Auction house Bonhams & Butterfields has welcomed Paul Inho Song as director of its newly-formed Coins and Banknotes Department, the firm announced on July 16.

Mr Song, an auction professional with over 20 years of experience in numismatics, has been credited with several discoveries in the field of rare gold coinage.

In 1992, he unearthed an extremely rare high relief of the 1907 double eagle coin designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

It was deemed one of the greatest rarities of the 20th century by the numismatic community.

He is also credited with the sale of a pristine example of the Ultra High Relief from The Sam and Rie Bloomfield Collection of Highly Important Gold Coins. It sold for $825,000 in 1996, a world auction record at the time for any gold coin.

Over the course of his career, Mr Song has participated in the sale of more than $250m internationally. His special expertise is in appraising and selling 19th and 20th century American coinage.

Mr Song's primary responsibilities at Bonhams will include business acquisition, appraisals and the day-to-day management of the Coins and Banknotes Department.

The Department will hold three sales annually in Los Angeles and New York City, beginning in December.  ____________________________________________________________