British Coins, Elizabeth II, silver Britannia five two-pound coin set, 2006, with selected gold plating, Golden Silhouette Collection (S.PBS07), in fitted case of issue, with certificate, FDC; silver proof ‘bimetallic’ two pound coin set, Commonwealth Games, 2002, with gold-plated nickel-brass plaque, revs. running figure holding aloft a banner (S.PSS09); silver proof piedfort four-coin collection, 2005, comprising two pounds (2): 400th Anniversary of Gunpowder Plot/60th Anniversary of End of WWII; one pound, Menai Straits Bridge; fifty pence, 250th Anniversary of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary (S.PSS15), both in fitted cases of issue, with certificates, the former also in card box, all FDC (13 coins) The first, 3000 sets issued; the second, 10,000 sets issued; the third, 5000 sets issued.
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Foreign Coins, Cut and Countermarked, Curaçao, Dutch Administration, silver 3 reals (1818), a cut 1/5 segment of a Charles IV, 8 reales, 1806, with cut crenated edges, rev. countermarked 3 within a circle raised within a circular indent, wt. 5.83gms. (KM.28; Pr. p.252, fig, 27), coin and countermark very fine
Foreign Coins, Cut and Countermarked, Curaçao, Dutch Administration, silver 3 reals (1818), a cut 1/5 segment of a Charles IV, 8 reales, 1806, with cut crenated edges, rev. countermarked 3 within a circle raised within a circular indent, wt. 5.12gms. (KM.28; Pr. p.252, fig, 27), coin worn, countermark about very fine
Foreign Coins, Cut and Countermarked, Curaçao, Dutch Administration, silver 3 reals (c.1819-1825), a cut 1/5 segment of a Charles IV, 8 reales, 1806, with cut crenated edges, rev. countermarked 3 raised within serrated circular indent, wt. 4.81gms. (KM.29; Pr. p.252, fig, 28), coin fine, countermark very fine
Foreign Coins, Cut and Countermarked, Gibraltar (previously attributed to Dominica), silver ¼ dollar, c.1760: Mexico, Ferdinand VI, 2 reales, 1750M, centrally pierced from the obverse with a heart-shaped hole with a patterned border on obv. and rev., wt. 5.77gms. (Pr.18 [for Dominica]), coin and countermark good very fine
Foreign Coins, Cut and Countermarked, Netherlands East Indies, Banjarmasin (Borneo): Holland, gold ducat, 1771, countermarked ‘Banjar’ in Arabic, wt. 3.44gms. (KM.-; Scholten -), coin and countermark good extremely fine, exceedingly rare *ex Dr. C. C. Chang Collection, Spink Singapore, July 1997, lot 82
Foreign Coins, Cut and Countermarked, Netherlands East Indies, Banjarmasin (Borneo): Netherlands, William I, gold 10 gulden, 1840, countermarked ‘Banjar’ in Arabic, wt. 6.72gms. (KM.-; Scholten -), coin and countermark good extremely fine, exceedingly rare *ex W. J. Noble, Sydney no 73, July 2010, lot 1908
Ancient Coins, Greek, Peloponnese, Sikyon, silver stater (c.335-330 BC), chimaera moving to l. on ground line, r. paw raised, ΣE below, above to r., wreath, rev. dove flying to l., below dove’s neck, I; all within olive wreath tied on the right and with branch ends meeting on the l., 12.24gms (BCD Peloponnesos 219; BMC.56; Traité 775, pl. CCXX, 12), lightly toned and most attractive, extremely fine *ex Nomos 15, 22 October 2017, lot 118 ex Nomos 1, 6 May 2009, lot 67 This lovely coin comes from an issue of staters produced at Sikyon after Alexander’s appeal for mercenaries in 334: they seemed to have been paid out as a signing bonus and then buried for safe keeping. Unfortunately, many of these mercenaries never came back; thus, a number of coins from this issue have been found in excellent condition as they were never circulated.
British Coins, Edward III, fourth coinage, treaty period (1361-1369), noble, king holding sword and shield, facing in ship, rev. ornate cross, E in centre (S.1502; N.1231), certified and graded by PCGS as Mint State 62, lustrous on a broad flan unusually retaining complete outer rim beading, well detailed with even the king’s tiny facial features sharp, choice surfaces with lovely gold toning While relatively common, the gold nobles of this reign are fine mementoes of their era and summon images in the mind’s eye of medieval bankers and traders counting their profits from the wool trade with Flanders, which was their principal purpose initially. They are collected by period, relating to the 1360s Treaty of Brétigny with France over an ages-old quarrel for territory. This coin is a fine example of its type.
British Coins, Henry VI, first reign, noble, annulet issue (1422-1430), London mint, king standing in ship holding sword and shield, three lis in upper l., quarter, annulet by sword arm, two ropes to l., one rope to r., ornaments in top line of hull 1-1-1, quatrefoils 3/3, trefoil stops in legend, lis after first word, rev. annulet stops in legend, initial mark lis, h at centre, ornate cross with lis terminals, crown over lion in each angle, within beaded and linear tressure of eight arcs, fleurs in spandrels, annulet in upper r., spandrel, beaded circle surrounding, outer beaded border both sides, wt. 6.97gms. (S.1799; N 1414; cf. Schneider 282), fully round on a broad flan with outer border visible, otherwise well struck with a good facial portrait, a pleasing coin, practically extremely fine *ex Phil Wallick, Simpsonville, Maryland, USA, c.1998
British Coins, Elizabeth I, sixth issue, pound, mm. anchor (1597/8-1600), crowned bust of queen l. with long hair, wearing richly ornamented dress with ruff, double pellet stops, rev. crowned square-topped shield of arms, ER at sides, double pellet stops (S.2534; N.2008), certified and graded by NGC as Mint State 64, a beautiful and lustrous coin, unusually bold in details on both sides, on a broad flan having almost complete outer beaded rims, this is the finest known with the anchor mintmark - the rarest mintmark on Elizabeth I pounds - a trophy coin for the connoisseur This lovely coin is one of the more regal portraits of Elizabeth I in gold. Even as she advanced in age she retained her dignified bearing. It took half a century but under her guidance England regained the wealth that her father wasted, shown off on this coin in the queen’s jewelled, fancy dress. On the other side, the large crown atop the regal shield again stood for majesty and strength, after the anaemic reigns of Henry’s only son, Edward, and his eldest daughter, Mary. Indeed, on this coin we see symbols of the queen’s importance as a monarch who recaptured the devotion of her subjects and the admiration of her enemies.
British Coins, James I, second coinage, spur ryal, mm. escallop (1606-1607), crowned figure of king with sword and shield stg. facing in ship, rev. spur rowel, small rose at centre, encircled by a ring of lis and crowned lions, all enclosed in beaded treasure of eight arches, wt. 6.77gms. (S.2614; N.2080), has been repaired, weak on king’s face, good fine, very rare *ex Lingford, lot 892 This mintmark is not represented in the Schneider collection. The coin is sold with an old Baldwin’s ticket pricing it at £6500.
British Coins, Charles I, triple unite, Oxford mint, mm. plumelet on obverse only, 1644, small module, crowned half-length armoured bust l. holding long thin sword and olive branch, gloved hand on top of beaded circle, no scarf, diamond-shaped stops, rev. Declaration in three bands of a wavy scroll, mark of value ‘III’ centred above with three plumes around, date below with OXON underneath, wt. 26.52gms. (S.2729; N.2385 [extremely rare]; Brooker 842, this coin; Sch.304; B-J dies VIII/L8), about extremely fine, on a fully round uncracked flan, portrait of the king and much of reverse sharply detailed but softly struck in areas, as illustrated, because struck from rocker dies, no serious abrasions, pleasing gold colour *ex J. Nunn, 27 November 1896, lot 434, £12-8-0 ex O’Hagan, 16 December 1907, lot 154, £5-5-0 ex J. Dudman, 15 December 1913, lot 111, £8-12-6 ex J. Bliss, Sotheby’s, 22 March 1916, lot 347, £9 ex J. G. Brooker, SCBI, 33:842 ex Spink Numismatic Circular, February 1983, 177 ex Glendinings, 15 October 1985 ex St. James’s Auction 20, 18 November 2011, lot 55 In our modern collectors’ world, obsessed with quality, it is easy to forget that for many coins ‘MS63’ or whatever numerical grade might apply is not especially relevant to the pursuit of quality historical coinages. In the case of emergency issues or siege coins, mere survival is something of a miracle. Such coins were typically born of momentary good fortune in the face of impending doom, and survivors somehow escaped the punishments of the ages that followed their creation. Certainly this is true of the massive Triple Unites of King Charles I, each valued contemporaneously at three pounds sterling and struck in soft gold. Literally speaking, a mere handful of those created at the temporary Oxford Mint during the Civil War have survived the ages. Perplexing difficulties compromised Charles’s traditional divine right, ranging from his marriage to the Catholic princess Henrietta Maria of France to revolts in Ireland and Scotland, but most serious of all were his seemingly endless clashes with Parliament. Early in his reign he enjoyed a strong popularity with his subjects at large and with his aristocratic court, but this began to fail during the Thirty Years War, when his alliances suggested that he sided with Catholic ecclesiastics. As time went on, needing funds he reintroduced, against the wishes of Parliament, long-obsolete feudal taxes including the widely hated Ship Tax. Through his first quarter century as monarch, an unusual number of internal political/religious battles lessened his popularity while external war threatened his kingdom. At last, members of the ‘Long Parliament’ seized power in January 1642, forcing Charles to march north. He reached Nottingham by late August, then went on to Oxford, where he set up court in October and began to make ready for war. Lacking income from taxes, he had a dire need for support from local loyalists. On 26 October, the Civil War commenced at the Battle of Edgehill. In the college town of Oxford, the king found friendly souls; they must surely have been most welcome sights for the beleaguered monarch. His supporters saw first and foremost, beyond the instant need to protect the king’s person, that his cause would quickly fail without financing of his army. Lacking such aid, Charles would be captured and dethroned, and quite possibly killed. Loyalists rallied, and the king’s mint at Oxford continued to issue money in his name until sometime in May 1646. All during this time, coinage was solely the king’s prerogative, traditionally his right and his alone in the kingdom, and the history abounds with stories of college plate and other local riches being converted to money bearing the king’s name, perhaps most famous of all being his massive Triple Unites in gold, which were the ultimate pledges of his monetary power and by far the largest repositories of wealth in coinage form. Most of this money coined at Oxford saw use for procuring supplies, arms, rents and other necessities, not least of which was loyalty. The smaller denominations from Oxford and other local, temporary mints paid soldiers and bought goods for the cause. At one of the war’s early skirmishes, at Wellington, the king had urged support when he made what has come down through history to be called the Wellington Declaration. He vowed to uphold, even enforce, the Protestant religion, the laws of England, and the liberty of parliament—thereby seeking to dissuade any and all opponents that he was pro-Catholic, or a monarch who might disavow laws for his convenience. His vow became his war slogan and it appears as the central reverse inscription on this and other triple unites. Most of the war’s famous battles and sieges - at Naseby, Newark and Oxford - ended by the spring of 1646 but negotiations for peace failed and open hostilities began again in the summer of 1648, led by a Scots invasion. The Civil War ran intermittently from the autumn of 1642 until Charles was beheaded on 30 January 1649. Never before had an English king been brought to trial as a monarch, accused of treason, and executed. Although they outlived him, most of the coins made at Charles’s rudely established mints disappeared long ago. At their best, even when new, most bore witness to the anguish of the king as they were sometimes poorly engraved, unevenly struck, and blemished at issue. None of this money was likely to be saved for posterity. Some was intentionally defaced and melted by the king’s enemies. By the time the Civil War ended, the concept of monarchy had changed forever. Even the king’s centuries-old sole right to issue money had vanished. The Triple Unite we see in this lot was one of the last of its kind made at the king’s mint at Oxford - in fact, the last of the truly royal money. It remains as mute testimony to some of the nation’s most troubled times. Within five years of its creation, the kingship it proclaims had ended. The Latin legend which appears above and below the Declaration, on the reverse of this coin, expressed more hope than reality. Exurgat Deus Dissipentur Inimici translates to mean ‘Let God Arise, Let His Enemies Be Scattered’, but the royal assertion failed. Divine right was gone. The king was dead. The age-old monarchy died off with him. And yet, today’s collectors may still hold the king’s hopes in their hands, here in this golden emblem of its age.
British Coins, William IV, proof crown, 1831, bare head r., W.W. incuse on truncation, rev. crowned shield of arms over mantle, plain edge (S.3833; ESC.271; Bull.2462), certified and graded by PCGS as Proof 64, original deep silvery grey toning with bluish hues, the type issued in the Coronation sets, normally not seen this choice The silver crowns of George II were in effect the last such coins issued with the intention that they would be used in commerce. By the late 1740s, the Bank of England’s paper money had assumed the role formerly occupied by these large silver pieces. During the silver shortage of the period of the Napoleonic Wars, and the resulting hoarding of hard money, the crown of 5 shillings’ value temporarily returned to commerce, first as overstruck foreign silver coins (mainly Spanish) and then as Bank Dollars, both types produced on contract with the Soho Mint at Birmingham. When the New Coinage commenced in 1816 for silver and 1817 for gold, the largest silver piece issued for commerce was the halfcrown. The silver crown did not appear until 1818 and it was not distributed as an intended circulating medium but instead was sent to the Bank of England for distribution to commercial banks wrapped in tissue paper - as a special type of New Coinage money aimed at collectors. Most pieces of course were not well preserved even though they did not generally circulate (though some did); they were mishandled, picking up trivial marks and worse. The same situation existed for the next king’s silver crowns, those made in 1821 and 1822, which then became the last non-proof crowns until Victoria’s first pieces of 1844. Among these, the 1831 proof crowns made for William IV’s coronation sets are most difficult to locate today. The mintage was not recorded but was likely no more than a few hundred pieces in all. This is an important coin for crown collectors.
British Coins, George IV, sovereign, 1828, bare head l., rev. crowned shield of arms (S.3801), so rare a date that it is missing in almost all collections of sovereigns, even those worked on for many years, this piece showing obvious wear from commercial circulation, which to some may add to its appeal (see comments to follow), certified and graded by PCGS as About Uncirculated 50, the key date in the reign The 1828 sovereign has long been recognized as a rarity in all conditions. Marsh states that during the calendar year of 1828 most sovereigns struck by the Royal Mint bore the date 1827, and that the new obverse die bearing the date 1828 was not used until December of that year. This accounts for the small mintage of 386,182 sovereigns of this date, compared to other dates in this series having mintages ranging from about 2.2 million to more than 5.7 million. Reflecting his experience, Marsh assigned an R4 rating to this date (15 to 25 specimens known). While the overall population may be towards the high end of his estimate, the date appears infrequently enough to call it extremely rare among the gold coins of this king. And, most important of all, better grade examples are truly elusive. In point of fact, most sovereigns minted during the first four decades of the 19th century are exceptionally difficult to locate in choice, lustrous conditions, and even the seemingly common 1826 ‘bare head’ sovereign (with a mintage of more than 5.7 million) is not very often available in the best grades. Challis (A New History of the Royal Mint) offers a solid explanation, noting that contemporary accounts often mentioned the preponderance of ‘light coins’ circulating by the 1840s, meaning that the New Coinage was wearing quickly in commerce and that light, or worn, gold coins in particular represented a loss versus face value to owners. The Treasury decided to do something about the situation, Challis says (page 484), and it steadily withdrew more than fourteen million pounds’ worth of ‘light’ gold between July 1842 and March 1845, ‘roughly one-third of the total gold circulation’. All these earlier dated coins, sovereigns and their halves (‘and this exercise probably removed most of the remaining guineas’), were melted by the Royal Mint, which then replaced them with new coins. This explains the relative rarity of all of these coins today, and if an 1826 sovereign is a scarce coin then consider the magnitude of rarity of the 1828 sovereign, and in particular the exceptional coin in this lot.
British Coins, George VI, proof five pounds, 1937, bare head l. rev. St. George and the dragon (S.4074; W&R.435), certified and graded by NGC as Proof 65 Ultra Cameo, very heavily frosted motifs against a ‘deep black’ mirrored field on each side, a gem coin with a truly superb reverse Total mintage of 5001 pieces from the Coronation sets.
British Coins, Victoria, sovereign, 1851, young head l., engraver’s initials W.W. in relief, rev. crowned shield of arms within wreath (S.3852C), certified and graded by PCGS as MS65, a truly beautiful coin having very little disturbance in the soft lustre on either side, the portrait and royal shield both sharply struck, rare thus and among the finest to be found
Foreign Coins, China, Republic, gold twenty dollars, undated (1919), Yuan Shih-kai as Hung-hsien facing l. in military uniform with shoulder epaulet as 5-star general, rev. Chinese legend above and in centre of wreath, broad border on each side (KM.Y331; LM.1029; Fr.4), certified and graded by PCGS as Mint State 63, a fine example of this gold rarity, the largest denomination coin of the entire Republic period
British Coins, William IV, pattern sovereign, 1830, plain edge, second portrait, bare head r., rev. crowned shield of arms (S.3829B; W&R.260 [R5, 6-10 known]; Nobleman 203; DM.178), evidence of some handling, bold proof impression, beautifully mirrored fields surrounding frosted images of the king and his royal shield, certified and graded by PCGS as Proof 62 Deep Cameo, only one other example graded PF62DC by PCGS Victoria’s uncle reigned just short of a decade, having spent most of his adult life in the Royal Navy, where he was influential in its modernisation and as a result of which he was sometimes called ‘the sailor king’ by admirers, who were relatively few as he was not an outgoing person; he seemed lacking in many kingly qualities, doubtless as a result of his experience at sea and in the Admiralty until his older brother, George IV, left the crown to him. The kingdom itself enjoyed prosperity during these years, which marked the end of the Romantic Age in the arts. Politically and militarily this was the beginning of the modern empire; it would be Victoria who led the nation into a new period of military might, but it was her Uncle William who prepared the way by advancing the naval forces. William’s coinage included tiny silver and bronze coins made purposely for use in far-flung reaches of the empire, where few of his subjects would encounter his gold sovereigns and none would ever have set eyes on a coin like this, a deluxe proof specially made to show off the coin’s qualities to best advantage, and an image of the king as custodian of the realm. Commercial sovereigns of this reign are invariably entirely different from this coin, as their lustre is satiny, whereas here we see the king’s image set off by watery mirrored fields. J. B. Merlen’s elegant royal shield on reverse also captivates the viewer’s eye. ‘Regal’ is a fitting description of this very rare golden treasure.
British Coins, George VI, VIP proof sixpence, 1952, bare head l., rev. crowned cypher (cf. S.4110; cf. ESC.1838 G; Bull 4268), certified and identified erroneously as S.4140 by PCGS and graded as Proof 67 The key date - a spectacular coin and the finest known. The only example graded PF67 by PCGS, and the highest graded.
British Coins, William IV, sovereign, 1832, first portrait, bare head r., rev. crowned shield of arms (S.3829; Marsh 17A), a sharp coin having full lustre on the reverse but some abrasions on the obverse, also a few noticeable marks on the king’s portrait, certified and graded by PCGS as Mint State 62, this portrait variety very rarely seen Probably the finest known of this great rarity and the only example graded MS62 by PCGS.
World Coins, Switzerland, Geneva, 10 francs, 1851, shield of arms, rev. value and date within wreath (KM.138), planchet flaw from 7-8 o’clock on edge of obverse, some light scratches by value on reverse, otherwise extremely fine Mintage of 678 pieces. This coin was not a legal tender issue and is regarded as a Shooting Thaler.
British Coins, Victoria, proof sovereign, 1838, plain edge, young head l., rev. crowned shield of arms within wreath (S.3852; W&R.300 [R4, 11-20 known]; DM.202), a lovely coin indeed, certified and graded by PCGS as Proof 64 Deep Cameo, exceptionally rare as a proof date, among the finest known and the only example graded PF64DC by PCGS This splendid sovereign, seen normally only in the finest of advanced collections, was the product of one of the most skilled die engravers in history, William Wyon. It is very similar to his patterns of 1837 and 1838 (WR.296-299) but here on this proof we see Victoria more lifelike, with a fuller neck and face, her portrait in fact a bit larger than on any of the patterns (which are also denoted by the presence of a tiny star-like rose on each side of the date). Evidently Wyon was experimenting with the overall appearance, adjusting the size of the image of the queen as well as the placement of the royal titles. The final proof, as seen here, is a stunning testament to the engraver’s sense of artistic perfection.
British Coins, Victoria, sovereign, 1838, young head l., rev. crowned shield of arms within wreath (S.3852; Marsh 22 [Rare in any condition]), a glorious coin, with a sensational strike for this date and intense lustre, surfaces displaying only tiny ticks in the soft gold, certified and graded by PCGS as Mint State 64 First year of issue for Victoria, rarely seen in any grade, survivors with lustre apparently saved by admirers of the new, young queen and by contemporary collectors. Most of the sizable mintage has disappeared, most likely through meltings of ‘old gold’ over the decades since this coin was struck. An interesting side note is that the founder of the American Smithsonian Institution gave an 1838 sovereign as the first donation to that museum. This marvellous coin appears to be rather conservatively graded. Don’t let the MS64 designation persuade you that this is not one of the very best 1838 sovereigns in existence and it is a prize for any serious collector of sovereigns.
British Coins, Victoria, sovereign, 1838, ‘narrow shield’ variety, young head l., rev. crowned shield of arms within wreath (S.3852A; Marsh 22A), obvious commercial wear on the queen’s portrait most notably, but the fields also show wear and some abrasions, the strike being somewhat soft, certified and graded by PCGS as About Uncirculated 53, only one other example graded AU53 by PCGS, extremely rare The reason for this reverse die’s existence on some sovereigns of 1838 and 1843 remains a mystery, but over recent decades a search has been on worldwide for coins exhibiting this variant of the royal shield, with few coins being located of either date. The 1843 is the more famous but 1838 appears to be rarer. While the mintage for this first year of issue of gold sovereigns for Queen Victoria was sizable at more than 2.7 million pieces, its rarity today is likely explained by Challis (A New History of the Royal Mint, page 484): he states that ‘by 1835 the quantity of light [worn] gold in circulation was worrying enough to be the subject of a Mint report to the Treasury. . . . Between July 1842 and March 1845 some £14 million in light coin, roughly one-third of the total gold circulation, was withdrawn and replaced’. Into that melt, it would seem, poured most of the unknown quantity of ‘narrow shield’ sovereigns dated 1838.
Various GB uncirculated coin sets, etc., Queen Elizabeth II 70th Birthday Commemorative crown, 1997 Commemorative crown x 2, one in outer plastic wrapping, Credit Union part coin set, various annual coin sets, 2016, 2014, Emblems of Britain uncirculated coin set, Royal Portrait Collection, etc. (a quantity)
Various uncirculated GB coin sets, to include a £2 1997 Industrial Development, HS 50p coin, Queen Elizabeth Commemorative crown, Britain's new coinage £2, £1, and 50p 2005, 400th Anniversary of The Gun Powder Plot £2 coin, Royal Mint Queen Elizabeth II Portrait Collection, Prince of Wales 50th Birthday Commemorative crown, Equestrian Crown Collection etc. (a quantity)
Various silver and effects, a leather coin purse with extending white metal neck, 10cm high, Accurist gentleman's wristwatch, various silver bangles, sovereign case, pheasant brooch, heavy link necklace set with amethyst coloured stone, silver salt, coin brooch, brass coin scales, etc. (a quantity, various dates and makers)
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