A Pioneer in Online Auction AggregationFounded in the early 2000s,
Sixbid.com was one of the first platforms to aggregate coin auctions online, giving collectors worldwide access to sales they might never have discovered otherwise. It was created to unite the fragmented auction landscape, offering a centralized space where multiple auction houses could present their catalogs to an international audience.
Over the years, Sixbid has grown to host hundreds of sales annually, from major firms like Künker, Stack’s Bowers, and Heritage to smaller regional auctioneers. The platform’s reach now extends across ancient, medieval, and modern coins, as well as medals, orders, and banknotes.
How Sixbid WorksSixbid is both a catalog aggregator and a bidding platform. Auction houses can choose to list their sales on Sixbid in two main ways:
- Bid on Sixbid: Collectors can register directly on the site and place absentee bids without visiting the auctioneer’s own platform.
- Redirect to Auction House: In some cases, Sixbid serves as a showcase and link, sending bidders to the host’s website for registration and bidding.
Core Features Include:- Searchable Auction Listings: Filter by auction house, category, country, or keyword.
- Lot Pages with Images and Descriptions: High-quality images, estimates, and detailed attributions.
- Auction Calendar: A chronological view of upcoming and past sales.
- Dealer Directory: Profiles of participating auction houses.
- User Account Tools: Saved searches, bid tracking, and notification options.
Reputation Among CollectorsWithin the numismatic community, Sixbid is seen as a long-established, reliable hub. Many collectors use it as their first stop for checking what’s currently on the market, particularly for high-profile European and ancient coin auctions.
Positive comments often highlight the convenience of seeing multiple sales in one place and the ability to place bids without having to navigate multiple unfamiliar auction sites.
However, some users on forums have noted that the interface can feel dated compared to newer platforms like NumisBids. Others mention that while Sixbid’s coverage is broad, the lack of integrated historical price data means it works best as a shopping window rather than a research archive.
Strengths That Keep Sixbid Relevant- Wide Auction Coverage: Partnerships with top-tier and mid-sized auction houses worldwide.
- Long-Term Market Presence: Over 20 years in the industry, making it a trusted name.
- Ease of Use for Bidders: Single account can be used to bid with multiple auctioneers.
- Diverse Offerings: From ancient coins to modern banknotes, medals, and decorations.
- Auction Calendar View: Keeps collectors aware of upcoming opportunities at a glance.
Areas for Improvement- Interface Modernization: The site’s design could benefit from a refresh to compete with sleeker competitors.
- Mobile Experience: Functional, but a dedicated app or better mobile optimization would enhance usability.
- Additional Research Tools: Incorporating realized prices or cross-platform provenance tracking could increase its value beyond active bidding.
Who Should Use Sixbid- Active Bidders: Those who participate in auctions from multiple houses and want a single login.
- Collectors Seeking Global Sales: Especially useful for discovering auctions outside your home country.
- Specialists in European Auctions: Many prominent German, Swiss, and Austrian firms list exclusively or prominently on Sixbid.
- Dealers Monitoring Market Supply: A quick way to check what’s entering the market each week.
Final ThoughtsSixbid remains one of the most established and widely used numismatic auction portals in the world. While its interface shows its age, its reach, trustworthiness, and convenience make it a staple for many collectors’ auction routines.
If your goal is to stay on top of what’s available in real time — from ancient aurei to modern commemoratives — Sixbid deserves a spot in your bookmarks. For research into past prices, you may still need to pair it with databases like
ACSearch or
CoinArchives, but for discovering and bidding in live sales, it continues to hold its place as a valuable tool in the collector’s arsenal.