayer P) sold for EUR 310 000 plus buyer's fee. The estimate was EUR 100 000. Elsen describes the coin as the only known specimen.
Correction (Oct 13, 2026): We rewrote the headline, summary and body to match the source. We removed statements not in the source, such as references to the Spanish Empire, New World gold, royal gifts, competitive bidding and strong demand, along with market commentary, and stated the price, estimate, lot number, provenance and the two previously known specimens as the source gives them. The previous headline was "10 Excelentes at €310,000: Spanish Imperial Gold Reveals Collector Demand Surge."
This article is based on an article that the auction house Elsen published on its website on February 21, 2025.
According to Elsen, a multiple of 10 excelentes of Fernando and Isabella of Spain sold for EUR 310 000 plus buyer's fee. It was lot 1165, with an estimate of EUR 100 000.
The coin
The crowns of Castile and Aragon were united by the marriage of Fernando and Isabella. During their reign, the Pragmatica of Medina del Campo, dated June 13, 1497, decided the unification of the country's monetary system.
The new gold coin was the excelente de la granada. Its value was quite close to that of the ducat of Aragon (3.50 g at 23 3/4 carats fine). The obverse shows the royal couple; the reverse shows the arms of the unified kingdom protected by an eagle.
The double excelente was struck in large numbers in the different mints of the kingdom and was a great success. Multiples of 4, 10, 20 and even 50 excelentes were also minted, and most of them are extremely rare.
Known specimens
According to Elsen, the multiple of 10 excelentes had until now been known only from two specimens from the Segovia mint. The only other one that has appeared for sale, from different dies and with the assayer's mark F, is the Huntington collection coin. It was offered at Vico sale 130 in Madrid on June 26, 2012, as lot 438.
The coin in this sale bears the mark of assayer P. A quadruple excelente by the same assayer is also known (A.C. 769). In its lot description, Elsen calls this coin "the only known specimen." It is undated, and the description places it after 1497.
Provenance
The coin comes from the collection of Viscount Charles Vilain XIIII (1803-1878). According to Elsen, he was a member of the National Congress in 1830-1831, Minister of Foreign Affairs under Leopold I in 1855-1857, and President of the House of Representatives in 1870-1871.
Source: Elsen, "An exceptional multiple of 10 excelentes" (February 21, 2025).
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