Noble Sale 111 Preview - Our 40th Anniversary

Tuesday, 02 February 2016

Noble Numismatics Sale 111 Celebrates 40 Years

This important auction being held on the 5th to the 8th of April coincides with the 40th anniversary of the incorporation of Noble Numismatics Pty Ltd (formerly Spink Australia Pty Ltd) on the 5th of April 1976 in Sydney. The founder and managing director of the company, W.J.Noble, said it is a significant milestone which he has been glad to have achieved in conjunction with his loyal employees over the years. To recognise this event the company is privileged to be able to offer the Australian gold coin collection formed by Ray Kaleda of Sydney. Ray has continually upgraded his half sovereigns when the opportunity arose, resulting in one of the finest collections ever formed. The 1855 is the rarest, and is in good very fine condition, estimated at $35,000. The 1864 with Roman I numeral in the date is uncirculated and probably the finest known of this very rare variety. It is estimated at $15,000.

To complement the Kaleda Collection, a collector in the Canberra-Yass district has consigned his outstanding sovereigns from 1902 to 1931. The collector has continually upgraded the coins over a period of 35 years of collecting, so that common date and mintmark sovereigns are generally in top condition. The rarities also have been carefully selected for grade, with the George V issues 1920 to 1926 for Sydney and Melbourne branch mints being exceptional examples. For at least four, only a few specimens of each are known. To add further interest to the Australian half sovereigns there are three coins sold by Jim Noble in 1976 when the company opened its doors. They are the 1856, 1857 and 1858 Sydney Mint half sovereigns from the India Hoard, still with two of the original tickets written by Judith Speir of Spink & Son London in 1976. The original purchase prices were $1,350, $850 and $450 respectively. They are estimated at $9,000, $7,000 and $5,000 respectively. 

The Australian Commonwealth Series is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of the David Fryer Collection, which is complete for date and mintmark varieties in high grade. The 1930 penny is very fine or better with excellent rims, the 1932 and 1933 florins are choice. Each coin in the collection from 1910 to 1936 is illustrated. The George VI to Elizabeth II issues have been lotted as sets in Supreme albums, with some of the significant coins highlighted and illustrated. The purchase sources have been included and read like a who’s who among the dealers in Sydney and elsewhere in Australia in the last thirty years.

To add further spice to the Australian offerings, on the first day, Tuesday 5th April there is a type set of Australian gold and silver and a large collection of gold, silver and bronze Proclamation coins. They are part of a collection formed by a Sydney collector who has also consigned his British coins and world crowns. Another collector, this time from Perth, has submitted his ‘decade collection’ from Ancient Greek, through Roman and Byzantine to Islamic, Medieval world coins and later coins to date. In the European there are multiple thalers of Brunswick and Luneburg, one and a half thalers, two thalers (three different) and a three thaler piece. There are siege coins of Newark (half crown) and Low Countries, a gold pound of Elizabeth I, mint mark woolpack and a silver crown of Elizabeth I, (1601). From a Sydney collector there are two extremely rare British 19th century tokens in gold, a gem proof forty shillings of Reading, with the portrait of Alfred the Great and a half guinea of Sheffield in Yorkshire (Ex W.J.Noble Collection, sale 58B in 1998).

On the second day, the British coins are mainly from three collections, mostly from the Sydney collector previously mentioned. The earliest penny is a portrait issue of Alfred the Great, reverse London monogram and the moneyer’s name, TILWINE, in two lines above and below the monogram. There is a good portrait penny of Harold II, pennies of William I and II, a halfpenny of Henry IV, a groat of Richard III and a shilling of Oliver Cromwell. The same collection has a series of silver crowns from Edward VI, 1551, through to a Gothic crown of Queen Victoria, 1847.

The ancient coins include thirty plus quality tetradrachms of Greek Italy and mainland Greece, including a Locris Opuntii stater, gold issues of Lydia, Macedon, several choice Roman aureii and some high grade Roman bronze.

There is a large selection of world gold coins including crown size issues from a collection formed over many years up until the 1980s. There is a set of German New Guinea issues five mark to one pfennig, 1894, a series of New Zealand coins in high grade, including a Waitangi crown, 1935. In miscellaneous tokens there is a set of World War II Internment Camp tokens, and a set of 1913 and 1968 tokens of Keeling Cocos Islands, all from the Sydney collector who purchased from nearly all dealers in Sydney, whose provenances have been recorded in the catalogue.

The Banknotes are well represented for Australia, New Zealand and world issues. Of the world issues a stand out offering is a series of Turkish specimen notes of the Ottoman Empire, State Notes of the Ministry of Finance, AH1332 (1916) of all denominations including the exceptionally high 50,000 livres issue (Pick 95s). The notes have been kept in a contemporary album. It is a unique offering that should attract world-wide attention. British Commonwealth notes include early issues of Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Falklands, and a large run of Tonga by date, four shillings, ten shillings and one pound values. Australian notes include specimen notes, 1966 to 1996, including the set presented to the Governor Sir Roland Wilson in 1966 by H.C.Coombs who signed the book. Also featured are important pre-Federation issued notes, New Zealand trading bank notes, some from the collection of S.N.Agnew of New Zealand, are included.

There is again a good selection of Australian, British Commonwealth and world stamps, with many from one deceased estate collection that has been offered in parts over the last three sales.

A highlight lot in the Orders, Decorations and Medals section is the World War II DFC group of nine to Group Captain Hugh Birch, RAAF, who after the war commenced civil flying with Qantas and during a stellar career that included many important management roles in Australia and overseas countries he attained the position of Regional Director South Pacific, a fitting role for an expert pilot. An original portrait oil painting of him is in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Interested collectors can make enquiries by phoning (02) 9223 4578 or emailing info@noble.com.au .

Catalogues will be available by mid March

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