Sale 102 Realises $3.2 million

This sale was well supported throughout by bidders in attendance and by absentee bidders, the vast majority being via the internet. Over eighty two per cent of lots were sold at eleven per cent over estimate overall.  

Highlights were the front cover coin,the Spanish silver fifty reales or cinquentina 1636 (lot 3798; est $25,000) that was finally hammered down for $102,000 or $118,830 when buyer’s premium with GST is added.  This lot was the subject of a drawn out bidding duel between two overseas phone bidders from $60,000 onwards.  In the fifth session the highest prices were recorded by the Adelaide pound, 1852, type one or cracked die (lot 1326; est $100,000) at $116,500 and the pattern 1937 florin (lot 1471; est $100,000) at $133,975, the highest price in the auction.

In the first session, in the mis-strikes section, a full reverse brockage of a fifty cents (lot 128; est $500) realised more than ten times estimate at $6,408 and a mule dollar, 2000 (lot 127; est $1,000) realised $2,915 as it was nearly uncirculated.

In the third session the first lot offered was the German New Guinea gold twenty mark, 1895A (lot 604; est $25,000) and it sold to a bidder on the phone at $29,125.  The Waitangi crown, 1935 (lot 621; est $5,000) realised $8,621, the balance of the set (lots 622-626; total est $3,750) realised $6,384.  Two pattern silver dollars of 1981and 1982 (lots 645,646; est $7,000 each) realised $4,893each.  

In the tokens a Jamberoo penny (lot 685; est $4,750) realised $6,990 however the highest price went to the James Campbell, Morpeth silver threepence (lot 766; est $7,000) at $8,155.  The James Cook medals by L. Pingo all sold over estimate, the first one in silver realised $3,728 (lot 810; est  $2,000) while a convict token (lot 818; $1,500) realised $2,563. The Geelong Grammar School silver medal of early date, 1858 (lot 821; est $300) sailed passed its estimate to realise $1,748.  A Municipal Council of Sydney, Harbour Bridge medal in oxidised silver plate (lot 902; est $2,750) realised $2,913.

In the fourth session, among a series of Australian pre-decimal coins, a nearly uncirculated 1946 penny (lot 1134; est $350) brought well over estimate realising $1,631.  In the fifth session a second type Adelaide pound with attractive natural mint bloom (lot 1327; est $25,000) realised $34,950.  The extremely rare Port Phillip Kangaroo Office, gold quarter ounce, 1853 (lot 1329; est $10,000) realised $14,679, while a W J Taylor- C Weiner pattern shilling in copper (lot 1331; est $12,000) realised $16,310.  An extremely fine 1855 sovereign (lot 1332; est $9,000) realised $11,068, while an outstanding type coin, a Sydney Mint half sovereign 1856 (lot 1352; est $35,000) realised $40,775.  A high grade very rare date sovereign, 1923 Sydney (1415; est $28,000) realised $32,620.  The highest priced sovereign went to the 1926 Sydney (lot 1419; est $40,000) which saw spirited bidding take it to $47,765.  It was sold on behalf of the granddaughter of the assayer at the Mint at the time of closure in 1926.  Best results in the Imperial half sovereigns went to an 1875 Sydney (lot 1424; est $3,000) at $6,408.  

In the early proofs a 1952 Perth Mint proof penny (lot 1472; est $20,000) realised the best result at $32,038. A choice 1960 Perth Mint two coin set (lot 1532; est $1,000) realised a strong result at $2,563.  In the early florins a gem uncirculated 1916M (lot 1567; est $4,000) realised $4,427 and the best price went to the 1932 (lot 1580; est $12,000) at $16,543.  In the pennies a good fine 1930 (lot 1658; est $12,000) realised $19,805, an Indian die dropped one 1931 (lot 1659; est $750) multiplied estimate to bring $3,612, as did the 1943I and 1953 penny varieties (lot 1661; est $200) realising $1,864.

The sixth session opened with British gold, the Queen Anne guinea 1711 did best (lot 1689; est $2,700) realising $3,612.  In silver, a choice groat of Edward III, (lot 1795; est $1,000) realised $2,447.  A Richard III groat (lot 1800; est $4,000) realised $4,194.  Top price went to the Charles I Shrewsbury Mint silver pound of twenty shillings, 1642 (lot 1831, est $20,000) at $20,970.  A high grade 1692 crown of William & Mary (lot 1842; est $2,000) realised $4,078.  In medals a William IV and Queen Adelaide issue in gold (lot 2038; est $3,500) brought a record $5,243.

In military medals highest price went to an historical Waterloo Medal awarded to a Tasmanian settler (lot 2144; est $9,000) at $14,446.  A World War II MM group of six for the Anzio Beach-head (lot 2180; est $750) realised multiples of estimate at $2,447.

In New Zealand banknotes, a Union Bank ten pounds of 1923 (lot 2404; est $1,500) multiplied estimate bringing $6,990 and a Wilson Reserve Bank fifty pounds (lot 2415; est $1,500) realised$3,262.  The highlight in world banknotes was the offering of two previously unseen issued examples of the highest denomination value notes of 1920 of Mombasa, East Africa Currency Board, the twenty florins or two pounds (lot 2513; est  $18,000) realised $25,630 and the fifty florins or five pounds (lot 2514; est $27,000) realised $34,950 both to the same buyer on the phone against another determined phone bidder.  Many bids were received for the French Equatorial Africa WWII emergency issue one thousand francs (lot 2542; est $500) which eventually realised $3,495 to a floor bidder.

In Commonwealth notes in the tenth session a 1918 ten shillings (lot 3132; est $10,000) realised $11,068.  The repaired Rainbow pound (lot 3189; est $15,000) sold to a floor bidder at $12,815 while a fine ten pounds of 1932 (lot 3275; est $12,000) realised $13,456.  The best of the Hay Internment Camp notes, an Epstein/Stahl two shillings (lot 3303; est $12,500) realised $17,475.  An uncirculated pair of five dollar star notes of Coombs/Randall (lot 3357; est $10,000) realised $13,398.  Top price by far in the error notes went to a same number pair of twenty dollars of Phillips/Randall (lot 3397; est $7,000) at $6,990.

Highlight of the world gold coins was the South Africa, ZAR ‘veld’ pond 1902 ex Captain J.J. Cullimore Allen Collection with original set plush case by Spink& Son and a letter of August 4th 1960 (lot 3516; est $15,000) realising $18,640.  Next came the Atocha Shipwreck gold finger bar (lot 3526; est $12,000) that realised $16,543.  The Argentina, Tierra del Fuego five gramos, 1889 (lot 3536; est $2,000) realised $4,078.

In world silver, the Spanish fifty reales or cinquentina mentioned at the start was the outstanding highlight.  Of several lots to sell at multiples of estimate the album collection of Norway (lot 3739; est $400) did best realising $2,796.

 The final afternoon session witnessed the sale of ancients. In the gold a Lydia electrum third stater (lot 4066; est $1,200) realised $2,447.  A Vespasian aureus (lot 4069; est $7,500) found a buyer at $9,087 and the Faustina Junior issue the same buyer at $9,320 (lot 4078; est $8,000). In silver, a Sicily tetradrachm ex Robert Rossini Collection easily beat estimate (lot 4130; est $1,500) realising $2,913 and a beautifully toned Lysimachos tetradrachm (lot 4152; est $1,500) realised $2,330.

Finally to virtually conclude the sale two important documents were offered, four letters by Winston Churchill in 1917 (lot 4668; est $500) realised $1,631 and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s correspondence to an Australian soldier from 1918 on (lot 4669; est $1,000) realised $4,194 to a local collector against a member of the soldier’s family in the final bids.  These letters were front page news in Melbourne and Sydney a month prior to the auction.

Our next sale takes place in Melbourne, Tuesday to Thursday 13-15 August and consignments close Friday 14th June 2013.