Sale 112 Realises 5.5 Million

This was a very successful sale with strong bidding for the ancient Roman gold coins, the Carthaginian ‘Hannibal’ Collection and the R.G.Kaldor Collection of Chinese coins with many new records set for individual coins. The interest in the Dr. George Fenton Collection of Australian Commonwealth was intense, with nearly every lot sold to a wide range of buyers in the room and online. Every coin in the collection was illustrated and presented in the certified grading slabs by PCGS. The total for the Fenton Collection was over $900,000 and the catalogue with prices realised can now be relied on as an accurate reference to the market. The total for the auction was established with a clearance of 85% of all lots, which sold at 117% of estimate overall with the fourteenth session bringing a memorable 180% of estimate (Roman gold; Hannibal Collection and Chinese coins).

The Fenton collection comprised a separate catalogue (Sale 112B); some highlights were lot 3240, est. $75,000, the 1930 penny graded AU50 by PCGS, equal to the highest graded, that realised $75,000 hammer, plus buyers premium with GST (19.25%) or $89,438, the top price in the collection. The front cover coin, the 1920 plain penny (lot 3221; est. $60,000) realised $59,625, and the back cover coin, the 1932 florin (lot 3025; est. $17,500) realised $28,620. The first lot (lot 3001; est. $800) the 1937 crown realised a record $3,220. The 1910 florin (lot 3003; est. $6,000) realised $7,751 while the 1914H florin (lot 3008; est. $15,000) realised $20,273. The 1927 Canberra florin brought a new record (lot 3022; est. $500) realising $1,908. The Melbourne Centenary florin (lot 3028; est. $5,000) realised $10,733 in gem condition. The 1948 shilling (lot 3093; est. $750) realised a new record $2,027. The 1935 sixpence (lot 3125; est. $3,500) realised $5,247. A 1955 sixpence (lot 3146; est. $120) realised $692. The finest known 1959 Melbourne Mint penny in gem full mint red uncirculated condition (lot 3288; est. $1,500) realised a record $4,055. A nearly full mint red 1924 halfpenny (lot 3310; est. $4,500) realised $7,751, while a red uncirculated 1930 halfpenny (lot 3316; est. $4,000) realised $9,540. A red and brown uncirculated 1945 Perth Mint halfpenny (lot 3336; est. $600) realised a record $3,578.

In the military section (session five) a CBE group of twelve to a prominent medical officer (lot 1119; est. $5,000) realised $11,329. In the New Guinea series a board of badges and medals formed by the late Dr.W.J.D.Mira (lot 1350; est. $300) sailed past the conservative estimate as expected, but surprised by bringing $3,816.

The Erich Wodak, John Gartner holey dollar (lot 1634; est $200,000) realised $166,950, the Tom Hanley Collection holey dollar (lot 1635; est. $70,000) realised $77,513 and the R.G.Kaldor Collection Adelaide pound (lot 1643; est. $30,000) realised $29,813. The 1922 Sydney sovereign (lot 1708; est. $35,000) realised $35,775, and the choice uncirculated 1929 Melbourne sovereign (lot 1720; est. $3,500) realised $7,155. The uncirculated 1877 Melbourne half sovereign (lot 1725; est. $3,500) realised $9,302. The pattern 1855 half sovereign (lot 1769; est. $40,000) realised $47,700, and the pattern square penny, 1921 (lot 1772; est. $35,000) realised $42,930.

In the British coins a Charles I, Newark besieged ninepence, 1645 (lot 2000; est. $2,000) realised $2,624 and the Cromwell shilling with autograph (lot 2001; est. $5,000) realised $6,440. The most attractive proof Gothic crown, 1847 (lot 2072; est. $5,000) realised $17,888, a new record for Noble sales. The pattern crown 1902 by Spink (lot 2097; est. $5,000) realised $14,310. A proof 1787 half guinea (lot 2229; est. $8,000) realised $10,256.

In world gold coins the Czechoslovakia ten ducatu, 1929 (lot 2296; est. $5,000) realised $10,136, while the Kremnica Mines two duckat 1934 (lot 2297; est. $1,500) eventually realised $9,540 in a silent room during an online bidding war from $1,500. The South Africa veld pond, discovered in Pilgrims’ Rest in 1930s (lot 2382; est. $5,000) realised $8,825 to a collector in the room. In world silver an overdate Hong Kong dollar 1867/6 (lot 2596; est. $500) realised $1,789. In Greek silver a Macedon, Antigonos Gonatas tetradrachm (lot 3636; est. $2,500) did best, realising $5,009. In the roman gold an almost as struck aureus of Hadrian (lot 3717; est. $12,000) realised $22,658, a choice aureus of Lucius Verus (lot 3718; est. $18,000) realised $27,428, and an aureus of Maximianus (lot 3722, est. $12,000) realised $18,484. In the ‘Hannibal’ Collection the best results for Siculo-Punic tetradrachms went to lot 3737 (est. $2,500) realising $7,751 and lot 3744 (est. $3,000) realising $8,348. The ‘Dido’ tetradrachm, ex Count Torremuzza and Lloyd Collections (lot 3756; est. $20,000) realised $41,738, while the other example with head right (lot 3757; est. $10,000) realised $21,465 after a protracted online only bidding war. The dodekadrachm (lot 3762; est. $30,000) realised a record $71,550 and the hexadrachm rarity (lot 3763; est. $40,000) also produced a record price to the same buyer at $88,245. The front cover coin, the tri-hemi stater (lot 3768, est. $20,000) realised $47,700 after strong bidding to a buyer in the room.

The Chinese coins from the R.G.Kaldor Collection followed in the same session as the ancients and here a buyer in the room was dominant, but often sorely tested by internet bidders. Highlights include the Yuan Shih-Kai facing with plumed cap silver dollar (1916) (lot 3919; est. $2,000) at $11,210, the Birds over Junk Sun Yat Sen silver dollar (1932) (lot 3920; est. $1,200) realised $4,055. A spectacular bidding war broke out for the Kweichow automobile silver dollar (1928) (lot 3940; est. $2,500) which finally realised a record $25,043.

In world banknotes the three Fiji 1942 issue number 1 serial notes (lots 4110, 4111 and 4113) each estimated at $500 realised a total of $11,448. The two important New Zealand notes, the serial number 1 pound 1934 and the fifty pounds 1934 realised $29,813 each on estimate of $25,000 and $12,000 respectively (lots 4374 and 4379). Strong bidding was witnessed for the New Zealand trading banknotes, the best result going to the Bank of New Zealand ten shillings (lot 4358; est. $5,000) at $10,733. In the Australian banknotes the best result against estimate went to a crisp original Coombs/Watt one pound star (lot 4915; est. $2,000) at $8,348.

On behalf of the company and our dedicated team I would like to sincerely thank all who participated in making this sale such a success in all ways. Our next sale takes place Tuesday to Friday 22^nd to 25^th November in the Dixson Room of the State Library of New South Wales, and includes the Les Carlisle Collection of Australian Historical Medals in a separate catalogue.

Jim Noble

August 2016