SEPTEMBER E-SALE COIN HIGHLIGHTS
Alongside the Official Coinex Auction, Spink London’s Coin Department were delighted to present two additional online auctions for bidders, resulting in a mega-month of numismatic nonpareil.
Eager readers of the last edition of the Insider may recall an article which detailed the upcoming sale of the Orrysdale Collection of Dr John Frissell Crellin. A triskelion amalgamation of treasures put together during the latter Victorian years, largely untouched and unseen by the market for 150 years. Back in September, this special collection from the Isle of Man went under the hammer in a Spink Live e-Sale, proving that even historical cabinets can find their rightful place on a 21st Century platform.
And what a rightful place it was! For a collective estimate of £60,000-£90,000, the Crellin sale hammered at an impressive £133,000 (£159,600 with added buyer’s premium). It would certainly appear as though bidders were captured by the history of both the coins, and the collector himself. We saw even modest examples of coins going for extremely healthy prices, reaffirming what we in the Coin department continue to champion – enriching provenance is king! Of course, not every specimen that comes our way has this great benefit, so when we are faced with an exciting story to tell, tell it we will. Collectors who enjoy an untouched cabinet such as this will no doubt be eagerly awaiting the fin-de-siecle sale of Alfred Leonard Fuller’s catalogue at the beginning of December (see Forthcoming Sales for more details).
Selling at six times its high estimate was this First Issue 1723 Pattern Copper Halfpenny (Lot 99), struck under James Stanley, Tenth Earl of Derby (Isle of Man). Not only is this type rarely encountered, the 1723 date is an even greater scarcity. This, paired with its NGC grade of MS62 and lustrous chocolate brown surfaces, produced an incredible result for this early survivor of the coinage on Mona’s Isle. The Halfpenny resulted in a hammer price of £6,000 against an estimate of £600-£1,000. Another 1723 specimen offered in the sale was a First Issue Pattern Silver Penny (Lot 98). Despite a couple of file marks to the reverse edge, and therefore an NGC Details grade, the extremely fine surfaces and great rarity of the date resulted in a hammer price of £3,500 against an estimate of £1,200-£2,000.
The accompanying First Issue Pattern Silver Halfpenny of 1723 (Lot 101) also surpassed its estimate of £1,000-£1,400, selling for £3,000. A later example of Manx coinage came in the form of an 1811 Silver Five Shillings, issued by the Bank of Douglas Co (Lot 121). There were a couple on offer in the sale, the nicest of which was graded MS63 and granted Top Pop status by NGC. With mirrored proof-like fields and much eye appeal, this scarcely encountered coin sold for £2,800, against an estimate of £2,000-£2,600. Moving from the Isle of Man to the mainland, the Crellin collection contained a Corbet Issue Copper Farthing of 1693 (Lot 38). The rarest of all William and Mary’s copper coinage, this specimen is only the seventh known. All three recorded in Peck are in museums, whilst the others have graced some of the most impressive cabinets including Norweb, Freeman and Gregory.
A furious bidding war between the internet and the telephone (rarely encountered for an e-Sale!) resulted in this Farthing selling for £5,800, against an estimate of £2,000-£3,000.
“when we are faced with an exciting story to tell, tell it we will.”
At the end of the sale came the Isle of Man card money section. As specialists, we knew that there were some stunning rarities up for grabs, but when such unusual lots come up for sale there is always a slight nagging worry that there are not collectors in the market for such things. Very few have been seen at auction in recent years, and estimates proved difficult given that some of the card’s denominations had never even been recorded before. However, all pre-sale jitters were soon dashed when bids flooded in, making for a fitting successful crescendo to those following the sale online.
The highest performing card was a 5 Shillings from the issuer John Llewellyn of Castletown, dated 1st June 1813 (Lot 204). There was no extant example known; therefore, it was an exceedingly rare and likely unique example. Not only this but the condition was spectacular. Colleagues in the Banknote and Stamp departments may chortle, but as specialists working in a chiefly metal-focused bubble, the fact that this humble piece of paper has remained in such a fine state for over 200 years was mightily impressive to us. Bidders obviously agreed, and the lot eventually sold for £2,600 against an estimate of £600-£800.
Just a couple of weeks prior to the sale of the Orrysdale Collection, the coin department brought collectors the latest instalment of the Spink Numismatic e-Circular of British and World Coins and Medals. Hammer highlights included the following. The top seller of the auction, by far, was a most stunning 1821 Crown of George IV – graded by NGC as MS67 Top Pop (Lot 1693). A handsome strike with flashy lustre and light cabinet toning to the peripheries it was truly a stupendous survivor of the highest desirability to Georgian collectors. This choice uncirculated Crown, as the finest certified example of the dated type, skyrocketed beyond its estimate of £5,000-£8,000 and eventually sold for the grand sum of £21,000.
Having once graced the collection of the great scholar of Elizabethan coinage Christopher Comber, this Sixth Issue Gold Crown of Elizabeth I (Lot 1563), sold for £6,000, hitting the high end of an estimate £4,000-£6,000.
One of only two known, a Commonwealth Halfcrown of 1659 (Lot 1577) with the anchor mintmark is exceptionally rare. With a provenance that could be traced back to the Blackfriars Bridge Hoard (deposited just the year after this coin was struck), the Halfcrown sold for £5,000, against an estimate of £2,400-£3,000.
Turning from English to world coins and medals, a scarcely encountered Russian 10-Roubles of 1888 (Lot 1867) sold for £4,800 against an estimate of £2,500-£3,000, whilst an extremely rare Bronze Renaissance Medal from the Mantuan School c.1505 (Lot 1848) sold for £4,200 against an estimate of £3,000-3,500.
“there is no doubt that the accompanying online offerings played a key role in whetting the appetite of bidders across the globe”
Both of these e-Sales not only set the scene beautifully for the official Coinex auction later in the month, but they also showcased a tantalising array of coins, tokens and medals in their own right. September has always been a busy month in the coin trade, and when there is so much on offer across all of the major auction houses and dealerships, Spink London is proud to have achieved such incredible results across the board. A deep dive into the results of the Official Coinex room sale can be found following this roundup, but there is no doubt that the accompanying online offerings played a key role in whetting the appetite of bidders across the globe.