21-01-2013 – 01-01-1970
A schoolboy’s coin collection
Tragic Schoolboy’s £225,000 coin
During A schoolboy’s coin collection, on January 22, 2013, yielded a rare American Half-Cent which reached a sale total of £225,700 (inc.prem.) at Salisbury saleroom Woolley & Wallis.
United States of America, Half-Cent, 1796. Estimate: GBP 25,000-30,000. Sold for GBP 225,700.
The 1769 coin, one of only 1400 ever made was found housed in a homemade matchbox cabinet nearly 50 years after the boy was tragically killed in a climbing accident in 1963 at the age of 20.
Identified by coin specialist Daniel Fearon, interest was represented by the American market with phone, internet and present bidders, the lot finally selling to ‘The Numismatic Financial Corporation, Winter Spring, Florida’, returning after nearly 244 year.
Daniel Fearon commented ‘It was a wonderful result and a most satisfying ending to an amazing find.’
You can find the Silver Department on the website of Woolley and Wallis.