14-02-2016 – 01-01-1970
Auction 9
Wilkes & Curtis Ltd Auction 9 online now
After less than two years of trading Wilkes & Curtis are already up to their 9th auction.
Lot 73: Abbasid, temp. al-Saffah (132-136h), Dinar, no mint, 132h, 3.70g (Lowick 177; W 374). Fine and very rare. Estimate: £2000 – £2500.
The highest estimate of Auction 9 belongs to lot 73. The hijri year 132h Abbasid dinar of al-Saffah (132-136h). Although the condition lacks top-level eye appeal the rarity means it can still command an estimate of £2,000 -£2,500.
Abbasid dinars dated 132h are much rarer than the popular Umayyad dinars of the same year.
There is a nice section of Indian coins, lots 378-422. Although there are quite a few multiple coin lots this doesn’t put bidders off because Wilkes & Curtis make the effort to show both sides of every coin they sell regardless of how many coins are in the lot. In fact if past auctions are anything to go by their multi-coin lots often attract the most bidding.
As well as other interesting coins WAC have been selling books of numismatic interest. “It wasn’t part of our original business plan to offer books in our online-only auctions because large postage costs can put buyers off” said Matt Curtis. “However we have had some interesting literature consigned to us and so we have happily offered it for sale and with very good results”. Auction 9 finishes with 20 lots of Numismatic Books. Of particular note is lot 454, a nicely bound set of the Greek parts (I-IV) of the Lockett collection sold by Glendinings, a scare and important record of this part of his collection.
Other coins worthy of a mention are:
Taifas Almoravides, fractional dirham.
Lot 225: Taifas Almoravides, Sa‘d (unidentified ruler), billon fractional Dirham, no mint or date, citing the Almoravid ruler ‘Ali b. Yusuf and his heir Tashfin, rev: amir al-muslimin ‘ali / wali ‘ahd / tashfin / sa‘d, 0.81g (Vives -; Hazard -; A -). Very fine and extremely rare, believed to be an unpublished type. Estimate: £125-150.
Sa‘d may be the father of the later king of Murcia, Muhammad b. Sa‘d.
Tulunid, dirham.
Lot 242: Tulunid, Harun b. Khumarawayh (283-292h), Dirham, Misr 290h, 2.82g (Grabar -; W 787). Minor weakness in margins, very fine and very rare. Estimate: £300-400.
It is unusual to see silver coins of this dynasty.
Kurds of Adharbayjan, dirham.
Lot 314: Kurds of Adharbayjan, Daysam b. Ibrahim (c.325-341h), Dirham, Ardabil 330h, 2.69g (Vardanyan -; A B1484; W 1566). Creased and cleaned, only fine but extremely rare, believed unpublished. Estimate: £200-250.
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