Sale 127 Preface

This sale consists of 5,116 lots with many lots containing small to large quantities. The consignments come from more than two hundred vendors, including several deceased estates with large or specialist collections. The British coins are wide ranging and represent one of our better offerings with some good Anglo Saxon pennies, principally from the late Dr Lawrence Sherwin Collection. In the ancient coins some rarely seen late Roman and Byzantine rulers are represented with gold coins from the same collector.

British crowns are highlighted by proofs of 1746, 1826 and a Gothic plain edge 1847. The Montagu and Roth Harold II penny (lot 3697) without sceptre came to Australia from Spink early last century. The Alfred the Great London monogram penny (lot 3667) is a most attractive example and was last sold by us in Sale 52 (lot 1145). 

The highest estimate in the sale belongs to the unique provenanced piece of Captain Cook’s Endeavour (lot 853) with a label believed written by Sir Joseph Banks sister Sarah, a collector and numismatist of note. We auctioned this iconic relic in Sale 18, April 1986 (lot 947) when it realised more than double its estimate of $12,000.

In Australian, a NSW holey dollar (lot 1163), struck from the only matrix dated 1779 known, is being offered from the late Gregory Smith Collection. His main collection was featured in our Sale 66, March 2001. The Australian gold coins are headed up by a very rare cracked (or first) die Adelaide pound 1852 (lot 1174), followed by an outstanding first issue 1855 Sydney Mint sovereign (lot 1175).

Australian Commonwealth coins are highlighted with a complete silver series in high grades, mainly from the Peter Tripovich Collection. The important rarity is the Dr George Fenton 1922/1 overdate threepence (lot 1347).

The 4:30pm session on the Tuesday is entirely taken up with Australian Historical medals with many items being offered for the first time such as lot 860, the Fort Academy Sydney silver medal 1843.

The military medals commence at 9:30am on Wednesday and include some significant groups such as a few groups for the World War I HMAS Sydney-SMS Emden Engagement and a Distinguished Service Cross group to an officer of HMAS Sydney for the Bartolomeo-Colleoni engagement in World War II (lot 1541). There are some exceptional groups to high ranking officers as well as some to POWs and killed in action lots. Of particular interest is an Air Force Cross and South Atlantic Medal with Rosette pair with the first medal awarded for an heroic rescue in the middle of a raging storm at sea of 17 oil rig workers by a Royal Navy helicopter pilot who would later join the Australian Army Aviation Unit (lot 1433). This is just a small representation of the outstanding medal lots on offer and these are followed by militaria that includes many rarely seen military related badges.  

The sale continues with African tribal weapons, antiquities and miscellaneous items including jewellery and watches. Then we commence with world banknotes including New Zealand, with many album lots needing careful inspection, followed by decimal notes. 

The 7:30pm session is devoted to Australian banknotes with lot 2516 a consecutive pair of Collins/Allen presentation notes with letter dated 5 July 1913.

The third day is taken up with world gold, silver and bronze coins, including the Mark E. Freehill British India tokens collection, followed by a collection of autographs and British hammered coins. The evening session features milled silver and British hammered and milled gold, including nobles of Edward III, Henry IV, Henry V, a rose noble of Edward IV, an attractive gold pound of Elizabeth I and a Commonwealth unite 1651 from a Melbourne collector.

The final day sees the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine coins. Highlight of the Greek silver is perhaps the Syria, Antioch silver tetradrachm of Mark Antony and Cleopatra with clear portraits either side (lot 4294, ex      Dr L. J. Sherwin Collection). In late Roman gold, the solidi of Anthemius and Basiliscus are notable (lots 4719, 4721). In Byzantine, the solidi of Justinian II, Leontius, Tiberius III, Philippicus, Anastasius II, Basil I and Constantine, and a histamenon nomisma of Eudocia (ex Ratto Collection) (lots 4747, 4748, 4749, 4751, 4752, 4759, 4764) are all rarely offered anywhere. Finally, the floor sale concludes with the stamp lots.

The nineteenth session, which is an online exclusive, is devoted to numismatic and other literature, largely from the Mark E. Freehill Collection.  

On behalf of the company, thank you to all the vendors who have made this into an exceptional sale. Good luck with your bidding and don’t hesitate to seek our assistance with bidding and viewing lots of interest to you.