A 20th-century gold rarity from Italy leads all lots in the New York Sale’s Jan. 5 auction.

The Proof 1902 gold 20-lira coin, struck in Rome, is one of the major rarities of the 20th century. A tiny anchor to the lower left of King Vittorio Emanuele III on the obverse indicates the coin was made from gold mined in Eritrea (then an Italian colony), one of 115 such pieces.

Though it has a few “minute” hairlines, the coin is otherwise Fleur de Coin. It has an estimate of $50,000.

The coin is featured in the New York Sale’s auction XXVIII, one of three scheduled to be conducted during the New York International Numismatic Convention by the same group of dealers and auction houses. This auction offers ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and world coins.

The partner firms for the New York Sale are Baldwin’s Auctions Ltd., Dmitry Markov Coins and Medals, and M & M Numismatics Ltd.

The auction catalog is posted for free viewing at the website www.theNewYorkSale.com.

For catalogs or more information, telephone Markov at 908-470-2828 or email him at markov@banet.com, telephone Lucien Birkler at M & M Numismatics at 202-833-3770, or contact Baldwin’s at (011) 44 20 7930 9808 or via email at auctions@baldwin.co.uk.

Some additional highlights:

Roman Empire, Galba, circa 68 to 69 gold aureus, 7.4 grams, Lot 1061, “struck on a very broad flan and lustrous,” Extremely Fine.

Brazil, Joao V, 1727-M gold 20,000-real coin, Minas Gerais Mint, 53.59 grams, Friedberg 33 (Gold Coins of the World by Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg), Lot 1101, Almost As Struck.

Brazil, Joao V, 1730-M gold 12,800-real coin, Minas Gerais Mint, 28.66 grams, F-55, Lot 1102, “a superb piece with only one minor blemish in the reverse field,” lustrous Uncirculated.

El Salvador, 1892-CAM gold 20-peso coin, Central American Mint in San Salvador, 32.25 grams, Krause-Mishler 119 (Standard Catalog of World Coins by Chester Krause and Clifford Mishler), F-1, “very rare one year type,” Lot 1125, “several edge bruises,” EF.

Greece, Otho, 1846/5 silver quarter drachma, Athens, 1.13 grams, KM-18, “one of the major rarities of the modern Greek series, especially as an unrecorded overdate,” Lot 1153, lustrous EF.

Greece, Otho, 1833-Owl silver 5-drachma coin (struck in 1843), Athens, 22.24 grams, KM-20, Lot 1164, Good Very Fine.

Greece, George I, 1869-E pattern gold 5-drachma coin, Paris, 1.61 grams, KM-E9, “only three pieces exist,” Lot 1166, choice About Uncirculated.

Greece, George I, 1876-A gold 100-drachma coin, Paris, 31.38 grams, F-13, “mintage of 76 only,” Lot 1168, “signs of brooch-mount repair on the reverse ... and a small edge bruise,” “better than” VF.

Greece, George II, 1935 gold 100-drachma coin, Heaton Mint in Birmingham, England, F-19, “actually struck in 1939 to commemorate the re-establishment of the kingdom,” Lot 1171, Professional Coin Grading Service Proof 63 Deep Cameo.

Italy, Savoy, Vittorio Amedeo III, 1786 gold 2.5-doppie coin, Torino, 22.78 grams, F-1119, Lot 1235, choice AU.

Mexico, Charles II, 1700-L gold 8-escudo coin, 27.06 grams, F-2, Lot 1243, Good VF.

Scotland, Mary, 1562 silver testoon, Third Period, 6.04 grams, Seaby 5422 (Coins of England and the United Kingdom, originally published by Seaby, now published by Spink), Lot 1144, Good Very Fine. ¦