Sale 120 Realises $3.8 Million

Monday, 22 April 2019

 

Sale 120 Realises $3.8 Million

 

This auction was well supported by live in the room bidders as well as online bidders. The total clearance of lots was nearly 90 percent by volume at 117 percent of estimate. There were 600 different buyers out of over 3,000 who registered to bid. Highest price for the sale went to the US Chain America cent 1793, back cover coin (lot 2546; estimate $40,000) that realised a hammer price of $74,000 to a live online bidder or $88,245 with buyer’s premium and GST. All the following results include the buyer’s premium and GST on the premium (a total of 19.25 percent).  The next highest price went to the South Africa ZAR Burgers pond 1874, front cover coin (lot 2809; estimate $40,000) at $64,395.

 

The sale began with Miscellaneous Australian coin lots, including varieties and mis-strikes. A flip over second strike ninety percent off centre sixpence (lot 43; estimate $750) realised $1,431, a wavy 2 twenty cents 1966 (lot 49; estimate $2,000) realised $2,266, a group of eighteen two cents 1988 struck on one cent blanks (lot 54; estimate $900) realised $7,751 and a fifty cents struck on a ten cents blank (lot 60; estimate $2,000) realised $3,339. A rare 1966 “Operation Fastbuck” mint set in wallet of issue (lot 71; estimate $500) realised $2,266.

 

In the third session the top price went to the gold Clarke Medal of the Royal Humane Society of Australasia, awarded in 1934 for a mining incident in Western Australia (lot 572; estimate $15,000) realising $18,484. In the fourth session a Waitangi proof set (lot 808; estimate $12,000) realised $11,925 and a Waitangi crown (lot 811; estimate $4,500) realised $5,963. In Miscellaneous the top price went to a gilt bronze Sino Tibetan Bodhisattva (lot 959; estimate $16,000) at $16,695.

 

In the fifth session there was keen bidding for half sovereigns and Imperial sovereigns. A Sydney Mint half sovereign, 1856 (lot 1189; estimate $10,000) realised $16,099, and an 1858 half sovereign (lot 1192; estimate $6,000) realised $10,733. A record was set for an 1881 Melbourne Mint shield reverse sovereign (lot 1205; estimate $3,000) at $8,109, while an 1883 Melbourne shield reverse (lot 1208; estimate $3,500) realised $5,247. Both the very rare issues of 1886 and 1887 Melbourne shield sovereigns sold well (lots 1215, 1216; each estimate 12,500) realising $20,869 each to two different buyers. Top price for Imperial half sovereigns went to the gem 1885 Melbourne (lot 1262; estimate $12,500) at $11,925. Outstanding results in Australian Commonwealth silver and bronze went to the Melbourne Centenary florin (lot 1411; estimate $5,000) at $12,521 and a lot of 26 pennies ex Dr V.J.A. Flynn Collection (lot 1497; estimate $750) realised $3,101.

 

In British coins, an Elizabeth I silver crown (lot 1562; estimate $1,500) realised $3,458 while a halfcrown of Elizabeth I (lot 1563; estimate $2,000) realised $3,101, both from the Prof. D.A.A. Simpson Collection. A highlight was the Charles I, Pontefract siege shilling, 1648 (lot 1589; estimate $2,500) that realised $10,136. A Charles II crown 1666 elephant below (lot 1594; estimate $2,500) realised $3,458. A Gothic crown from the R.T. Adams Collection (lot 1643; estimate $5,000) realised $7,394.  A Scottish Mary testoon, 1556 (lot 1692; estimate $750) realised $1,371 and an Irish Charles II St. Patrick’s copper halfpenny (lot 1725; estimate $400) realised $2,147 after spirited bidding. A Cambridge University gold medal (1893)(lot 1764; estimate $3,000) realised $8,348.

 

The seventh session commenced with British gold coins, the highlight being a Charles II hammered issue gold unite (lot 1810; estimate $4,500) that realised $10,136. A William III guinea 1701 (lot 1818, estimate $5,000) realised $7,155, a Queen Anne guinea 1714 (lot 1819; estimate $3,000) realised $5,247 and a George III sovereign 1820 (lot 1823; estimate $2,000) realised $4,055. A four coin gold proof set 1982 (lot 1911; estimate $4,000) realised $5,843.

 

The world coins in silver and bronze saw strong bidding in certain areas, including Austria, a Ferdinand thaler (1531-58) (lot 1922; estimate $400) realised $2,147, ex Rado Collection, while a Maximilian thaler, ex Prof. D.A.A. Simpson Collection, (lot 1923; estimate $300) realised $2,027. A Ferdinand Joachimsthal thaler 1626, also ex Prof. D.A.A. Simpson Collection, (lot 2003; estimate $200) realised $1,550. A China Republic silver dollar (1912) (lot 2093; estimate $150) realised $4,412, ex Simpson Collection, and a 1914 dollar (lot 2094; estimate $500) really soared, realising $12,521 to a phone bidder. A superb Netherlands silver ducaton, 1794 (lot 2396; estimate $500) ex R.T. Adams Collection, realised $2,981. A group of South African ZAR pennies with mint red (lot 2487; estimate $400) soared away to realise $3,101, a double shaft five shillings, 1892 (lot 2491; estimate $2,500) ex R.T. Adams Collection, realised $5,247.

 

A Transylvania thaler 1591 (lot 2542; estimate $500) realised $2,266, ex Prof. D.A.A. Simpson Collection. A USA Pine Tree shilling 1652 (issued 1667-82) (lot 2545; estimate $1,000) realised $2,147. The next lot, the chain cent, was bid for by three phone bidders, a commission bidder and online bidders, with the hammer eventually falling at $74,000 to realise $88,245 to a live online bidder.

 

The evening session commenced with world gold with an Austrian one hundred corona 1908 Commemorative (lot 2655; estimate $3,000) realising $8,109. A China Republic ten dollars (1919) (lot 2673; estimate $3,000) realised $20,273 after spirited bidding from several prospective buyers. The next lot, a five dollars of Yunnan Province, (1919) (lot 2674; estimate $2,000) ex Rado Collection, realised $7,155. A People’s Republic one hundred yuan 1986 (lot 2678; estimate $2,000) ex W.J. Baker Collection realised $3,697.

 

The best of the Indian mohurs (lot 2769; estimate $3,500), ex Rado Collection, realised $6,201 while the proof-like five rupees 1870 (lot 2771; estimate $4,000) also ex Rado Collection, realised $9,540 to a room bidder. The South Africa ZAR gold did well with one room bidder mostly prevailing, however, the Burgers pond went to a commission bidder (lot 2809; estimate $40,000) at $64,395, ex R.T. Adams Collection. The 1892 double shaft pond, also ex R.T. Adams (lot 2815; estimate $2,500) realised $7,632. The blank ponds (lot 2824; estimate $2,000) realised $4,055. The 1902 Veld pond (lot 2825; estimate $15,000) realised $14,310.

 

The third and final day opened with ancient gold coins, a gold stater of Carthage (lot 2942; estimate $3,000) realised $5,366, while a Byzantine gold solidus of Irene (lot 2950; estimate $10,000) realised $11,329 to a live online bidder. In Greek silver, a Metapontion stater (lot 2994; estimate $1,500) realised $3,697 to another live online bidder against a phone bidder from Europe. A Syracuse tetradrachm (lot 3003; est $3,000) realised $4,532 to an oline bidder, and a Siculo-Punic tetradrachm (lot 3005; estimate $4,000) realised $5,486. A Larissa didrachm (lot 3031; est $1,500) realised $3,578 after spirited bidding on the phone, online and live online, finally going to a room bidder. An attractive Corinth stater (lot 3041; estimate $300) finally hammered to a commission bidder at $1,800, or $2,147 with buyer’s premium. A Pixodaros didrachm (lot 3051; estimate $1,200) realised $2,325 to a room bidder. An attractive Tyre shekel or tetradrachm (‘thirty pieces of silver’) (lot 3066; estimate $800) finally went to a commission bidder at $2,027. The group lots of Rome coins from the Dr. V.J.A. Flynn Collection generally realised two to three times estimate, many going to a bidder in the room.

 

In militaria, a ‘Court Dagger’ of the Ottoman Empire (lot 3504; estimate $6,000) realised $9,540. The Presentation Sword to Admiral Sir Charles Napier from the Sultan of Turkey was surprisingly well bought by a live online bidder at $36,968 (lot 3514; estimate $50,000). The afternoon session started with Orders, Decorations, and Medals. A British World War I MC and MM group of seven (lot 3622; estimate $2,000) realised $3,578. A World War 2 glider pilot group of eight (lot 3636; estimate $1,200) also realised $3,578, as did a New South Wales Naval Contingent Chinese War medal pair (lot 3678, estimate $3,000).

 

In Australian groups, a CMG, DSO and MID groups of eight (lot 3683; estimate $20,000) realised $22,658 to a bidder in the room. A World War 1 DFC trio to the AFC (lot 3706; estimate $15,000) realised $17,589, and an MC trio to the AFC (lot 3708; estimate $15,000) realised $15,503. A family group (lot 3726; estimate $2,500) realised $4,532 to a bidder in the room. A Reserve Force Decoration with bar group of four (lot 3738; estimate $1,000) realised $3,578. A World War 1 MM trio to a New Zealander for the Battle of Le Quesnoy (lot 3746; estimate $1,500) realised $4,055 to a phone bidder after spirited bidding. Finally a Roo Club plaque, dated 1941 (lot 3777; estimate $950) realised $2,147.

 

In the late afternoon session at 4:30pm some impressive, even astonishing, results came in the world banknotes. The Ceylon Government Treasury Notes (lot 3843; estimate $450) realised $6,797 to a live online bidder. This lot, ex W.J. Baker Collection, had been purchased at our Sale 28 (lot 763) for $400. A China, Hankow specimen one hundred dollars (lot 3849; estimate $1,500) realised $9,540, ex W.J. Baker Collection. It had been bought at our Sale 34 (lot 2679) for $1,000, and a Shanghai specimen one hundred dollars, (lot 3853; estimate $1,000) also from the same collection and Sale 35 (lot 2299) realised $7,155 and had been bought for $620. A Hong Kong specimen five hundred dollars (lot 3967; estimate $2,500) saw spirited presale bidding resulting in a final price to a live online bidder at $39,353. It had been bought at our Sale 34 (lot 2690) for $1,200. A Rhodesia and Nyasaland one pound, 1959 (lot 4024; estimated at $800) realised $2,385. A USA legal tender twenty dollars, 1878 (lot 4058; estimate $3,000) ex Ted Hamilton Collection, realised $4,412.

 

In the final session at 7:30pm, an issued five pounds of the Bank of New Zealand (lot 4183; estimate $500) realised $3,578. It had been bought by W.J. Baker at our Sale 31 (lot 727) for $360. Top price for Australian banknotes went to the Commercial Bank of Australia one pound note, 1909 (lot 4232; estimate $20,000) at $23,850. A Queensland Government one pound, 1906 (lot 4244; estimate $4,000) more than doubled estimate to realise $10,256 to a bidder in the room. A superscribed one pound on Bank of NSW, ex Caldwell Collection (lot 4283; estimate $14,000) realised $14,906. A no mosaics five pounds, also ex Caldwell Collection (lot 4314; estimate $10,000) realised $14,310 to a bidder in the room. The Australian Military Administration of German New Guinea five marks, 1914 (lot 4349; estimate $12,500) and ex Caldwell Collection, realised $21,465 after a bidding duel in the room.

 

In star notes the very rare Armitage/McFarlane ten shillings ex Caldwell Collection (lot 4461; estimate $10,000) realised $10,733. A twenty dollars star note (lot 4480; estimate $750) surprised when it realised $3,339. A fifty dollars corner flap error note (lot 4488; estimate $350) realised $1,193. The sale ended with collector folders and uncuts, a group of 23 (lot 4525; estimate $380) realised $1,431.

 

The next sale takes place on 30th July – 2nd August, and consignments can be received up until 31st May.

 

Jim Noble
April 2019

 

Auction news