28-11-2011 – 29-11-2011
C52: Coins, Banknotes and Historical Medals
On November 29 and 30, 2011 at Morton & Eden’s collectors found many interesting offers. The famous Hackney Hoard eagles sold for a total of GBP 98,280. But a single-owner collection of modern Greek coinage rose interest too.
Auctioneer James Morton said he was extremely pleased with results from the two-day sale. He was delighted with the response from collectors both in the UK and the U.S. to the gold double eagles from the Hackney Hoard, which sold for a total of GBP 98,280, exceeding expectation. The GBP 75,600 paid for 67 of the coins, the top lot in the sale, was boosted by prices achieved for 10 single coins, all of which far exceeded their respective top estimates. The most valuable was the rarest in the collection with the mint mark CC for the Carson City mint in Nevada, which sold for GBP 4,800 against an estimate of GBP 1,000-1,200.
There had also been an excellent response from buyers to a single-owner collection of modern Greek and related coinage, five coins from which appear among the top ten prices.
The sale crowned an exceptional year for Morton & Eden in which results had confounded difficult global economic times, owing largely to the high quality of the material the company had offered on behalf of its vendors.
Top Ten (Prices shown include the Buyer’s Premium of 20%)
Lot 222: U.S.A., Sixty seven 20 dollar pieces from the Hackney hoard, comprising Liberty head type (50) and St. Gaudens type (17), some with mintmark S (for San Francisco mint) and the remainder struck at the Philadelphia mint, comprising: Liberty head: 1867 S, 1870 S, 1875 S, 1876 (2), 1876 S (4) 1877 (2), 1877 S, 1881 S, 1882 S (2), 1883 S (3), 1884 S (2), 1888 S (3), 1889 S, 1890, 1891 S, 1893 S, 1894, 1894 S (3), 1896 S (3), 1898, 1898 S (3), 1899 S (3), 1900 S, 1901 S (3) 1902 S (2), 1905 S (3); St. Gaudens type: 1908 no motto (14), 1910, 1913 (2) one 1896 S slightly damaged, earlier coins of mixed grades typical of pieces used in circulation, fine to mint state (67). Estimated: GBP 60,000-80,000. Realized: GBP 75,600 (88,390 Euro, $118,779).
Lot: 211: South Africa, President Kruger, threepence in gold, 1898, known as the “Sammy Marks tickey”, bust left, rev., Z.A.R over value dividing date within wreath; struck in gold at the Mint for Mr Marks from the dies for the silver threepence, although no silver threepences were struck with this date, 2.61g (Hern ZP5; KM PnA23), extremely fine or better, extremely rare, especially so this fine [215 pieces struck]. Particularly rare in good condition – many of the 215 examples issued were used in jewellery. Estimated: GBP 4,000-5,000. Realized: GBP 39,600 (46,295 Euro, $62,232).
Lot 146: Greece, Otho, 1-drachmi, 1847, Athens mint, no. m.m. (Divo 12g), toned, some brilliance, weakly struck on crown, nearly mint state, extremely rare. Ex SBC Basel, 31 January 1980, lot 671. Estimated: GBP 4,000-5,000. Realized: GBP 36,000 (42,091 Euro, $56,591).
Lot 867: Umayyad dirham, Anbir 79h, 2.45g (Klat 115, same obverse die), edge chip, otherwise very fine and extremely rare. This is the only recorded date for this extremely rare Umayyad mint. Only two specimens were known to Klat, both apparently in institutional collections. The mint was read and identified by Balog (“An Umayyad Dirham struck in AH 79 at Anbir in Juzjan, Khurasan,” A.I. Orienti-Napoli, vol. 9/4, 1970, pp. 555-558), and is almost certainly the modern town of Sar-i Pul. Estimated: GBP 30,000-40,000. Realized: GBP 33,600 (39,283 Euro, $52,816).
Lot 141: Greece, Otho, 5-drachmai, 1845, Athens , no m.m. (Divo 10e (RR); Dav. 115), lightly cleaned, very fine, of the highest rarity. Ex Spink auction 5, 17 May 1979, lot 80. Estimated: GBP 3,500-4,500. Realized: GBP 24,000 (28,046 Euro, $37,115).
Lot 776: Diocletian (284-305), aureus, Siscia, 286, IMP DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG, laureate bust left in imperial mantle, holding eagletipped sceptre, rev., MARTI PROPVGNATORI, Mars advancing right, holding transverse spear and shield, 5.71g (RIC 250; Depeyrot p. 95, 1, 9; Calico 4546, same dies), slight double-striking in obverse legend and marks in reverse field, otherwise extremely fine, very rare. Estimated: GBP 8,000-10,000. Realized: GBP 24,000 (28,046 Euro, $37.115).
Lot 140: Greece, Otho, 5-drachmai, 1844, Athens, owl m.m., (Divo 10d (RR); Dav. 115), traces of original “guidelines”, virtually mint state, very rare Ex Spink auction 5, 17 May 1979, lot 79. Estimated: GBP 2,500-3,000. Realized: GBP 19,200 (22,406 Euro, $30,161).
Lot 148: Greece, Otho, half-drachmi, 1847, Athens mint, no m.m., (Divo 14f), about extremely fine, extremely rare Ex SBC Basel, 31 January 1980, lot 678. Estimated: GBP 1,500-1,800. Realized: GBP 16,800 (19,627 Euro, $26,370).
Lot 166: Greece, George I, 50-lepta, 1868, Paris mint, young head left without moustache, rev., large crown over value and date (Divo 55a (RRR)), proof-like fields, colourful tone, almost mint state, exceedingly rare [60 pieces struck]. This issue was not represented in the collection auctioned by Spink in 1979. Estimated: GBP 6,000-7,000. Realized: GBP 16,800 (19,627 Euro, $26.370).
Lot 1013: Amirs of Crete, Shu`ayb b. `Umar (fl. 270-280h), dinar, no mint name 270h, obv., Ja`far, rev., al-Mu`tamid `ala‘llah / Shu`ayb, 4.29g (Bernardi 190; Miles Class C), overstruck on a Byzantine solidus of Theophilus (AD829-842), some edge damage, otherwise very fine and extremely rare Apparently unpublished, this is the earliest date recorded for the gold coinage of the Amirs of Crete. Estimated: GBP 4,000-6,000. Realized: GBP 14,400 (16,821 Euro, $22,597).
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About the Hackney Hoard we reported previousley here …
… and here.