FEODOROVNA MARIA: (1759-1828) Empress Consort of Russia, the second wife of Tsar Paul I and mother of Tsar Alexander I and Tsar Nicholas I. L.S., La bone Soeur Marie, one page, 4to, Saint Petersburg, 3rd March 1815, to His Sicilian Majesty, in French. The Empress congratulates His Majesty for the Royal family new-born stating `My Brother, I hasten to express to Your Majesty my sincere interest learning by your letter dated 19th December about the Royal Princess and heiress happy childbirth..´ and further continues `…I share with you the joy of such an event which brings joy to Your August Family and I beg you to believe in my congratulations for the birth of Your Little Daughter and my best wishes, happiness and prosperity to the Princess new-born…´ With blank integral leaf. Accompanied by the original envelope bearing a red wax seal. VG £250-350Ferdinand I (1751-1825) King of the Two Sicilies 1816-25, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that he had been, since 1759 Ferdinand III of the Kingdom of Sicily. Maria Isabella of Spain (1789-1848) Infanta of Spain and Queen Consort of the Two Sicilies 1825-30 as spouse of Francis I of the Two Sicilies. Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies (1814-1898) Born 19th December 1814.
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British coins, Kings of Kent, Eadberht Praen (AD 978), penny, Canterbury, AMD BEARHE REX, divided by beaded lines, rev. name of the moneyer Æthelnoth, in angles of a voided tribranch, surrounded by a beaded border, wt. 1.18 gms. (Naismith C9A), good fine and as found, folded over, although may straighten with professional restoration PAS reference LVPL-C15BC5. The only other published coin of this type (Naismith C9A) is fragmentary with about two-thirds surviving. It appears to share an obverse die link with this coin.
70S/80S SOUL/JAZZ/FUNK/DISCO 12". 115 x 12" singles to include; Donald Banks - Status Quo (CCR-1201), World Premiere - Share The Night (TA 4133), Starbooty - Ubiquity (K 12305), Mary J. Blige - Be Happy (UPT12), Fat Larry's Band - Here Comes The Sun (12 FTC 185) and more from Level 42, Cacique, Shalamar, Charme, Barrington Levy, Machine. Most in Ex to Ex+ condition.
Fl/Off Geoffrey Wellum DFC WW2 RAF Battle of Britain Pilot signed colour print 12 x 8 inch signed in Pencil. Image of him in uniform. Squadron Leader Geoffrey Harris Augustus Wellum DFC born 4 August 1921 is a British Battle of Britain fighter pilot and author. Born an only child in Walthamstow, Essex, Wellum was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook before serving in the RAF. Aged eighteen, he signed up on a short service commission with the Royal Air Force in August 1939. The first aircraft he flew was the Tiger Moth at Desford airfield in Leicestershire; after successfully completing the course he then went on to fly the North American Harvard at RAF Little Rissington with 6FTS. He was then posted directly in May 1940 to 92 Squadron, flying Spitfires. He saw extensive action during the Battle of Britain. His first commanding officer was Roger Bushell, later immortalised in The Great Escape, and his close colleagues included Brian Kingcome. Officers and guests celebrating the first anniversary of the arrival of No. 92 Squadron RAF at RAF Biggin Hill, September 1941. Front row, left to right: Wg Cdr John A. Kent Kentowski, Flt Lt Anthony Bartley, Mrs Wade, Flt Lt Robert Holland, Plt Off Trevor Wade and two unidentified ladies. In the back Plt Off Sebastian Maitland Thompson, Fg Off Tom Weiss Intelligence Officer and Fg Off Geoffrey Wellum. He claimed a Heinkel He 111 shot down on 11 September, and a quarter share in a Junkers Ju 88 downed on 27 September 1940. Two and one shared Messerschmitt Bf 109s were claimed 'damaged' during November 1940. A Bf 109 was claimed shot down on 9 July 1941 over France. In February 1942 he was transferred to 65 Squadron based at Debden, being appointed a Flight Commander in March 1942. On 11 August 1942, Wellum led eight Spitfires launched from the carrier HMS Furious to reinforce the fighter complement at Luqa airfield on Malta. Here he joined 145 Squadron on air defence duties. Wellum suffered severe sinusitis and battle fatigue after three years' intensive frontline flying. He returned from Malta to Britain, becoming a test pilot on the Hawker Typhoon, based at Gloster Aircraft. He finished the war as a gunnery instructor, staying in the RAF, first as a staff officer in West Germany, followed by a four year tour with 192 Squadron. He married Grace, his wartime girlfriend, and they had three children. Good Condition. All signed items come with our certificate of authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £3.95, EU from £4.99, Overseas from £7.95
Plt Off Bob Doe DFC WW2 RAF Battle of Britain Pilot signed colour print 12 x 8 inch signed in Pencil. Image of him in flying gear. After applying for a short service commission, Doe joined the Royal Air Force in January 1939. Doe trained with 15 E&RFTS Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School at RAF Redhill, Surrey and combat training with 6 Flying Training School at RAF Little Rissington. Doe was posted on 6 November 1939 to No. 234 Squadron, a Spitfire Squadron at RAF Leconfield alongside Australian Pat Hughes, who would later become an ace. Doe served with No. 234 squadron for most of the Battle of Britain. Doe claimed his first victory on 15 August 1940 when he shot down two Messerschmitt Bf 110s followed by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and a Dornier Do 18 on 16 August, a Bf 109 destroyed of JG 52 and another Bf 109 damaged on 18 August, a half share of a KG 54 Junkers Ju 88 on 21 August and a Bf 109 shot down on 26 August 1940. In September, he added to his tally with No. 234 Squadron with three Bf 110s on 4 September, a shared JG 53 Bf 109 on 5 September, three damaged Dornier Do 17s and a Bf 109 shot down on 6 September, and a Heinkel He 111 destroyed on 7 September. On 27 September 1940 Doe was posted to No. 238 Squadron, flying Hurricanes from RAF Middle Wallop in Wiltshire, claiming his first victory for the squadron on 30 September by shooting down a KG 55 He 111. In October, Doe shot down a Bf 110 on 1 October and a Ju 88 on 7 October, the last of his 14 and 2 shared aerial victories of the battle and of the war. On 10 October, in combat over Warmwell, Dorset with some Bf 109s at 12:00, his plane was critically damaged, and he was wounded in the leg and shoulder. Doe baled out, landing on Brownsea Island while his Hawker Hurricane crashed near Corfe Castle viaduct on what is now part of the Swanage Railway. Admitted to Poole Hospital on 22 October 1940, Doe was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and received a Bar a month later on 26 November. Doe rejoined No. 238 Squadron in December 1940. In January 1941, while flying a night sortie, the oil in the oil cooler of his aircraft froze. As a result of his engine seizing he landed heavily at Warmwell on the snow covered runway, breaking his harness and smashing his face against the reflector sight, almost severing his nose and breaking his arm. Doe was taken to Park Prewett Hospital where he underwent 22 operations by pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon Harold Gillies. Post war he was invited to join the Guinea Pig Club. On 15 May 1941 he was posted as a Flight Commander to No. 66 Squadron and then joined No. 130 Squadron on 18 August. The series of operations in a two month period and the need to bring through fresh pilots who could be trained by experienced hands, meant Doe's career as a front line fighter pilot was over for the time being. On 22 October 1941 Doe was posted to No. 57 Operational Training Unit as an instructor. On 9 June 1943 Doe went to the Fighter Leaders School at RAF Milfield and then joined No. 118 Squadron at RAF Coltishall in July. In August 1943 he joined No. 613 Squadron. In October 1943 Doe was posted to Burma as the activities on the Western Front changed from defence to attack in preparation for Operation Overlord and the invasion of Normandy; while in the East, the Japanese Army was still advancing on key British Empire assets, including India. In December 1943 Doe was tasked with forming No. 10 Squadron of the Indian Air Force, commanding it throughout the Burma Campaign until April 1945 when he joined the Indian Army Staff College in Quetta and then from August the planning staff at Delhi. On 2 October 1945, Doe received the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership of No. 10 Squadron. Good Condition. All signed items come with our certificate of authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £3.95, EU from £4.99, Overseas from £7.95
Plt/Off Peter Hairs WW2 RAF Battle of Britain Pilot signed colour print 12x8 inch signed in pencil. Peter Hairs joined the RAFVR in 1937 and was called up at the outbreak of war in September 1939 to complete his training. After being commissioned he converted to Hurricanes, joining 501 Squadron at Tangmere in January 1940. He went to France with the squadron in May, claiming a share in a Dornier Do17 a few days after arriving. 501 covered the evacuation of the BEF from Cherbourg before re assembling in England. On the 3 June he was shot down, but fortunately not seriously hurt and two days later he rejoined the squadron at Le Mans. On the 5th of September he downed an Me109, Peter Hairs was posted to 15 FTS, Kidlington on October 13, 1940 as an instructor. He went to 2 CFS, Cranwell for an instructors course on February 23, 1941. after which he taught at 11 FTS, Shawbury and 10 EFTS, Weston Super Mare before being posted to Canada in June as a EFTS flying instructor and then assistant CFI EFTS. In December 1943 he was posted to join 276 Squadron to 19 OTU. He finished the was in India, receiving a mention in dispatches. Good Condition. All signed items come with our certificate of authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £3.95, EU from £4.99, Overseas from £7.95
Music Memorabilia - Robert Stigwood signed share certificate from 1969, collection of musical & other tickets including Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Grease, The Royal Variety Performance & others, Rolling Stones tour programme from 1982, 28th London Film Festival poster (design by Bill Smith) and a Jesus Christ Superstar theatre poster.
1899 American Electric Vehicle Co. A miniature 8pp brochure with an orange card cover advertising the 'The 20th Century Movement', being electric-powered vehicles, including the 'Runabout' and Brougham. Together with four extra illustrated handbills and three press cuttings. Also, The Tripler & Liquid Air & Power Company Ltd. A suite of documents relating to this unusual and ill-fated Boston (USA) company, which proposed powering automobiles with 'Liquid Air', in fact air that has been lowered to cryogenic temperatures condensing it into a mobile liquid and protected from room temperature in a vacuum insulated flask. The c1900 period documents include an explanation of its use in a vehicle, share prospects and leaflets. All in fine condition (15)
A large collection of assorted bonds, certificates and notes, to include; Martin Burn Ltd share capital certificate No.4899 and dated 20th May 1946, Limited Railways of the Havana Regular Warehouses Ltd bond with coupons, Bank of China Foreign Exchange certificates 10 fen, Belgian 50 francs, Peruvian 100 Cien Intis etc
Share Certificates - North Bute Mining Company, 600,000 shares, Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of Minnesota, no. 6240, 60 Shares at $15 each, signed, stamped, dated 1905; The South-Eastern Gold Mining Company, Limited, Capital £50,000, No. 1781, 5 Shares of £1 each, unsigned, unstamped and not dated; Imperial Russian Government State-Loan of 1909, Bond of 187 Roubles and Fifty Kop (£19 17s), No. 04491, stamped and dated September 1918; Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern Railroad, 100 Shares at $10 each, no. C3289, signed, dated July 1954 and stamped; Charles Laffite & Company, Limited, One Share of £20, No. 31801, signed, undated and unstamped, but torn margin, [5]
IMPORTANT SET OF SIX JACOBITE ENGRAVED COLOURED ENAMEL TWIST WINE GLASSES MID-18TH CENTURY the drawn trumpet bowls finely engraved with open rose head flanked by open and closed buds within foliage, the reverse with large moth, raised on a slightly tapered stem with intricate white enamel twist surrounded by a double red and white enamel twist (6) Height: 18.7cm, diameter of foot: 7.5cm Note: This rare set of six Jacobite wine glasses is remarkable as 'sets' of Jacobite glassware are virtually unheard of. This may be due to the majority of Jacobite glasses being made as singles or pairs, or that sets have regularly been split up over the years. The latter seems unlikely as there would always have been great status and value in keeping a complete set together, suggesting groups like this were very rarely made. This set is also important due to the mixed red and white enamel stems. Although coloured stems in British drinking glasses are not uncommon, to find any coloured stems in Jacobite glass, let alone two colours, is remarkable. In Seddon's 'The Jacobites and Their Drinking Glasses', he recorded 436 Jacobite drinking glasses, of these only seven are listed with coloured stems. It is tantalizing to consider that these glasses must have sat on a Jacobite table, belonging to a supporter who was very confident in his position and status, and who had a close group of companions he could share his views with. As such a statement of wealth, taste and prominence within the Jacobite community, it can be assumed they were owned by an important high-ranking Jacobite.
John Shinnors (b.1950) St. John's Night, Carraroe, Inishmor oil on canvas on panel signed lower right and titled on reverse 108 x 143cm (42.52 x 56.30in) Private Collection Limerick artist John Shinnors is justly celebrated for his inventive pictorial puzzles based on the most ordinary subject matter: mackerel laid out in the fishmongers counter, washing flapping on the clothes-line, Fresian cattle in a field, scarecrows, badgers, Loop Head lighthouse. Many of his chosen motifs share a monochrome, black-and-white palette. He prefers that colour, when he uses it, makes a point. It certainly does so in St. John's Night, Carraroe, Inishmor, which richly displays his expertise with shades of black and white and volcanic bursts of colour, and another trademark quality: an air of mystery and magic. St John's Eve, usually coincident with the Summer Solstice, is traditionally celebrated by communal bonfires, beacons in the night. Here, John Shinnors counterpoints the intense glow of the flames with a stark, elemental terrain, the bonfire in Carraroe with the forbidding sea-bound fortress of Inish Mór nearby. The dark shelf of the island's formidable cliffs juts out into the Atlantic waters, phosphorescent in the half-light of midsummer darkness. Midsummer mirrors midwinter in a fine example of pictorial drama. Aidan Dunne, March 2018.
BERRY JAMES: (1852-1913) English Executioner, 1884-91, recognised for his important contribution to the science of hanging with his refinement of the long drop method developed by William Marwood, improvements which were intended to diminish the mental and physical suffering of the prisoner.An extremely rare A.L.S., James Berry, three pages, 8vo, Bradford, 16th April 1889, to Lewis [Strange] Wingfield. Berry thanks his correspondent for sending a book on wool combing as 'it is our staple trade and been brought up amongst it all my life, it is something to read off (sic) the old ancient ways of some 100 years back from the quick process they have now' Berry continues, 'I have just arrived back from Dundee where I have had an Execution of a fine young full develloped (sic) man of good stature. He was the last man that I should judge to carry out such a murder or mutilation case I never was so taken in before with such a cool and collected thought to the last all that saw his end was astonished at his nerve' further adding, 'I have sent you a paper with full particulars for you to read at your leisure hour, also a Cambrian paper with the Execution of Allen the negro at Swansea.' A letter of excellent content relating to the execution of William Bury, a convicted murderer associated with the Jack the Ripper case. With a long neat split to the central fold, and some very minor age wear, about VG Berry, the first British hangman with sufficient literacy skills to be able to write of his experiences, performed 131 hangings during his career including that of William Bury, a man considered a suspect in the Jack the Ripper murders. Infamously, in 1885, Berry was also the executioner who failed to hang John Babbacombe Lee (1864-1945), the controversially convicted murderer who became a cause célèbre known as 'the man they couldn't hang'. His father had worked as a wool-stapler, explaining the references Berry makes to the trade in the present letter. William Bury (1859-1889) English Murderer hanged by James Berry in Dundee, having been found guilty of the murder of his wife. Bury allegedly confessed to being Jack the Ripper shortly before his execution. Bury's proximity to Whitechapel at the time of the Ripper murders, his violent nature and the murder of his wife all contributed to Bury being suspected of being the anonymous killer. Berry's account of the execution appeared in the Thomson's series on 12th February 1927. In it Berry claims there were two strangers in attendance during the hanging, stating, 'Two quiet-looking men in suits of a London cut, they watched the man die from behind the little crowd at the edge of the scaffold, and then, with their faces strangely marked by excitement, they walked up to me. “Well, Berry, what do you think?”, “Oh, I think it's the man right enough”, “And so do we. There can be no doubt about it. You'll find there will be no Whitechapel crimes after this. You've put an end to Jack the Ripper's games”. The men who assured me were officers from Scotland Yard sent down to take observations…' However, it must also be noted that there are certain contradictions in Berry's account of Bury. In the present letter Berry portrays Bury in surprisingly complimentary terms, which somewhat contradict other published reminiscences, in which he recalls, 'When I first caught sight of Bury, and before I knew that he was suspected of committing the Whitechapel crimes, I confess that a strange feeling took possession of me. He was a peculiar-looking man, and undoubtedly he had the air of the uncanny about him… I saw before me a man slightly over five feet in height, with a haunted look in his eyes. He did not appear an ordinary criminal. His face was keen and intelligent, and he was carrying himself with an erect and steady bearing, but not withstanding, there was a mysterious something about him which repelled me.' This later account published after Berry's death, may have been written with embellishments to boost readership of the series as it does bear inconsistencies when compared to Berry's contemporary account provided in the present letter. Lewis Strange Wingfield (1842-1891) Irish Traveller, Actor, Writer, and Painter. Well known in Bohemian circles Wingfield associated with the likes of Henry Irving, Bram Stoker and William Palgrave. However, he also acquainted himself on a personal level with both James Berry and fellow executioner William Marwood. As alluded to in the present letter, on separate occasions Wingfield would invite Berry and Marwood to dine with him, encouraging them to share tales of their hangings. From contemporary accounts written by those who knew him, Wingfield was known to have a somewhat morbid interest in the study of executions, from tortures in foreign lands to hangings at Newgate. Indeed, his collection of photographs of trials by torture were rumoured to give his dinner guests an appetite whilst waiting for their meal. As host, Wingfield enjoyed assuming the character of the 'Noble Lord High Executioner' before his guests and, at the dining table itself, guests would be confronted by a curious choice of table decoration - a long rope, not a common one, but seemingly made of semi-silk, intertwined with flowers, and here and there bound round by pieces of tape, on each of which was written a name. This, Wingfield would explain, was the rope used by executioner William Marwood with the names, dates and length of drop associated with each of his executions written on the pieces of tape. We are indebted to Stewart P. Evans, author of Executioner, The Chronicles of James Berry, Victorian Hangman (2004), for his valuable assistance in researching the present letter and for allowing us to quote extracts from his book.
SALGHURID, ABISH BINT SA’D (662-685h). Dinar, Dar al-Mulk Shiraz 673h . OBVERSE: In field: ornament | la ilaha illa Allah | Muhammad | rasul Allah sala Allah | ‘alayhi Abish bint | Sa‘d. REVERSE: In margin: Duriba hadha al-dinar bi-Dar al-Mulk Shiraz hamahu Allah ta‘ala sanat thalath wa saba‘in wa sitt mi‘at. REVERSE: In field: Qaan | Padshah ‘alam | al-‘azam | Abaqa khallada Allah | mulkahu. WEIGHT: 11.35g. REFERENCES: cf Diler p.275, 115; cf Sotheby’s, 5 October 1989, lot 506, same rev. die; cf BMC IX, 688f [676h?]. CONDITION: Some marginal weakness but good very fine, very rare. Although Diler does not mention it, the extra phrase hamahu Allah ta‘ala in the reverse margin of this remarkable type is clearly visible in the Sotheby’s catalogue illustration and is fully transcribed by Lane Poole in BMC. It is unfortunate that the unit of the date is not clearer on the illustration of the British Museum specimen, as this coin appears to share an obverse die with the Sotheby’s coin, and it is possible that both coins are in fact dated 673h. The exceptional weight of this coin, a feature it shares with the BMC and Sotheby’s examples, may support the view that this additional phrase marks it out as being a special issue; a survey of more than 20 other Salghurid dinars of Abish offered in commerce in recent years suggests that regular dinars were generally struck weighing between 3g and 7.5g.
SAVOY BLUES BAND LPs - Shakin' down with Brice, Kim, Martin, Ray and Leo with these 5 x original UK LPs. Titles are Shake Down (1st mono LK 4883 - glossy Ex/VG with a light paper tear on the reverse), A Step Further (stereo original SKL 5013 - very neat Ex/Ex), Looking In (SKL 5066 - VG/G+ with a paper tear on the reverse) and Lion's Share (German SLK 16782-P - VG+ copy).
![Merovingians, AV Solidus. In the name of Anastasius. Time of Clovis I - Chlothar II, circa AD 500-587. PHΛNΛCTA[...] SIV - YU](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/6fbcc04c-b3dd-40f3-b901-a89b011f9549/7d854c8a-3a0b-4f7a-9067-164374305805/468x382.jpg)
Merovingians, AV Solidus. In the name of Anastasius. Time of Clovis I - Chlothar II, circa AD 500-587. PHΛNΛCTA[...] SIV - YUAVC, helmeted and cuirassed bust of Anastasius facing, holding spear and shield; Θ to right / VICTORI ΛUYGG, Victory standing left, holding long voided cross; star over monogram (FET?) in right field, CONOB in exergue. Unpublished in the standard references, for type cf. Belfort 5045-68; MEC 343-348; Collection NK 1013-23; for monogram cf. Prou p. cxvi. 4.43g, 20mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Unique. There is still no modern comprehensive study on the Frankish coinage of the early Merovingian period, namely the pseudo-imperial gold solidi and tremisses issued in the names of the eastern emperors Anastasius, Justin I and Justinian I, with Victory as a reverse type. The largest collection of material is published in A. De Belfort, Description générale des monnaies mérovingiennes, tome IV (Paris, 1894, reprinted in 1996), nos. 5022-5356. Under the Roman Empire the minting of gold coins was a jealously guarded imperial monopoly, a privilege respected by the early Frankish kings who had little idea of the state as a public institution and could not conceive of any other form of government or economic system beyond that of their primitive Frankish tribal groupings. These pseudo-imperial issues were initially struck in the name of the eastern emperor Anastasius (491-518), who realised the military qualities of Clovis I and in 508 bestowed on him the titles of consul and patrician. Gold solidi continued to be struck until the late 580s in various styles and engraving quality and exhibit a large variety of mint initials and symbols for an ever expanding kingdom which had once been Roman civilised Gaul. This pseudo-imperial gold appears to have been withdrawn in about 587 in favour of a new national coinage with clearer mint marks, moneyers names and royal titles, so characteristic of later Merovingian coinage. Throughout this period the Frankish kings had usually deferentially respected the imperial convention of issuing pseudo-imperial gold coins in the emperor’s name, but there was a striking exception: Theodebert I (534-548) had the audacity to break imperial custom by minting gold coins containing his own name and image (cf. Belfort 5467-5472and MEC 389). Not surprisingly, the Byzantine chronicler Agathias recorded the rumour in Constantinople that Theodebert was suspected of planning an invasion of Thrace. During the migration period of the 4th and 5th centuries AD the Franks were one of the principal elements in the West Germanic peoples, which included the Suevi, Burgundians, Ostrogoths and Visigoths. They settled in two principal groups; the Salians to the north-west of the river Rhine frontier covering modern Brabant and Flanders up to the Somme, and the kingdom of the Riparians around Cologne in the area between the rivers Moselle and Rhine. As Roman federate allies for much on the 5th century, the Franks achieved political mastery of much of Gaul under the leadership of the Salian Childeric (c. 457-481) and his son Clovis I (Chlodovech, 481-511), who became king as a boy of 15 at Tournai and whose talents can only be inferred from his legendary achievements. Culturally the Franks owed nearly everything to their contact with Gallic Rome, and they spoke a Latin dialect, the basis of modern French. The very name Clovis (in reconstructed Frankish ‘Hlodoweg’ meaning ‘renowned fighter’) was to morph into Latin as Ludovicus and the modern names Louis and Ludwig. During his reign Clovis increased Frankish power by brute force, putting to an end the old divisions between Ripuarian and Salic Franks and defeating the independent Roman governor Syagrius at Soissons in 476. According to the late 6th century History of Gregory of Tours, Clovis’ conversion to Catholicism was largely due to the influence of his second wife, the Burgundian Princess Clothilda who he married in 493. This was a brilliant diplomatic move, followed by a long series of royal baptisms started in Rheims by St Remi in 496. Clovis now forged a new Frankish identity allied to the Roman population of Gaul which was of great help in the struggle with the Arian Visigoths whom he defeated at Vouillé in 507 when he took over Aquitaine. Eventually he gained control over most of ancient Gaul, now called the Kingdom of the Franks (Francia). From his chosen capital at Paris, Clovis coordinated the political and economic organization of his kingdom with a council of bishops. There he also instituted the Salic Law, which codified the traditions of the Salian Franks with Roman law, still in force in Provence in southern France. Part of the Salic Law stipulated that a kingdom be equally divided among the immediate heirs of a ruler. On the death of Clovis in 511, Francia was divided into four nearly equal shares. His immediate successors, styling themselves ‘Merovingian’ after their semi-mythical ancestor named Merovech, were: Thierry I, Chlodomir, Childebert and Chlotar I, who inherited Metz, Orleans, Paris and Soissons respectively. Their greed and discord made them bitter and faithless enemies. When Chlodomir died in 524, Childebert and Chlotar murdered his sons and took his share. Yet Francia survived as one kingdom: Childebert I died in 558, and the extinction of his debauched grandson Theodebald I in 555 left the remaining Merovingian Chlotar I sole king. By this time Francia was even larger than it had been under Clovis: Thuringia was conquered by Thierry I in the early 530s; Burgundia occupied in 534 and Provence taken from the Ostrogoths in 537; much of northern Italy was occupied by Theodebert I in the early 540s, though not retained and recovered by Justinian's reconquest of Italy in the 560s.
Michael III, with Theodora and Thecla, AV Solidus. Constantinople, AD 842-850. +ΘEO∂ORA ∂ESPVn' A, facing bust of Theodora, wearing crown with pendilia and loros, and holding cruciform sceptre and globus surmounted by patriarchal cross / •MIXAHLS ӨЄCLA, facing busts of Thecla on left, wearing crown with pendilia and loros and holding patriarchal cross, and Michael on right, wearing crown and chlamys and holding globus cruciger. DOC 1; Füeg 1 (these dies not listed); Roma Numismatics XIV, 878 (same dies); Sear 1686. 4.32g, 22mm, 6h. Near Mint State; traces of overstriking, as expected for this issue. Uncommonly refined style for the type, which is normally characterised by crude and cartoonish engraving. From a private European collection. Born in AD 840, Michael III assumed the throne at the age of three following the unexpected death of his father Theophilus. His mother Theodora governed as regent during his infancy, apparently along with her daughter Thecla (Michael's oldest surviving sister), who seems to have been entitled to share in the regency since she is portrayed on the coinage and named on official government documents of the period. On this type the domination of Theodora and Thecla can be clearly seen in how the emperor himself is belittled as a lesser figure in the depiction. Theodora's desire for power reportedly led her to restrict Michael's education in order to make him less fit for the throne and more malleable in her grasp. However, as the boy grew up he developed a close bond with his wily uncle Bardas, and in 856, aged fourteen, Michael consented for Bardas to overthrow the regency, having murdered Theodora's most trusted minister the year before. Theodora and her daughters, including Thecla, were banished to a nunnery by the new sole ruler. Michael went on to be a successful military leader against the Arabs and the Slavs. Under his rule many ruined cities were rebuilt, monasteries were reopened and the imperial university was rejuvenated. Michael invaded Bulgaria, and adopted its ruler Boris I, and through the said monarch's baptism replaced Tengrism with Christianity in that area. The conversion of the Bulgarians has been evaluated as one of the greatest cultural and political achievements of the Byzantine Empire. Despite these successes Michael had failed to produce any offspring with his wife Eudocia. Their marriage was not a particularly happy one, and Michael was instead enamoured by his mistress named Ingerina. In order to avoid any scandal by wedding her, he joined Ingerina with his favourite courtesan Basil in matrimony. He continued his relationship with her, and in order to maintain positive relations with Basil, brought his sister Thecla back from the nunnery and gave her to his friend as an offering. Ingerina bore a son named Leo, much to the joy of Michael, although to this day it is uncertain who the father of the future ruler of the empire was. Basil gained increasing influence over Michael, and in April 866 he convinced the emperor that the Caesar Bardas was conspiring against him, and so was duly allowed to murder Bardas. Now without serious rivals, Basil was crowned co-emperor on 26 May 866. Basil soon became wary of an intimate relationship Michael was forging with a new courtier named Basiliskianos, and conspired to put an end to it. Accompanied by some close relatives and friends, he brutally murdered Michael as he lay insensible with drink following a banquet. The unsavoury reputation of Michael as a spineless drunk was partially created by Byzantine authors operating under Basil and his successors in order to legitimise the new emperor's vicious act of homicide. Indeed, some Arab accounts describe him as a strong and capable military leader, and his reign was in fact beneficial in many ways, particularly in stabilising the internal state of the empire.
Carry On Admiral.1965 Front of House Lobby Cards set of eight 10x8in. Released in the US as 'The Ship Was Loaded' A British comedy directed by Val Guest. Starring Ronald Shiner, Joan Sims and Brian Reece. Predates and was not part of the 'Carry On' series and does not share any cast members beyond Joan Sims.
William Conor RHA PRUA ROI (1881-1968)Water BucketsOil on canvas, 59.5 x 44.5cm (23½ x 17½'')Signed; signed again and inscribed with title and dated 1923 versoProvenance: Important Irish Art Sale, these rooms, 8th October 1987, Catalogue No.26, where purchased by current owner.Literature: Illustrated Irish Times 23rd January 1988 Review of the Year, where they thought it fetched a 'possible record price'.William Conor began his career as a lithographer in David Allen & Sons in Belfast and this early training has certainly contributed to his unique style and technique as an artist and colourist. Conor believed that the artist should record ‘his own epoch and give expression to that which is happening around him.’ (Máirín Allen, October 1942). In 1944 Richard Rowley wrote of Conor; ‘He has devoted all his manhood’s years to the praise and glory of the city which gave him birth; he has immortalised her beauty, and the steadfastness of her people, in works which will last to carry her fame to remote generations…’ (Dictionary of Irish Artists). The artist himself was aware of the transitory nature of the scenes and society he was chronicling, and he anticipated their passing, “...when we have trampled on the best of the past and sacrificed everything of value to the much vaunted name of progress I trust these paintings and drawings will recall a world that is quickly disappearing and could soon be forgotten.” (The People’s Painter). ‘Water Buckets’ is a lively and uplifting composition featuring two happy women carrying buckets up a steep hill. A row of houses in the village or town behind them are wonderfully rendered as a pleasant contextual backdrop. Typically of Conor the background beyond these houses is minimal and limited to some green trees and hills and an expanse of grey sky. This allows the action of the working women pride of place and primary focus. Unlike many of Conor’s paintings both figures in the work face directly out of the painting to meet the artist’s, now the viewer’s eye. This is an excellent strategy of engagement on the part of Conor in that it includes the viewer as an additional participant in the overall action. We feel both these women are walking purposefully in our direction, with water buckets laden, happy in their task, delighted to meet us in the road. There is a strong resemblance between both women in terms of stature and facial features. The daughter, of middle age, walks in front carrying two metal buckets. She is robed in a simple full-length light brown dress, sleeves rolled up and a beautifully rendered half apron, with brushstrokes capturing her purposeful stride. The buckets are held apart by a large circular metal hoop that prevents them from knocking against the woman’s legs as she carries them. The hoop and buckets was a popular carrying device particularly during the 1920s and was generally used by women and sometimes children in their daily task of fetching and carrying. Behind this woman to the left, is apparently her elderly mother with grey hair carrying one bucket in her right hand. Again she is happy and contented. Her attire is brighter and this helps give her parity with the other figure even though she is behind. She wears a rich blue full length dress with a rust-red shawl, the colour of which is broken by a few simple white stripes. Although both figures face out of the composition there is an inherent intergenerational camaraderie that links the figures both in familial and shared task capacities. It is interesting to see that Conor has depicted the older lady in her shawl as this was an item of clothing that the artist felt was particularly becoming on women. When he was drawing the ‘shawlies’ or mill girls he commented on the beauty of the shawl. Conor believed; ‘[The shawl] is…very feminine. After all is it not in a sense one symbol of motherhood…I like to make crayon sketches of Ulster people in all walks of life. It was while I was making these that I came across the Ulster mill-lassie in her shawl and realised that this was the headgear most suited to bring out beauty and personality.’ (Judith Wilson, p.43)Conor regularly made studies and paintings of women at work and their most common task was fetching or carrying. This could be water, fish, potatoes or turf depending on the scene selected by the artist. He continued to revisit this theme for many years. Examples include ‘At the Pump’ 1908, where two female figures carry a bucket each and the foremost is smiling broadly. This is a much simpler study in coloured chalks however than ‘Water Buckets’ 1923. ‘Gathering potatoes, near Portadown’ c.1939 and ‘Fisher girls at Ardglass’ 1945 are both detailed works where the two women in each share the carrying between them of the potatoes and fish respectively. In each of these compositions Conor has employed different techniques and he has also included more comprehensive backdrops of the field and trees where the women have collected potatoes and of ships and cranes behind the fisher girls. ‘Bringing in the Turf’ and ‘Gathering Potatoes’ (both undated), are similar compositions featuring two female figure groups but the toil of the task is more pronounced here and these groups lack the tangible glee of the figures at work in ‘Water Buckets.’Marianne O’Kane Boal
Collection of photographs/ephemera/postcards, including a quantity of late-Victorian and Edwardian receipts/invoices (many bearing engraved pictorial designs for blacksmiths, coal merchants and so on), several WW1 photographs, a few tribal, one of Japan, early-20th century comic/humour postcards, a Victorian notebook from Ripon School, 'Ruins of the Great Fire, at 45, Cheapside, 1st September, 1881' (published by T. Foster, Tea Merchants), a 1950s Birmingham haulage contractor's logbook, several share certificates for oil companies, and a Nonesuch books catalogue for Christmas 1925 / Spring 1926.
A letter from an English Lieutenant written in Sebastopol, Crimea in 1855. Dated 14th Nov "Camp Before Sebastopol", together with a hand heightened collodian positive of the Lieutenant in uniform, the plate encased in a decorative gilt surround, the whole enclosed within a dark red, tooled leather folding case, 9.5x8cm.The letter, 18x22.5cm, folded into four sides of clear, intelligible handwriting.The contents of the letter give a good account of conditions, the work the young Lieutenant has been doing (building a stable for four horses to share with the Captain of his company). His hunt for a stove in Sebastapol which left him covered in fleas. His acquisition of a nice tabby cat at Balaclava to deal with the mice in his tent. A request for a pair of silver crowns for the collar of his tunic etc.The most remarkable part of the letter is his description of the French Magazine Explosion, which took place on the 15th November 1855. This was a well -documented disaster that claimed the lives of several hundred allied French soldiers. #British losses were miraculously small considering the size of the explosion. It makes for extraordinary reading: Nov 16th (1855)I reopen my letter to tell you of the awful catastrophe that took place yesterday. About 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon every one at their ordinary work thinking of nothing particular when suddenly we saw a sheet of flame rise up into the air to the height I should say of least 15 feet followed by a roar of noise, an awful noise indeed it was - this was a magazine about 3 or 400 yards from our camp - it sent thousands of shells up into the air which were bursting above our heads - it was really a fearful sight - everyone was panic stricken for a minute or two, a large piece of a shell fell within about 6 feet of where I was standing. I have not yet heard what the casualties are but I should think at least 200 men were blown up into the air. Just think, 200 men without a moments warning sent into eternity! There were some hundreds of lbs of powder exploded together with several hundreds of shells, rockets etc. By a wonderful intervention of Providence the wind shifted a few minutes after it, or no power on earth could have saved the old windmill which contains about 120 tons of powder besides rockets etc. if that had caught fire & exploded there is no saying what the consequences might have been - the rockets were all packed these pointed towards our camp. - as it was in our Division there were 10 men killed, 260 wounded by the shells bursting, this is, of course not counting the men who were blown up, they were mostly Artillerymen and Frenchmen. It was the whole of the light siege train. We were all under arms immediately after, expecting the Russians to take advantage of the confusion & attack us, but however they did not… etc etc.
1970 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 2+2- Delivered new to a Mr F A Croshas of Staffordshire by P J Evans of Birmingham- 88,500 miles from new- Offered with original owners' manual and service bookJaguar's now immortal E-Type made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show of 1961. Like the XK 120 before it, the newcomer was the fastest production car of its time - its 3.8-litre straight six engine allowing a 0-60mph acceleration time of just over seven seconds and a top speed of 150 mph. The model underwent its first major surgery in 1966 when, feeling there needed to be a version in which customers' children could share the E-Type experience, Jaguar introduced the 2+2 Fixed Head Coupe (known as the XKE in America, where most examples were sold). A rear bench seat was accommodated by increasing the wheelbase by nine inches and adding two inches to the roofline. The airy 2+2 however benefited from the same fully independent suspension, rack and pinion steering and disc brakes as its two-seat sibling. By now, the E-Type range was powered by a 4.2-litre version of the company's ubiquitous DOHC, straight-six engine, which developed 265bhp and 283 lb ft of torque. The first E-type model to be offered with automatic transmission, the 2+2 was in production for a total of five years, during which time some 5,599 Series 1 and 5,326 Series 2 examples were built.According to the accompanying Heritage Certificate, this home market Series 2 model vacated the factory on October 23, 1969 and was delivered to its first owner, a Mr F A Croshas of Tamworth, Staffs, by the dealer P J Evans of Birmingham. It was finished in Cream and trimmed in Black-piped White leather. A matching numbers car, its bodywork is still Cream in colour, but in recent times has been treated to a new Black interior and overhaul of its DOHC 4.2-litre XK engine. Currently registering 88,500 miles from new, the Jaguar comes complete with original owners' manual and service book.
A rare Charles I first period brass lantern clock Anonymous but possibly by Richard Milbourne, London, circa 1620-30; the dial later inscribed for John Harford, Bath, 1658 The posted movement now with verge escapement regulated by short bob pendulum swinging outside the frame to the rear and Huygen s endless rope winding, the reversed strike train with countwheel planted to the rear and sounding the hours on a bell set above the top plate, the dial with elaborate rose centred vestigial alarm disc and sculpted iron hand enveloped by fine engraved infill incorporating winged angel mask over opposing lions mask inhabited stylised foliate scrolls issuing from cornucopiae and grotesque mask positioned just above six o'clock, within an applied Roman numeral chapter ring with simple wheatear half hour markers, the upper angles engraved John Harford, in Bath, 1658 over earlier leafy sprays matching those to the lower angles, the distinctive frame with one-piece column turned corner posts incorporating rounded blocks at the junctions with the top and bottom plates beneath symmetrical foliate strapwork pierced frets decorated with engraved detail to the front, integral multi-knopped ovoid vase-turned corner finials and domed bell bearer cast with pierced decoration between the limbs surmounted by a later substantial cup-and-cover vase finial, with brass side doors and on ring-turned ball feet, 32cm (12.5ins) high excluding later finial; 39.5cm (15.5ins) high overall; with an oak wall bracket and 19th century cylindrical brass cased weight embossed in the Arts and Crafts style with monogram DIW. The current lot can be directly compared to an example dated to circa 1610-1620 signed Richard Milborne fecit in holborne illustrated and described in Loomes, Brian LANTERN CLOCKS & Their Makers on pages 49-50 (Figures 5.10-11). In particular the engraving to the centre of the dial of the Milborne clock is almost identical to that of the present lot. In addition to this they also share the same pattern of frame casting and the unusual detail of having a lateral hammer stop applied to the top plate (removed from the current lot but evidence in the form of a vacant lot is still present). From this it would be reasonable to suggest that both originate from Milborne s workshop evidenced by the fact that the signed example is inscribed directly into the dial plate along with fecit. . Loomes also illustrates (Figures 5.2-9) another larger clock with dial engraved by the same hand and related frame castings which also could have originated from the same workshop. A detail worth noting is that this larger unsigned clock was made without an alarm, hence the centre is engraved with infill to occupy the space which would have been taken by a setting disc. This infill takes the form of a two-tier complex radial rosette almost identical to the one decorating the alarm disc of the current lot (suggesting that the disc itself is a rare original survivor). A third clock utilising the same frame castings and with dial engraving clearly by the same hand is illustrated in White, George English Lantern Clocks on page 82 (Figure II/94). This example was once in the Iden collection and is fitted with a non-original front fret bearing a signature for William Selwood hence is described by White as by an unknown maker. Although the angel and demon engraved decoration departs a little from the design seen on the others noted above it is clear that the similarities are strong enough to suggest that it was made in the same workshop (possibly that of Richard Milborne). From these observations it would seem reasonable to conclude that the present clock and the three clocks described above can be considered a series. Very little is known of Richard Milborne; Brian Loomes notes in Clockmakers of Britain 1286-1700 that A Richard Milborne and his wife, Mary had two children baptised at St. Clement Danes, Elizabeth and Mary in 1634 and 37 respectively. The identification of the current lot as being London first period work possibly from the workshop of Richard Milborne confirms that the engraved inscription for John Harford of Bath was added at a later date. John Harford is recorded by Loomes in Clockmakers of Britain 1286-1700 as born in Chippenham, Wiltshire in 1632. His uncle (on his maternal side) was the clockmaker John Snow of West Lavington and his father (John senior) may have been the clockmaker John Har(t)ford who was made a Free Brother of the Clockmakers Company in 1632 and Assistant in 1649. John Harford junior was apprenticed to his uncle John Snow from 1646 until 1653 and is thought to have worked in Bath from around 1654. He was described as a watchmaker in 1677 when his son (again of the same name) was apprenticed in London and is thought to have continued working until the end of the century. The presence of Harford s signature on the current lot would suggest that he probably acquired the clock and perhaps overhauled the mechanism prior to retailing it under his own name. On close examination the chapter ring appears to have been replaced at the same time of the execution of the signature. Indeed evidence in the form of extant earlier engraved decoration beneath indicates the original chapter ring was narrower whilst Harford's signature and date appear to have been executed to comfortably occupy the space above the current chapter ring.
ANSON, George (1697-1762). -- WALTER, Richard (ca 1716-1795), compiler. A Voyage round the World, In the Years 1740-1744. Compiled by Richard Walter, Chaplain to his Majesty's Ship the 'Centurion.' London: John and Paul Knapton for the author, 1748. compiled from papers and other materials of the Right Honourable George Lord Anson, first edition, first issue (printed for the author), subscriber's list, 42 folding engraved maps, plates and charts, 18th century full calf and with red leather label, for the Author, by John and Paul Knapton, 1748.Inscribed by hand "Henry Knight, 2nd October 1751"FIRST EDITION of one of the landmark 18th-century English circumnavigations, made not so much for discovery and exploration but as an armed naval expedition to cut off Spanish supplies of wealth from South America after the outbreak of war between Britain and Spain in 1739. Indeed, Anson succeeded in doing this by taking a number of Spanish prize ships and a laden Manila galleon near the Philippines, but at heavy cost. Six of his fleet's vessels were sunk or wrecked on the South American coast or in rounding Cape Horn after their passage through the Strait of Le Maire, many men died of scurvy, and surviving crew were forced to litigate for their share of the prize money. Some of the fame of the expedition lies in the published accounts of survivors of Anson's ship Wager, wrecked off the Patagonian coast and vividly described by Bulkeley and Cummins, John Byron, Young, and Campbell. Anson's voyage laid the groundwork for the British voyages of exploration in the Pacific of the latter half of the 18th century, and Walter produced a masterpiece of descriptive travel that became the most popular book of maritime adventure of the time.
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