NEW YORK, N.Y.- A simply magnificent 1892 South African Republic gold Proof Pond 1892, PR65 NGC - the best of just 10 like pieces known to have been minted - is expected to bring $300,000+ as one of the principal highlights of Heritage Auctions' Jan. 2-3, 2012 World & Ancient Coins Signature® Auction, an official auction of the New York International Numismatics Convention, taking place at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

"This marvelous proof Pond, from The Orange River Collection, is an especially well-preserved piece of this fabled mintage," said Cristiano Bierrenbach, Executive Vice President of Heritage. "It's also the finest possible rendering of the artist's original conception for the coinage. There's no doubt that this is one of the most important of all classic South African coins and just a truly superlative rarity."

This gathering of more than 5,200 lots is a showcase of important coins from all over the world and is specifically designed to appeal to all level of collector.

"This deep auction is an appropriate follow-up to our successful Long Beach event last September," said Warren Tucker, Vice President of World Coins at Heritage. "Collectors can find coins from every corner of the globe in this auction, across a wide variety of price points."

The Orange River Collection is the centerpiece of an exciting section of South Africa coinage. It is a small but superb group of 18 coins that includes the Proof Pond, as well as an 1892 Proof ½ Pond PR64 Cameo NGC, also included from South Africa are both varieties of the 1874 Burgers Pond (AU55 Coarse Beard and MS64 Fine Beard), a triple offering of the 1892 Proof Crown, plus many other highlights.

The auction begins on Jan. 2 with an attractive selection of ancient coins, highlighted by a likely unique gold aureus of the young Roman emperor Philip II (AD 247-249), which reveals a heretofore unknown reverse type. Students of early British coinages will battle over an impressive run of high quality gold staters of Celtic Britain, including a Catuvellauni-Trinovantes, Cunobelin (ca. AD 8-41) AV quarter-stater. Another rarity sure to impress is a rare large gold mnaieion of the Ptolemaic Queen Berenice II (244-221 BC) from the Ephesus mint, one of fewer than 10 known.

As mentioned above, 130 countries and territories are represented in this impressive auction, with several represented quite liberally. One of the most impressive runs is of Annamese coins - that includes several 3, 4 and 5 Tien gold pieces. An intriguing group of Australian coins includes the always popular gold Adelaide Pound, a choice 1923 George V Half Penny, two specimens of the "Kookaburra" Penny patterns, and a nice group of better-date Sovereigns. Some 350 selections from China include many silver dollar Gems and some equally incredible minors. The Nicola Collection of Hamburg gold highlights one of our best offerings of German coins ever, with many gold Ducats and multiple Ducats. Also included are many rare 10 and 20 Mark coins of the German States.

An extensive and diverse selection of British Coins contains more than 600 lots, while specialists in the coins of Poland will take special note of the many choice lots, including the 5 and 10 Zloty of 1933, both certified Proof 67 by NGC.

From the western hemisphere, we offer two rare 6400 Reis from Brazil - the first year of strike from both the Rio and Bahia mints. The finest known proof specimen of the elusive 1916 2 Pesos of Cuba highlights several interesting pre-Revolutionary pieces from that island nation.

As Heritage prepares for the NYINC event, the company's catalogers are busy working on the amazing rarities in the Shoshana Collection of Ancient Judean Coins, the finest collection of its kind ever made available on the open market. This historic event will take place at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion in New York, March 6-9, 2012. Highlights from the Shoshana Collection will be available for preview from Jan. 4-8 during the NYINC in Heritage's Legacy Suite at the Waldorf.