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Lot 24
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.
Lot 250
British Coins, Victoria, pattern sixpence, 1887, in silver, by Spink & Son, milled edge, veiled bust l. wearing small crown, rev. SIXPENCE above royal arms with supporters, date in Roman numerals below (ESC.1778; Bull 3303), certified and graded by PCGS as Proof 62, unlisted with milled edge and therefore presumably very rare The only example graded PF62 by PCGS.
Lot 26
British Coins, William IV, sovereign, 1831, WW without stops, first portrait, bare head r., rev. crowned shield of arms (S.3829A; Marsh 16 [R2 for the date]), certified and graded by PCGS as Mint State 64+ Certainly the finest known - the only example graded MS64+ by PCGS - and as such exceedingly rare.
Lot 262
British Coins, George VI, VIP proof shilling, 1940, ‘Scottish’ reverse, bare head l., rev. crowned lion holding sword and sceptre seated facing on crown (S.4083; ESC.1459 A; Bull 4160), certified and graded by PCGS as Proof 65 Cameo, rare Very few specimens known. The only example graded PF65CAM by PCGS, and the only proof example graded by PCGS.
Lot 264
British Coins, George VI, VIP proof shilling, 1947, ‘Scottish’ reverse, bare head l., rev. crowned lion holding sword and sceptre seated facing on crown (S.4104; ESC.1473 A; Bull 4189), certified and graded by PCGS as Proof 65 Cameo, extremely rare Very few specimens known and the only example graded PF65CAM by PCGS.
Lot 27
British Coins, William IV, proof sovereign, 1831, plain edge, second portrait, bare head r., rev. crowned shield of arms (S.3829B; W&R.261 [R3, extremely rare]; Nobleman 205/6; DM.179), a beautiful example taken from one of the coronation sets of this year, nearly as struck with only faint handling, certified and graded by PCGS as Proof 64 Deep Cameo, among the finest available - only five other examples graded PF64DC by PCGS
Lot 271
British Coins, Elizabeth II, VIP proof crown, 1960, laur. head r., rev. crown in centre of emblematical cross, shield of arms in each angle (S.4143; ESC.393M; Bull 4338), certified and graded by PCGS as Proof 65 Deep Cameo, very rare A spectacular piece and the only example graded PF65DC by PCGS.
Lot 3
British Coins, George III, sovereign, 1818, laur. head r., rev. St. George and the dragon (S.3785; Marsh 2), a lovely and choice example of this much scarcer date, rare in this grade, nearly as struck, certified and graded by NGC as Mint State 63 A scarce type with the descending colon after BRITANNIAR, far superior to the Bentley specimen that made £7680. Only one other example graded MS63 by PCGS.
Lot 35
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.
Lot 36
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.
Lot 37
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.
Lot 39
British Coins, Victoria, sovereign, 1839, young head l., rev. crowned shield of arms within wreath (S.3852; Marsh 23 [R2 in any condition]), brilliant with lustre and choice for this rare date, the obverse showing light handling or tiny abrasions, the reverse especially pleasing, well struck, certified and graded by PCGS as Mint State 62 With a mintage of 503,695 coins, the 1839 sovereign is patently a scarce date, but its actual elusiveness in Mint State gives pause for thought. Population reports from the grading companies may not be proof in and of themselves, but 1838 appears in that census considerably more often than 1839 and seems to be available in higher grades of Mint State as well. Indeed only one other example has been graded MS62 by PCGS. The explanation must be fairly straightforward: the initial issue of 1838 was novel at the time and must have been saved when new by admirers of Victoria as well as by collectors; the next year, 1839, was then just another year, and was probably of little note or interest at the time. The same might be said of 1841, the next year for sovereigns. No contemporary could know of the small mintages of both years, nor were meltings of 1842-1845 and 1930-31 events in which the dates of gold coins were noted or even noticed. This date, 1839, the second year of Victoria’s gold, seems to be rarer than references imply, and especially so for coins still retaining mint lustre as seen on this specimen.
Lot 757
Septimius Severus AV Aureus. Rome, AD 194. L•SEPT•SEV•PERT•AVG•IMP II, laureate head right / VICT•AVG•TR P•II•COS II, Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm branch. RIC 29; BMCRE 61; Calicó 2549. 7.14g, 20mm, 12h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare; only 2 other examples on CoinArchives. From a private French collection.
Lot 781
A rare Derby anchor and D in gilt plate, of Egerton type pattern, c.1773-1777, the border of five Romanesque heads on a claret ground with gilt reserves, green husk swags shadowed in pink with central large bunch of grapes and scattered insects, gilt foot rim, (probably made for the Egerton family of Cheshire), overall 22cm dia.
Lot 122
Mixed and Interesting Grouping of Third Reich and Related Ephemera, includes song books, Reibert Schutzenkompanie, rare Frontkalender for 1943, map, Catholic "Feldgefanbuch" reproduction Soldbuchs and interesting late 1920's photograph album of life in a German city, captioned imges etc. c 16 items in all.
Lot 26
Armament Training Manual for the Royal Air Force Part II Bombs, Pyrotechnics, Bombsights etc. Air Ministry 1929 AP 1243. Exceptionally rare manual with 10 chapters covering all the Bombs, bombsights, bomb carries etc used in the late 1920's by the then fledgling RAF. Illustrations are very detailed as are the excellent coloured plates. c.300pp., numerous ills., amendments included, in laced heavy boards, name in pencil together a Hendon location. very nice example,
Lot 93
Historically Important Handwritten Letter from Field Marshall Montgomery, Written to a Military Friend Brigadier A.K. Hay When D-Day was Imminent. The letter is on 21st Army Group, Headquarters notepaper and is fully handwritten. Brigadier Hay served with "Monty" at the British Army's premier training school at Camberley and as Monty writes "I have enjoyed putting into practice against the Germans the theories you and I used to teach at Camberley" The letter is dated 3rd June 1944 and at the time D-Day was expected to be the 5th (later delayed because of bad weather to the 6th) and Hay would have fully understood the comment " At the moment I am pretty well occupied-as you can imagine" Montgomery also refers to Dick O'Connor another friend of Hay, who had escaped from an Italian POW camp to take a key position IN 21st Army Group. Unusually the envelope has been addressed by Monty himself, stamp and dated with a Censor stamp and signature. Rare handwritten letter from our most famous World War II General on the eve of the greatest seaborne invasion in history
Lot 99
Very Rare American Civil War Confederate Newspaper “The Daily Citizen” Printed During the Siege of Vicksburg by J M Swords Proprietor Vicksburg Mississippi 2 July 1863, the single sided sheet printed on wallpaper due to the shortage in paper during the siege of Vicksburg by the Union Forces. The paper has been mounted into a glazed double sided frame with printed sheet from The Library of Congress detailing the history of the paper and the points to determine an original example. The floral wallpaper pattern remains bright with much of the colour remaining. Paper has been trimmed, has some foxing, tears to the edges and creases in the folds. Frame measures 52 x 34cms, paper approximately 46 x 29cms. This newspaper was edited and published by J. M. Swords. As the Union siege of this strategic city wore on, his supply of paper ran out, so the publisher resorted to the use of wallpaper, as did several other Southern editors during the rebellion. On this substitute Swords printed the following dates: June 16, 18, 20, 27, 30, and July 2, 1863. Each was a single sheet, four columns wide, printed on the back of the wallpaper. On July 4, Vicksburg surrendered, the publisher fled, and the Union forces found the type of the "Citizen" still standing. They replaced two-thirds of the last column with other matter already in type, added the note: "JULY 4, 1863 Two days bring about great changes, The banner of the Union floats over Vicksburg. Gen. Grant has "caught the rabbit;" he has dined in Vicksburg, and he did bring his dinner with him. The "Citizen" lives to see it. For the last time it appears on "Wall-paper." No more will it eulogize the luxury of mule-meat and fricasseed kitten - urge Southern warriors to such diet nevermore. This is the last wall-paper edition, and is, excepting this note, from the types as we found them. It will be valuable hereafter as a curiosity." Evidently, after a few copies (how many is unknown) had been run off, it was noticed that the masthead title was misspelled as "CTIIZEN." The error was corrected, although the other typographical errors were allowed to stand, and the rest of the edition printed.
Lot 85
A Caughley blue and white porcelain mug, circa 1785-90, transfer-printed in underglaze blue with the Natural Sprays pattern, C mark, 11.5cm high Ex. B&R.M. Watkins paper label to the base. Literature: Ironbridge 1999, no. 39 and The Caughley Society, Caughley Blue and White Patterns, p.94. This is a rare print to be found on Caughley.
Lot 820
Constantius II AV Solidus. Antioch, AD 350. FL IVL CONSTANTIVS PERP AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / GLORIA REIPVBLICAE, Constantius on horseback to right, turreted figure kneeling to left before him, holding torch in left hand; SMAN? in exergue. RIC 80; C 107; Depeyrot 6/2. 4.40g, 21mm, 11h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare; in exceptional condition for the issue, certainly one of the finest of very few specimens known and far superior to the only other example on CoinArchives (H. D. Rauch 98, 21 September 2015, lot 677 [hammer: EUR 28,000]). It should be noted that the scene depicted on the reverse of this coin does not represent a formal adventus, since the raised hand, the signal gesture of the emperor's greeting and the extension of his benevolence is absent here. The kneeling figure is not that of the Tyche of Antioch, for she carries not a cornucopiae but a torch, and the legend clearly indicates that we are to perceive this figure as a personification of the Res Publica. Thus, Kent, Sutherland and Carson (RIC VIII p. 505) advocate that the intended meaning should be seen as the 'liberation' or 'deliverance' of the Republic, similar to the LIBERATOR REI PVBLICAE multiples struck for Magnentius at Aquileia. Viewed in this context, the issue must refer to Constantius' imminent departure to the West to 'liberate' it from the usurper Magnentius, whose agents had assassinated Constantius II's brother and Imperial colleague Constans as he tried to flee to safety.
Lot 152
Sicily, Syracuse AR Tetradrachm. Second Democracy, circa 430-420 BC. Charioteer, holding kentron and reins, driving slow quadriga right; above, Nike flying right, crowning horses with wreath, laurel branch in exergue / Head of Arethusa right, hair covered by sakkos drawn together at top and decorated with maeander pattern above chevrons, wearing earring and necklace; ?YRAKO?I?N and four dolphins around. Boehringer 654 (V331/R449); SNG Copenhagen 658; SNG ANS 215. 17.40g, 25mm, 6h. Very Fine. Rare. From the collection of Patrick Mulcahy; Ex Gorny & Mosch 199, 10 October 2011, lot 89; Ex Triton XIII, 5 January 2010, lot 1032.
Lot 14
Etruria, Populonia AR Diobol (?). Late 4th - 3rd century BC. Two dolphins, belly to belly, swimming in a circle / Blank. EC I, 122.2 (O2); HN Italy 223; SNG ANS 33. 0.69g, 11mm. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare, the second recorded example from this die. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.
Lot 248
Crete, Phaistos AR Stater. Mid 4th century BC. Herakles standing in fighting attitude to right, wearing Nemean lion skin, seizing with his left hand one of the heads of the Lernean Hydra, and with his right hand preparing to strike with club; bow and bowcase in left field / Bull standing to left. Svoronos 66, pl. XXIV, 23 (these dies); Le Rider pl. XXIII, 11 (same dies); BMFA Suppl. 125 (same dies). 11.60g, 26mm, 1h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare, only two examples recorded by Le Rider. Ex private American Collection, Roma Numismatics X, 27 September 2015, lot 380. The obverse of this coin depicts the second of Herakles' Twelve Labours set by Eurystheos, the agent of Hera. He was tasked with slaying the ancient serpent-like monster that resided in the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, which guarded an underwater entrance to the underworld. Upon cutting off each of the Hydra's heads however, Herakles found that two more would grow back in its place, an expression of the hopelessness of such a struggle for any but the hero. Realizing that he could not defeat the Hydra in this way, Herakles called on his nephew Iolaos for help. Iolaos then came upon the idea (possibly inspired by Athena) of using a firebrand to cauterize the stumps after each decapitation. When Hera saw that Herakles was gaining the upper hand she sent a large crab to distract the hero, but Herakles crushed it underfoot. He cut off the last and strongest of the Hydra's heads with a golden sword given to him by Athena, and so completed his task. Hera, upset that Herakles had slain the beast she raised to kill him, placed it in the vault of the heavens as the constellation Hydra, and she turned the crab into the constellation Cancer. The encounter with the Lernean Hydra is not only well attested in epic, but is also the subject of some of the earliest securely identifiable Herakles scenes in Greek art. On two Boiotian fibulae of c. 750-700 BC (BM 3025, Philadelphia 75-35-1), the hydra is attacked by Herakles, at whose feet is the crab sent by Hera. This particular form of the scene would later be replicated on the coins of Phaistos (cf. Svoronos 60, pl. XXIV, 20), even including the crab. The present example is the earliest in the Herakles-Hydra series at Phaistos, and consequently is more archaistic in style. It has been extensively argued that the later designs of Phaistos copy a now lost masterpiece of sculpture or painting, perhaps even a statue group by the great sculptor Lysippos (see Lehmann, 'Statues on Coins', New York 1946; see also Lacroix, 'Les Reproductions de Statues sur les Monnaies Grecques', Liege 1949; see also Lattimore, 'Lysippian Sculpture on Greek Coins', California Studies in Classical Antiquity Vol. 5 1972). The present type however most likely draws its inspiration from a locally significant vase or wall painting, given that the composition is pictorial in nature, showing Herakles' bow and quiver behind him in the field. Though the particular source of inspiration for this type is not known, clear parallels can be seen in surviving Greek art of the late Archaic and early Classical periods, notably on an Attic black figure Lekythos now in the Louvre (CA598) which depicts Herakles and the Hydra in a similar combat pose.
Lot 416
Uncertain Eastern Satrapy, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint, circa 323-240 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, A?E before; all within incuse square. Roma XIV, 345; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; Mitchiner 13a; SNG ANS 1. 16.82g, 26mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Lot 341
Phoenicia, Tyre AR Shekel. Circa 450-400 BC. Dolphin leaping to right over triple line of waves, murex below; ŠLŠN (one thirtieth [of a mina]) in Phoenician script above / Owl of Egyptian type standing to right, crowned with crescent, carrying crook and flail; all within incuse outline. BMC 227, 1 and pl. XXVIII, 9; Traité, pl. CXXII, 1; Kraay-Hirmer 681; Kraay, ACGC 1048; Rouvier 1775. 11.97g, 22mm, 8h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. Sold with export licence issued by The Israel Antiquities Authority. This is one of the very earliest coins to bear an inscription that explicitly states its value.
Lot 376
Southern Arabia (Arabia Felix), imitative Alexander type AV Stater. Late 3rd - 2nd centuries BC. Head of Athena right, wearing triple crested Corinthian helmet / Stylised figure of Nike standing to left, wearing helmet and long chiton, holding a serpent; Southern Arabian imitative characters around. Unpublished in the standard references; for the epigraphy cf. S. Munro-Hay, Coinage of Arabia Felix: The Pre-Islamic Coinage of the Yemen, Nomismata 5, Milan 2003, pp. 33 and passim. 5.49g, 23mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Unique, unpublished, and of great numismatic interest. From a private British collection; Privately purchased from the collection of the late Manzoor Mirza. The convexity of the flan, artistic imitative style and Southern Arabian epigraphy all indicate a southern Arabian origin, the region known to the Romans as Arabia Felix and which now forms part of the territory of Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman. Most of the extensive coinage is made up of silver copying the old and new style issues of Athens, but there are also three rare issues imitating Alexander III tetradrachms (Munro-Hay p. 131, 1.10.4, pl. 11, 367-9). Curiously, the wreath and stylis normally carried by Nike are on this coin replaced by a serpent, which the standing figure (who is clearly helmeted here) grips with both hands. This departure from the prototype cannot be mere error; even on the most worn of Alexander staters the position of Nike's arms is clear. The depiction of a serpent thus suggests a deliberate change of iconography.
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