Noble Sale 110 Preview

The highlights of the public auction to be conducted by Noble Numismatics Pty Ltd at the State Library in Macquarie St., Sydney on the 17th to 19th of this month include the offering at auction for the first time of the New South Wales holey dollar 1813, formerly in the late Tom Hanley's Collection. The coin was found by a farmer while ploughing his field on his farm near Singleton in 1961. The farmer made enquiries about his find with Tom Hanley, the secretary of the Australian Numismatic Society. Tom was able to purchase this important coin for £47/10/- for his life-long collection as he did not have an example. The coin is in very fine condition and is estimated to realise $80,000. 

      Another highlight is the pair of uniface pattern florin and shilling of King George V prepared at the Royal Mint by the Australian, Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal in 1926. The pair is unique in private hands; the only other pair known resides in the Royal Mint Collection in Wales. The pair was last sold at the company’s Sale 24 in March 1988. The pair was passed on by Mackennal to his grandson, the renowned Greek numismatist Colin Mackennal Kraay, together with correspondence from Sir Robert Johnston, the Deputy Master of the Mint. This historic correspondence is included with the lot. The obverse design for the florin was used for the Canberra florin commemorative of 1927. The pair carries an estimate of $100,000.

      A third highlight is a type two Adelaide pound, 1852, in proof-like mint state condition. This gem coin was last sold by the company in November 1987 for $28,000, and is now estimated at $120,000 as it is one of the most brilliant known. It was formerly in the collection of Manfred Wilschke and Mr. Singer of Adelaide.

      Each of the usual sections normally seen in a Noble Auction Sale are well represented, with several collectors and estates contributing. The balance of a token collection whose rarities were in the previous sale, comprise over 350 pieces. From another old collection comes a very fine example of the William Allen Jamberoo penny, 1855, by J.C.Thornthwaite, estimated at $8,000.

      In Australian Commonwealth many coins fresh to the market come from the estate of R.B.Edge who also has in the sale a run of British milled coins, mostly sixpences down, including many interesting die corrections in the Maundy series and fractional silver and copper issues. There are three other collections of British coins including several rare proofs in gold, highlighted by a pattern shilling of Queen Victoria by Weiner in gold, and ex J.G.Murdoch in 1903 (estimate $40,000). The top priced British coin is a fine sovereign of Elizabeth I, mint mark escallop in nearly extremely fine condition, estimated at $50,000. There is also from the same collection a 1553 fine sovereign of Mary, estimated at $30,000. Hammered issues in silver include pennies of Offa, Edward the Elder, Harold II, William I, William II, Henry I, a testoon of Henry VIII, a groat of Mary and an extremely fine Cromwell shilling, 1658.

      Reverting to Australian Commonwealth, a previously unknown 1923 halfpenny is being offered with considerable mint bloom. The estimate is only $5,000 – because the owner scratched four Xs on the reverse. Castlemaine Brewers, founded in 1857, increased the Xs in its brand from three to four in 1924, which fits in with the coin being freshly available for such graffiti. The late owner, Karl Gunnar Strom of Sweden, jumped ship in February 1923 in Sydney, and went north to Queensland to cut sugar cane. 

      The finest 1933 shilling to be graded by PCGS (MS65) is expected to realise $35,000, a new record price for this key date. In bronze, there are several attractive uncirculated early dates with two better than average 1930 pennies estimated at $25,000 and $15,000. Patterns and proofs include a 1927 Canberra florin, a penny and halfpenny pair, 1935, a 1938 shilling and a choice run of 1955-1963 with most being ex B.J.Hibbard Collection and all graded by ACGS. The Hibbard Collection also provided a run of New South Wales dumps, 1813, from fair condition to nearly very fine, and some Territory of New Guinea rarities, such as the 1929 pair and a copper penny, 1929 with milled edge. Perhaps the highlight is a unique set of pattern swan dollars, 1967, by Andor Meszaros, including a proof specimen in gold. The set was last seen in Sale 88 and now the estimate is $10,000. From another collection there is a T.Knight countermarked holey dollar (Mira-Noble 1808/15).

      In miscellaneous tokens there is a good range of World War II Internment Camp tokens, including error coins without the holes punched.

      In historical medals there are the aluminium and bronze issues of the German Concentration Camp Liverpool, 1916. The highlight is the Acclimatisation Medal group to James Youl for Salmon in Tasmania. It includes the French medal in gold.

      In world coins Mr. J.B.Brown has consigned his collection of trade dollars. Mr. Brown lived for some years in Singapore and was an active member of the Numismatic Society in Singapore in the early 1970s. He was the overseas director of Goodman Fielder operations in the Far East. He acquired most of his coins while in Singapore. For Dutch East Indies there is a nearly complete set of two and half gulden, 1841-1874, including the rare 1863; a good number of French Indo China piastres and British Trade dollars, 1897-1930, a Hong Kong dollar, 1867, and Japanese Trade dollars of years 8 and 10. Further world coins include a variety from China, including Empire and Republic silver dollars. The world gold section includes a number of Russia five roubles from 1825 to 1890. New Zealand coins are headed up by a proof Waitangi Crown, 1935, estimated at $5,000.

      Ancient coins are extensive, and the gold section includes a stater of Lysimachos, and a daric of Persia, Roman aureii, including Galba, Matidia and Septimius Severus. In Greek silver there is an attractively toned tetradrachm of Syracuse, ex R.C.Lockett Collection. In Islamic coins there are some scarce dinars and direhams from an old Queensland collection with links to Armenia.

      World banknotes, including a large collection of over forty Tonga notes, 1936-1966 and some fine Indian notes. Australian notes include two varieties of Collins/Allen (1914) five pounds that were retained by a bank teller in 1966 when a small hoard of notes was deposited for new notes. Both are in nearly very fine condition and estimated at $12,500 each. There is a strong section of specimen notes, several on the market for the first time. Also there are two one million number notes. In star notes there is a consecutive pair of Coombs/Wilson one pound notes from the Karl Strom estate. The war related notes include the original artwork of Hay Internment Camp notes from the artist Teltscher’s estate. In addition there is a set of specimen notes, one penny note and a trial five shillings note.

      The orders, medals and decorations session includes a DSM group for the HMAS Sydney/Bartolemeo Colleoni action in 1940, later KIA when HMAS Sydney was lost; an MM group for Polygon Wood, the recipient was at the Gallipoli Landing and wounded in action there, and also his son’s medal group, in RAN attached to RN, KIA when HMS Cossack was torpedoed. There is a Korean pair to 3RAR, killed in action at the Battle of Kapyong and another group for the same battle. Featured also is a high ranking naval group of seven to Rear Admiral Sir Henry Robinson and another group of twelve to Major P.K.Boulnois. Another casualty group is a DSO trio to Lt Col R.O.Henderson, CO of 39Bn, KIA on the Hindenburg Line.

      There are two DCM groups of four and an important MM for Gallipoli. There are numerous other good groups including two RAAF groups, both killed in action, one during a mission for the Special Operation Executive (SOE). There is an Egypt pair to the NSW Infantry and an RAN group of eight to a Tingira boy, as well as the balance of campaign medals from the Trevor Bushell Taylor Collection. Another two groups of interest are the awards to Australian politician, Sir Percy Spender, and a WWII Merchant Navy group of six to a ship’s Master who later was appointed Sydney Harbour Master. A feature of the militaria section is a large number of WWI tribute fobs and medals.