Beau Sancy Beau Sancy The Beau Sancy is a modified "pear double rose cut" diamond found in India that has been owned by a number of European royal houses. In May 2012, it was sold at Sotheby's auction in Geneva for $9.57 million. The original estimated price of $2 million was lifted five times during the eight-minute battle between five buyers, before the diamond was sold to one of them who remained anonymous. The Beau Sancy diamond takes its name from Nicolas de Harlay, Lord of Sancy, who brought the diamond to France from India where he had been the French ambassador.
Public auction has passed to the government by escheat, government land, and intangible assets over which the government asserts authority, such as broadcast frequencies sold through a spectrum auction. Public auctions of government property may be conducted by whichever agency is auctioning the property. Some substantial items have been sold at public auction. For example, the United States Navy cruiser "Philadelphia" was sold at such an auction at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in 1927. Private property may be sold in a public auction for a number of reasons. It may be seized through a governmental process to satisfy a judgment rendered