World Gold

Lot 3071    Session 11 (9.30am Thursday)    World Gold

Estimate $950
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $1,000

BRITISH GUIANA, gold jewellery dollars (2), made c.1910 in Georgetown, obv. fully rigged vessel within a garter inscribed British Guiana and latin legend Damus Petimusque Vicissim (We both give and seek), rev. St. George and the dragon, made as cuff-links with initials CJW as a monogram on stamped 15 crt. gold hallmarked KCM on round studs balancing the 'dollars', (Pr.69 and see Num. Circ November 1970 p.201). Both dollars mounted in centre of reverse, otherwise extremely fine and very rare.

These extraordinary pieces are usually classed as a pattern for a gold dollar, but are in reality souvenir medalets, issued by a local jeweller Richard P. Kaps of Georgetown about 1910. Most known specimens show traces of having had a mount removed and from an advertisement in the Handbook of British Guiana 1909 (p.xxii) he made these pieces into pendants, links, brooches, scarf pins, buttons etc. The Brushfield sale of July 30, 1945 (lot 28) included an example, likewise another specimen in the Palace Collection Sale of Egypt in 1954 (lot 858), Pridmore notes that E. Wodak had a specimen. This pair of cuff-links made from these 'dollars' is possibly unique.