AUCTION UPDATE

The Ennismore Collection of Anglo-Saxon and Viking Coins recently went under the hammer at Spink in London. Amongst the many highlights was an Aethelberht II penny of East Anglia, from the year 794. The lot was described as ‘a ‘discovery’ piece in the name of an Anglo-Saxon Saint, latterly King of East Anglia for which only four coins are known, about extremely fine and on a full flan, of the highest rarity and utmost historical importance, the only example of his coinage available to commerce.’ The coin had been found ‘during a hailstorm’ in the Pevensey area, East Sussex, in March 2014.

SOLD FOR £55,000

The Warwick and Warwick coins sale was a closeddoor auction, with no room bidders allowed. However, the auction house was able to offer viewing of the sale on a strictly by-appointmentonly basis, and the auction attracted great interest. The British hammered section included an Aethelred II long cross penny which realised £660, a Henry VI quarter noble, which sold for £660, and a Richard III groat (pictured) which achieved £870.

SOLD FOR £870

The latest Solidus sale in Germany featured a wide selection of Romanian coins, including a People’s Republic (1947-1965) aluminium 2 lei piece from 1952. Featuring corn on the cob with ears of wheat and oats, and the denomination and year on the reverse, the coin was described as being ‘Extremely rare. Small fine scratches, planar flaws, extremely fine – fresh from the mint.’

SOLD FOR £367

A $10,000 bill was recently offered by Heritage Auctions, setting the record for the most valuable ‘small size’ piece of currency ever sold. ‘This is easily the best of its kind I have ever seen,’ said Dustin Johnston, Director of U.S. Currency at Heritage Auctions. ‘This is the finest example ever offered of a perennial trophy note and we were pleased to offer it at auction.’ The note is one of just three $10,000 bills to survive in such remarkable condition, according to Paper Money Guaranty (PMG), which graded the note. It is one of just eight surviving 1934 Kansas City $10,000s, serial number 562 of only 1,200 examples originally printed. This was the smallest print run by any U.S. Mint district for this series.

SOLD FOR £301,770

The recent Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction was a huge success, with the US company confirming that the sales ‘illustrate the robust nature of the coin market and affirm that numismatics stands firm even during times of uncertainty.’ According to the auction house over 92% of the ancient coin and world coin and paper money lots found new homes, realising in excess of $5.3 million, contributing to overall prices realised of $21,739,851 for the sale across all categories. Highlights included a Mexico ‘Royal’ Presentation 8 Escudos piece, created in 1714 at the Mexico City Mint and described as being ‘one of the most iconic issues ever struck by the Spanish Empire’ and ‘the pinnacle of Spanish Colonial numismatics’. The auction description explained: ‘An enigma to this day, the exceedingly rare “Royal” presentation issues struck at mints in Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico were a distinct departure from the normal “cob” coinage that was standard during the first few centuries of Spanish Colonial rule in the New World.’

The normal cobs were said to be crudely produced, whilst the manufacturing process for the Royal presentation issues was completed with obvious care.

SOLD FOR £245,000

A very rare coin of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1567) was sold at Dix Noonan Webb for £24,800. Dating from 1555, it was estimated to fetch £8,000-10,000 and was bought by a member of the UK trade. The coin was part of The Collection of Scottish Coins formed by Michael Gietzelt. Comprising 191 lots, the collection fetched £331,080 – far exceeding the pre-sale estimate. Coin Specialist at Dix Noonan Webb, Jim Brown, said: ‘This is one of the finest examples of a Mary, Queen of Scots gold coin to come to the market. Normally her pearl necklace would be rubbed and faded but this was in pristine condition. The coin was keenly contested by five bidders which was reflected in the price.’

SOLD FOR £24,800

A William and Mary Coronation Gold Medal of 1689 was one of the many GB rarities offered by Stack’s Bowers. The lot description said the piece: ‘is exceeded by just two examples across both services. It’s sage to say that, of the already paltry mintage in gold, a precious few have survived the melting pot, with far less retaining this much charm and beauty. A crown jewel for the finest cabinets of British coronation medals.’

SOLD FOR £30,158

Spink’s recent Stratos Sale of Spectacular English Gold Coins lived up to its name with an Oliver Cromwell Pattern Broad of 1656 achieving the highest realisation of the auction. The coin, by Thomas Simon, featured a ‘glorious red tone overlying lustrous surfaces framing a cameo-like portrait, a faint scatter of surface marks, otherwise a magnificent coin with superb eye appeal and a prestigious provenance’.

Part 1 of The Simpson Collection recently surpassed an auction total of $14.6 million at Heritage Auctions. Described as ‘one of the best ever amassed’ the collection is set to be sold off in a series of sales until August 2021. Amongst the many highlights of the first sale was an 1894-S Barber dime, graded an extraordinary PR66 PCGS – one of but nine survivors which sold for $1.5 million. Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions, said: ‘We are grateful to Mr. Simpson for selecting Heritage to conduct these auctions. Offering a collection such as this is a highlight of our work and relationships. We are simply thrilled for him.’

SOLD FOR £47,000

The Samel Collection of Ancient Jewish

Coins went under the hammer at Kunker in Germany recently. Lot number 2009 was a Hemidrachm of Ptolemy II, 285-246 BCE featuring a diademed head of Ptolemy I and the depiction of an eagle standing on a thunderbolt. The coin was described as being ‘of exceptionally fine style for the Judah series. The dies were probably commissioned from outside the mint. The idealized portrait of Ptolemy I reflects changes to his iconography at all mints following the reform of 261/0.’

SOLD FOR £44,160 SOLD FOR £1,178,190

One of the finest examples of a Noble Gold Coin from the reign of Henry IV (1399-1413) sold for £27,280 when it was offered at Dix Noonan Webb in September. The noble was the first English gold coin produced in quantity. Part of the 209-lot Chislehurst Collection, the coin, described as heavy coinage, had been found in Norfolk in 2015 and was believed to have been struck in Calais between August 1399 and Michaelmas 1401. It was expected to fetch £20,000-£24,000, however due to its superb condition and rarity, it exceeded it’s estimate and was purchased by a British Collector.

SOLD FOR £27,280