Sale 124 Shatters dozens of world record prices.

Noble Numismatics auction Sale 124 held Tuesday 28^th through to Thursday 30^th July 2020 was an outstanding success, with a clearance of 90 percent in a total realization of $4.7 million at 142 percent of estimate for lots sold. The British Colonial coins from the Mark E. Freehill Collection sold at entirely new levels, notably for the Singapore Merchant’s keping series with the Soho Mint proof for Siam depicting an elephant topping the bill at $30,000 (or $36,600 with buyer’s premium and GST added) on a $2,000 estimate (lot 2150). The proof with the lily (lot 2151; est.$2,000) realised $21,960, the Port of Susu fighting cock series prototype one cent 1804 (lot 2122; est.$2,000) realised $11,590. These three items were purchased in 1967 for $30. A uniface proof keping in silver from Dilli in Sumatra (lot 2143; est.$1,500) realised $15,860. Of the proof kepings, top price went to the beautiful proof of ‘C.R.Read’ (lot 2133; est.$300) at $7,320. A group of six, including four countermarked issues ex Wodak Collection (lot 2153; est.$200) realised $4,880. Singapore Harbour Board tokens in tin (lot 2157; est.$750) realised $7,320, and Johnson Matthey & Co. advertising checks using Straits Settlement dies realised $3,904 (lot 2178; est.$300). They had been purchased at Sale 61B in August 1999 for $400. The Highly Important Singapore Collection was estimated at $20,000 and realised $200,000.

The equally important Freehill Collection of Ceylon, estimated at about $40,000, realised a total of $173,240. The notable prices were the overstruck pattern fanam (ex Pridmore) (lot 1701; est.$900) at $6,710, the pattern rix dollar 1815 (lot 1704; est.$5,000, and originally bought for £18/10/-) at $18,910 and the proof rix dollar 1821 (lot 1706; est. $3,000) at $9,760. The proof set of three coins in bronzed copper dated 1802 (lot 1708; est.$1,000), realised $6,710, the pattern forty eighth rix dollar 1797 (lot 1712; est.$900) realised $4,880 and a silver proof five cents 1890 (lot 1726; est.$2,000) realised $10,370.

The Freehill Penang Collection estimated at $10,000 realised $68,320 and the Sumatra Collection estimated at $7,500 realised $67,100. The highlight was the pattern three kepings in silver (lot 2195; est.$1,500) at $32,940. The Penang highlights are the pattern pices or one cents 1810 (lot 1926, 1928, est.$2,500 each) that realised $17,690 each and the tin trial of the obverse (lot 1927, est.$600) at $10,980.

The highlights of the Freehill West Africa issues were the Gold Coast proof silver ackey 1796 (lot 2230; est.$4,000) at $9,760; the Sierra Leone silver dollar 1791 (lot 2255; est.$4,000) at $12,810 and a proof silver half dollar piece 1791 (lot 2256; est.$1,500) at $7,320.

In the Isle of Man issues from the Freehill Collection the highlights were the silver crown and halfcrown of Douglas Bank 1811 (lots 2397; est.$5,000, and 2398; est.$4,000) realising $11,590 and $8,540 respectively.

The British India Presidency series from the Freehill Collection witnessed some very strong results. Top of the list was a pattern rupee of Madras in white metal ex Wodak Collection (lot 4215; est.$500) at $14,030, next was a group of ten copper issues of the Northern Circars (ex Pridmore) (lot 4213; est.$300) at $9,760, followed by a Madras gold pagoda (lot 4159; est.$400) at $8,540, and a silver half pagoda (lot 4184, est.$600) at $5,612, a Bombay pice proof set 1804 (lot 4235; est.$1,200) at $6,100 and a double pice 1728 (lot 4224; est.$600) at $3,904. The Bombay Mint silver blank engraved as ‘First Blank’ (lot 4306; est.$500) opened at $10,000! Finally selling for $20,740, it had realised $900 in our sale 61B (lot 1536) in 1999.

India from other properties saw some impressive results, a pattern half anna 1861 (lot 4316; est.$750) realised $8,540 (ex V.J.A.Flynn Collection) and a group of ten half rupees (lot 4312; est.$750) also from the Flynn Collection realised $4,636. Highlights of the Indian was a mogul square mohur of Jahangir (lot 4441; est.$25,000) at $70,760 a new world record for this type. Finally near the end of the auction at 11.45pm a group of fifteen silver coins of the Punjab, Sikh Empire (lot 4508, est.$300) realised $9,150 after a bidding war between two live online bidders.

Highlights in the ancient coins went to the Syracuse decadrachm (lot 2978; est.$40,000) at $53,680, the Mysia Pergamon silver tetradrachm of Eumenes I (lot 3062; est.$4,000) at $8,540 to a local collector in the room, followed by the Rhodes tetradrachm (lot 3065; est.$20,000) at $29,280 to an overseas phone bidder. The gold octadrachm of Ptolemy III (lot 3133; est.$20,000) went for $21,960, while a Marcus Aurelius aureus (lot 3144; est.$12,000) realised $13,420; a Severus Alexander aureus in mint condition (lot 3146; est.$15,000) realised $15,860 and a Trajan Decius aureus (lot 3147; est.$7,000) went strongly for $12,200.

In the category of Australian historical medals a beautiful presentation gold trowel (lot 568; est.$15,000) realised $24,400 to a bidder in the room.

The highlights in the Australian series went to the top Adelaide pound (lot 1114; est.$25,000) at $31,720 and an 1886 Melbourne shield reverse sovereign (lot 1174; est.$5,500) at $11,590. In the PCGS slab collection, a 1934 proof set realised $102,480 in six lots (lots 1267-72; total est.$74,500). The 1915H shilling (lot 1283; est.$30,000), arguably the finest known, realised $34,160, while a PCGS MS68 1916M sixpence (lot 1328; est.$20,000) realised $23,180, a new auction record. The 1930 penny (lot 1451; est. $15,000) realised $21,960 to a collector in the room.

In the first session a Philatelic Numismatic Cover from 1969 (lot 98; est.$200) realised $1,342 and a fifty cents, struck from two reverses (lot 73; est.$1,000) realised $4,880. In the second session a large lot of postcards from the Mark Freehill Collection realised $4,392 against a $200 estimate (lot 802).

In world coins an amazing bidding duel occurred with a Ming Rebel of China silver medallion (lot 1776; est.$150), which realised $12,200 finally after very small increments on the internet. In British coins in the second evening session, a Cromwell crown took top billing (lot 2602; est.$10,000) at $22,570, followed by a George II crown 1743, possibly the finest known, bringing a new world record at $18,300 (lot 2628; est.$4,750).

In the military section in the second last session highlights were the RMS Carpathia/SS Titanic group (lot 3619; est.$12,000) at $12,200, a DCM MM group of five (lot 3643; est.$6,000) at $10,370 an MM and bar group of three (lot 3647; est.$2,500) at $13,420 after a long bidding duel, an inaugural Order of Australia group of twelve (lot 3652; est.$4,000) at $9,760 and the top price to a group of seventeen for an AATTV member (lot 3654; est.$40,000) at $46,360. Top price in the Bennett Collection of police badges went to a Shanghai Municipal Police issue 1934 (lot 3822; est.$750) at $2,928.

In the world banknotes that followed, three British North Borneo notes (lot 3829; est.$250) realised $1,586, a Fiji provisional overprint issue (1940) (lot 3839; est.$3,000) realised $4,270; a Mauritius twenty five rupees (1954) (lot 3886; est.$250) realised $2,684 and the highlight was a Seychelles fifty rupees (1936) (lot 3956; est.$1,500) that realised $9,760.

The Robert Tonner Reserve Bank of New Zealand notes were sold at the beginning of the final session. A Lefeaux ten shillings 1934 (lot 4053; est.$1,500) realised $5,490, a one pound 1934 (lot 4057; est.$1,000) realised $4,392, both were uncirculated. A crisp extremely fine fifty pounds 1934 (lot 4060; est.$40,000) realised $40,260, a new record for this note. A consecutive pair of Fleming fifty pounds (lot 4069; est.$6,000) realised $8,540. In a lower value than usual offering of Australian notes, a consecutive pair of Coombs/Randall one dollar star notes found a new home for $7,930 (lot 4143; est.$7,000).

The next sale takes place 24^th-27^th November at the State Library of NSW and consignments close at the end of September.