Sale 129 Preface

Monday, 07 March 2022

Welcome to our first auction for 2022 and our 129th important numismatic auction comprising almost 4,000 lots in twenty sessions over four days.

 

Highlights are many in most categories, led by the outstanding Adelaide gold pounds (lots 872, 873) with the first a cracked die type topping the estimates at $175,000 followed by a choice uncirculated type two at $100,000. These two lots have been consigned by a long standing and prominent collector. The opportunity afforded by the offering of these two desirable examples of our first gold coins may not be repeated for a very long time. 

 

The sale commences with miscellaneous Australian coins, mis-strikes, decimal coins and decimal proof coins including 125 examples of the two hundred dollars (1980-1994) and 19 Perth Mint 9999 fine gold one ounce kangaroo coins.

 

The third session features Australian Historical Medals mostly Agricultural and Exhibition highlighted by the E. C. Cracknell group (lots 446 -454). The Bravery awards to Anthony Shane Day and featuring a Stanhope Gold Medal of the Royal Humane Society carries the top estimate ($20,000; lot 598) in this session. To conclude the session is a small selection of tradesmen’s tokens.

 

The fourth session commencing at 4:30pm features the outstanding collection of New Zealand coins formed by a retired Sydney collector. Two proof Waitangi crowns, a proof Centennial halfcrown, proof Royal Mint crown 1949, proof sets of 1947, 1954 and 1964 are the standout lots of this collection (lots 643-4, 647, 648, 652, 656, 658).

 

The fifth or evening session commences at 7:30pm with Proclamation and colonial coins, featuring two attractive NSW fifteen pence dumps, 1813 (lots 870-1), and the aforementionedAdelaide pounds. Following is a good range of Sydney Mint and Imperial sovereigns and half sovereigns. The rarest are a 1921 Melbourne (lot 935; est. $20,000) and an uncirculated 1859 Sydney Mint half sovereign (lot 894; est. $15,000). The Australian Commonwealth features are a pattern square penny 1921 (lot 970; est. $25,000) and very rare choice early proofs headed up by a choice 1934 florin (lot 972; est. $30,000) amongst others, mostly from the retired Sydney collector. Two attractive examples of the 1930 penny head up estimates of the currency coins, the first (lot 1059; est. $35,000) is amongst the best twenty examples known. 

 

The second day commences with world silver and bronze coins in alphabetical order at 9:30am with strong selections from China, Denmark, India, Italy (Dr L. J. Sherwin Collection), Norway, Nepal and Tibet (Mark E. Freehill Collection). Great Britain follows at 4:30pm with silver and bronze, then gold with the Charles II broad 1662 by Thomas Simon being the highlight (lot 1830; est. $10,000). World gold follows in the second evening session at 7:30pm. A feature section is the collection of British East India Company Queen Victoria mohurs, dated 1841 (lots 1936 -1951), formed by Roy Von Bock. 

 

The third day commences with orders, decorations and medals, featuring significant Australian singles such as the DCM to a recipient recommended for the Victoria Cross in WWI (lot 2081; est. $2,000), and a WWI Royal Red Cross First Class group of six to Nurse Lucy Emma Barrow (lot 2137; est. $5,000). The twelfth and thirteenth session offers militaria, including a collection of SMS Emden/HMAS Sydney items in 20 lots formed by a Sydney collector. The Warwick G. Cary Collection of Australian Badges follows soon after (lots 2037-2620), the most complete we have ever offered. 

 

World banknotes are in the fourteenth session which includes a good selection of Great Britain from a Sydney collector. Australian notes occupy the entire third evening session at 7:30pm. The Commercial Bank of Australia specimen set one pound to one hundred pounds (lot 2910; est. $90,000), is the top priced lot.

 

The fourth and final day commences at 9:30am with ancient gold coins, with a Ptolemaic octodrachm at $17,000 (lot 3099) and a Trajan Decius aureus at $17,500 (lot 3103). In Greek silver notable are a silver tetradrachm of Ainos (lot 3166; est. $12,000), and a charming Larissa silver didrachm (lot 3207; est. $5,000).

 

The sale concludes with the nineteenth session commencing at 4:30pm with Australian gold from 1856, followed by miscellaneous items, jewellery, watches, artworks. The twentieth session is and online only timed auction held on Monday 28th March, and features documents and numismatic literature, including the Dr. L. J. Sherwin Library.

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