Sale 134 Realises Over $3.3 Million

This general sale was our final one for the calendar year and was very successful bringing many pleasing results for some of our vendors. Top price went to the Kwangtung fifty cents (1889) (lot 2174; est. $60,000) that realised a hammer price of $205,000 or $250,100 when the buyer’s premium of twenty percent plus GST on the premium is added, as is on all further stated realised prices. Next highest went to the NSW holey dollar (lot 1282; est. $120,000) that realised $158,600 to a bidder in the room after steady bidding online and in the room, one bidder being on the phone. 

The in room live auction commenced on Tuesday 25th with miscellaneous Australian coins. An incomplete type set (lot 559; est. $1,250) doubled its estimate realising $3,050, and a collection of 310 coins in 2x2 holders (lot 573; est. $2,000) realised $4,392. A New Zealand Waitangi crown (lot 675; est. $3,500) ex Stephen Turner Collection realised $7,320. A collection of fifty cents 1966-2021 (lot 818; est. $350) realised $1,830. A series of 13 proof sets, 2010-2021 (lot 888; est. $300) realised $1,952. A proof Royal Ladies gold set (lot 903; est. $7,500) realised $9,272, while a six-coin proof set 2001 struck in gold (lot 904; est. $10,000) realised $10,980 and a Sydney 2000 Olympics Millennium gold and silver collection (lot 914; est. $7,500) realised $9,760.

In Perth Mint issues each of the eight two-ounce proof kangaroo nugget two hundred dollar coins, 2000-2007 (lots 957-964; est. total $39,000) realised $6,588 each or a total of $52,704. A complete range of the proof half-ounce platinum koalas 1988-2005 (18 coins) (lot 969; est. $15,000) realised $18,910.

In miscellaneous tokens an extensive collection of barbers’ checks (lot 1001; est. $2,000) virtually doubled estimate realising $4,636. The fifth session at 4:30pm commenced with the Nik Sharplin Collection of Concentration and Internment Camp money, with some highlights being an unholed Commonwealth of Australia two shillings (lot 1015; est. $600) realising $2,440 and a similar unholed five shillings (lot 1018; est. $2,500) bringing in $5,124. A consecutive pair of Internment Camp Hay card one penny (lot 1020; est. $1,500) realised $6,588 and threepence on yellow card (lot 1021; est. $6,000) realised $7,442. A pair of one shilling chits from the 3rd Military District (Tatura) in red and grey card and from ex Dunera Boy, G.J. Lederer (lot 1025; est. $2,000) realised $3,660. Cardboard penny and halfpenny chits from Metropole Internment Camp, Isle of Man, World War II (lot 1043; est. $100) realised a spectacular $4,392 (or more than forty times their estimate!). Two aluminium Polish Concentration Camp tokens from Lodz (lot 1064; est. $120) realised $1,098. 

Australian historical medals followed with best realised going to the complete collection of the Sydney Branch of the Royal Mint medals in silver and bronze. A Queen Victoria silver (lot 1102; est. $800) realised $4,148, a silver Edward VII (lot 1104; est. $800) realised $3,904 and an inscribed silver George V (lot 1106; est. $750) realised $2,928. 

The Tuesday evening session commenced with British gold coins. A good very fine Edward III noble (lot 1207; est. $7,500) sold at around estimate realising $9,028, while an Edward IV ryal ex Frank Madzia Collection easily beat its estimate (lot 1208; est. $2,500) realising $4,880. The best small gold crown from the same collection (lot 1211; est. $1,250) realised $2,440. A choice Jubilee head five pounds 1887 (lot 1237; est. $4,000) realised $6,710. Proclamation coins followed with the Brazil Johanna 1733M (lot 1271; est. $4,200) realising $5,612. Next came the holey dollar and dump. The holey dollar realised more than estimate going to a bidder in the room at $158,600 against a phone bidder and an online under bidder (lot 1282; est. $120,000). The NSW dump (lot 1283; est. $20,000) sold to an online bidder for $22,570. The very rare cracked die Adelaide pound 1852 (lot 1284; est. $150,000) was well bought by the phone bidder at $134,200. Best result in the Sydney Mint issues went to the uncirculated 1858 half sovereign (lot 1315; est. $7,500) selling at estimate realising $9,150. Of the Imperial sovereigns the highest price went easily to the 1926 Sydney sovereign (lot 1361; $27,000) at $31,720 to a room bidder. Highest priced half sovereign went to the 1885 Melbourne (lot 1375; est. $8,000) at $9,760. 

The British silver and bronze were offered in the 9:30am session on Wednesday. Best results against estimate went to the Kings of Wessex, Aethelwulf penny (lot 1391; est. $1,200) that realised $3,172, the Aethelberht portrait penny (lot 1392; est. $1,500) that realised $3,660 and the Aethelstan portrait penny (lot 1395; est. $3,000) that realised $5,368. Best result for a silver crown ex Frank Madzia Collection went to the Charles I Exeter Mint 1644 issue (lot 1441; est. $2,500) that also realised $5,368. Following on in the 11:30am session some Australian Commonwealth issues easily beat estimate, a 1938 crown ex Mayor’s Hoard (lot 1612; est. $300) realised $1,464, a choice 1932 florin (lot 1629; est. $2,500) realised $5,124 and a choice Melbourne Centenary florin (lot 1633; est. $800) raced away realising $5,612. The sole 1930 penny in the auction (lot 1687; est. $25,000) realised $24,400 on the low side for the grade due to an unfortunate old gouge scratch above the band of the crown. 

The 2:30pm session commenced with further pre-decimal coins, the two hundred and thirty 1937 crowns from the Mayor’s Hoard in five lots (lots 1772-1776; total est. $6,900) realised a total of $11,590 for an average of $50 each. Top price in the Indian coins that followed went to the Shah Jahan I gold mohur from the Akola hoard (lot 1934; est. $1,500) at $7,320, followed by a silver rupee of Azam Shah (lot 1937; est. $1,000) at $3,904. World gold coins commenced the 4:30pm session and generally realised around estimate except for the Russian. A Poland under Russia three roubles 1835 (lot 2022; est. $400) realised $2,928. An Elizabeth two roubles 1756 (lot 2025; est. $750) realised $3,660, and a Catherine II rouble, 1779 (lot 2027; est. $600) realised twelve times estimate or $7,320. A five roubles 1823 (lot 2030; est. $900) realised $4,636 and a three roubles 1884 (lot 2035; est. $500) realised $4,880, as did a ten roubles 1888 (lot 2038; est. $2,000). 

World silver and bronze followed on and here the highlights were Chinese lots, e.g. (lot 2129; est. $400) consisting of approximately four hundred pieces from the Barry D. Scott Collection realised $3,416, three album lots of cash coins from the Ken O’Brien Collection (lot 2148; est. $700) realised $6,100, (lot 2149; est. $400) realised $4,636 and (lot 2151; est. $600) realised $10,370. 

The highlight of the auction was the offering of the Kwangtung 1889 silver issues struck at the Heaton Mint, the five cents (lot 2171; est. $2,500) realised $63,440 after an online bidding war, similar for the ten cents (lot 2173; est. $1,000) at $31,720 with the climax being the fifty cents (lot 2174; est. $60,000) at $250,100. The ultimate bulk lot, the collection of Barry D. Scott offered in one lot (over 1,200 coins) (lot 2206; est. $6,000) finally sold for $37,820 after a bidding war between several collectors. 

The Russian silver and bronze coins came up in the 7:30pm evening session. Just prior to them a 31 silver coins lot of Hungary (1841-1900) (lot 2294; est. $250) surprised with a final price of $1,830. Of the Russian, the outstanding result against estimate went to two half roubles of Peter I (lot 2330; est. $400) that realised $1,952; a thirty-three coin lot of five and ten kopeks (1704-1916) (lot 2342; est. $400) realised $2,928, a nine coin lot of twenty-five kopeks (lot 2374; est. $240) realised $2,440; the 1834 commemorative rouble (lot 2383; est. $800) realised $3,660, the 1859 commemorative rouble (lot 2385; est. $400) realised $2,928 and the high grade 1887 rouble really raced away from estimate (lot 2387; est. $150) bringing $5,368. Top price went to the Gangut rouble (lot 2393; est. $6,000) at $10,980. The commemorative rouble of 1898 (lot 2390; est. $900) realised $2,440 and the Defeat of Napoleon commemorative rouble 1912 (lot 2391; est. $300) realised $1,952.

The next morning a collector in the room won the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust watch (lot 2516; est. $4,000) for $13,420. A collection of megalodon teeth started with a big bite (lot 2546; est. $500) realised $2,074, and (lot 2547; est. $500) realised $2,318. 

The thirteenth and fourteenth sessions featured Orders, Decorations & Medals commencing with British Singles. A QSA with four clasps to a soldier who died of disease at Kroonstad (lot 2612; est. $200) realised $671. In the British Groups a WWI MC group of four (lot 2668; est. $1,000) sold for $1,586. Next came the Australian Singles and a surprise was the sale of an Officer of the Order of Australia award with naming erased and a Medal of the Order of Australia, unnamed (lots 2688; est. $200 and 2689; est. $150) which sold for $1,037 and $1,798 respectively. 

In session fourteen some high prices were also realised. A group of five that included a China War Medal 1900 for HMS Protector (lot 2778; est. $7,500) realised $11,590 and a WWI trio to the A.N&M.E.F. (lot 2798; est. $800) realised $1,220. A WWII group of four to a WIA at El Alamein (lot 2880; est. $750) realised $1,342 and a WWII group of four to a POW at Changi (lot 2895; est. $300) realised $1,159. Other special lots were a WWII pair to a native of New Guinea serving with M Special Unit (lot 2907; est. $150) realised $561 and a WWII pair to a Corporal WIA serving in a Commando Squadron (lot 2926; est.100) realised $976. Then in Other Countries Orders, Decorations and Medals, a Russian Order of Saint Stanislas 2nd Class with swords neck badge (lot 2987; est. $1,500) realised $3,660. The 4:30pm session commenced with miscellaneous world coin lots, highlights were (lot 3058; est. $500) realised $3,416 and (lot 3060; est. $300) realised $2,074, both lots from the Barry D. Scott collection. 

World banknotes followed and here it was the Russian that provided excited bidding, the album of 57 notes (lot 3153; est. $500) realised $9,150 to a local online bidder against several overseas online bidders. The same buyer secured the next lot of approximately 150 items (lot 3154; est. $200) at $9,760 coming from the John J. Veltmeyer Collection. A single note of Thailand (lot 3166; est. $70) stunned onlookers realising $5,856. And a collection in an old photo album ex Max Hornblow Collection (lot 3187; est. $300) finally realised $1,708.

The 7:30pm session on the Thursday was devoted to Australian banknotes. A ten shillings (1934) (lot 3223; est. $3,500) realised $3,660, a run of 21 ten shillings (1961) (lot 3235; est. $500) realised $4,148. A serial one million number one pound (1961) (lot 3321; est. $7,500) sold for $7,320. In decimal notes which generally sold out at around estimate, a consecutive pair of ten dollars (1993) last prefix (lot 3398; est. $150) stood out realising $1,159.

The final day was devoted to ancient coins in two morning sessions that completed the sale. A Ptolemaic Governor of Kyrenaica, tiny gold obol in high relief (lot 3460; est. $1,500) realised $3,904. The Roman gold aureii sold out at around estimate top prices going to the Nerva (lot 3463; est. $12,000) and the Constantine (lot 3467; est. $12,500) realising $14,030 each. In Greek silver two Lysimachos tetradrachms did well (lot 3508; est. $2,000) realised $3,904 and (lot 3509; est. $1,800) realised $4,636. Athenian tetradrachms also were popular (lot 3554; est. $1,500) realised $2,440 and (lot 3557, 8, 9; each est. $1,500) realised $2,196 each except the third at $2,318. An attractive Corinth stater ex Bunker Hunt Collection (lot 3568; est. $1,200) realised $2,074. A Sasanian drachm of Bahram II (lot 3596; est. $500) realised $1,952. A Claudius cistophorus of Ephesus Mint (lot 3617; est. $1,000) ex Dr Hugh Preston Collection realised $2,440. 

A Roman Republic quadrigatus (lot 3643; est. $800) from the Dr Hugh Preston Collection did not surprise bringing $3,416. A Julius Caesar portrait denarius also ex Dr Hugh Preston Collection (lot 3756; est. $4,000) realised $7,320 and Caligula denarius from the same collection (lot 3767; est. $2,500) realised $5,368. Denarii of Galba and Otho (lots 3778; est. $800 and 3779; est. $700) realised $1,830 each. A Vitellius denarius (lot 3780; est. $500) realised $1,342. Top price went to a Vespasian denarius ex Lampard and ex Dr Hugh Preston Collections (lot 3784; est. $500) at $3,416. 

Jim Noble

December 2023.

All other unsold lots are available to purchase at 70 percent or more of the estimate.