12-11-2012 – 13-11-2012
Auction 59 and 60: Coins, Banknotes, Medals; Huntington Collection
Strong results at Morton & Eden during Huntington Collection sale
James Morton, the auctioneer, commented on the sale of coins from the Huntington Collection: “We were delighted with the overall success of the auction. Once again it has been demonstrated that quality, rarity and outstanding pedigree will combine to achieve strong results even in adverse economic conditions as currently found in Portugal”.
This is a list of the top ten lots from The Huntington Collection of Portuguese and Portuguese Colonial Coins auction. Prices shown include the Buyer’s Premium of 20%.
The sale total amounted to £573,504 (716, 513 Euro / $911,292) and 99% was sold by value.
Lot 3: Portugal, D. Fernando I, meia dobra pé terra (540-dinheiros), Lisbon. 2.55g (Gom. 91.03 (‘ÚNICA’); JS Fe.3; F. 5), some double-striking, particularly in the legend, a minor edge chip at 4 o’clock, otherwise almost as struck, exceedingly rare. Estimate: £120,000-150,000. Sold for: £108,000 (134,931 Euro / $171,611).
Lot 32: Portugal, D. Filipe II, cruzado (400-reais). 3.02g (Gom. 21.01; JS F2.3; F.55), some double striking on the reverse, a very small flan flaw in the third quarter, good very fine/very fine, of the highest rarity. Estimate: £25,000-35,000. Sold for £84,000 (104,946 Euro / $133,475).
Lot 65: Portugal, D. Beatriz, ‘The Pretender’ (1383-85), real (tornês), undated (1384), Santarém. 27.8mm, 3.15g (Gom.01.01; Vaz Be.01), strong portrait, good very fine/very fine, of the highest rarity. Estimate: £80,000-100,000. Sold for £72,000 (89,953 Euro / $114,407).
Lot 2: Portugal, D. Fernando I ‘the Handsome’ (1367-83), dobra pé terra (1,080-dinheiros), Lisbon. 5.13g (Gom. 92.03; JS Fe.1; F. 4), nearly extremely fine, extremely rare. Estimate: £100,000-120,000. Sold for £60,000 (74,961 Euro / $95,339).
Lot 27: Portugal, D. Sebastião I, engenhoso (5,000-reais), 1566, Lisbon. 3.83g (Gom. 64.03; JS Se.15; F.39), trace of mount at 3 o’clock, good very fine, very rare. Estimate: £30,000-40,000. Sold for £55,200 (68,964 Euro / $87,712).
Lot 30: Portugal, D. Henrique I ‘the Chaste’ (1578-80), 500-reais. 3.80g (Gom. 04.02; JS He.1; F. 43), small edge crack at 5 o’clock, nearly very fine, rare. Estimate: £15,000-20,000. Sold for £28,800 (35,981 Euro / $45,763).
Lot 31: Portugal, D. Filipe II ‘the Pious’ (Felipe III of Spain, 1598-1621), 4-cruzados (1,600-reais). 12.15g (Gom. – (cf. 25.01 and 29.01); JS F2.1; F.53), a very small area of edge smoothing by AE, very fine/good very fine, extremely rare. Estimate: £15,000-20,000. Sold for £26,400 (32,983 Euro / $41,949).
Lot 14: Portugal, D. João II, espadim (meio justo, 300-reais), Lisbon (1489-95). 3.06g (Gom. 24.07 var.; cf. JS J2.4; F. 18), double-struck at crown, very fine and rare. Estimate: £12,000-15,000. Sold for £15,600 (19,490 Euro / $24,788).
Lot 1: Portugal, D. Sancho I ‘the Populator’ (1185-1211), morabitino (180-dinheiros). 3.82g (Gom. 04.02 var.; JS. S1.4; F. 1), very fine, slight crack at 3 o’clock and minor repair near rim, very rare. Estimate: £10,000-15,000. Sold for £8,400 (10, 494 Euro / $13,348).
Lot 57: Portugal, D. Dinis I ‘the Farmer’ (1279-1325), tornês (66-dinheiros). 4.06g (G.09.03), old gilding, now toned, solder spot at top of reverse, very fine or better, extremely rare. Estimate: £8,000-10,000. Sold for £7,200 (8,995 Euro / $11,440).
The Coins, Banknotes and Historical Medals Sale no. 59 totaled £586,530, 88 percent of the objects were sold by value. The top ten prices were:
Lot 481: Great Britain, Elizabeth I (1558-1603), ‘Portcullis Money’ 8 testerns (1600-01), Tower mint. Estimate: £14,000-18,000. Sold for £26,400 (32,918 Euro / $41,900).
Lot 699: Printing Plates: South Africa, a group of 17 original 19th Century banknote printing plates and some associated ‘pulls’. Estimate: £20,000-33,000. Sold for £24,000 (29,925 Euro / $38,090).
Lot 747: Ancient Greek, Mysia, Cyzicus, electrum stater, c. 500 BC. 16.14g (von Fritze, Kyzikos 17, 64; Traitè pl. VI, 28), good very fine and well centred. Estimate: £8,000-10,000. Sold for £24,000 (29,925 Euro / $38,090).
Lot 456: Great Britain, Philip & Mary (1554-58), angel, class 4. 5.09g (cf Schneider 727 (same obverse die); N. 1965; S. 2496), evenly struck on a broad flan (excepting the outer rim beside Z: MAR… of legend), extremely fine. Estimate: £12,000-15,000. Sold for £21,600 (26,933 Euro / $34,282).
Lot 741: Ancient Greek, Sicily, Syracuse, decadrachm, signed by Euainetos, c. 400 BC. 42.78g, die axis 8.00 (Gallatin D.II /R.IX; Jameson 827, same dies; SNG Lloyd 1413, same dies; Dewing 898, same dies). Estimate: £10,000-15,000. Sold for £19,200 (23,940 Euro / $30,472).
Lot 742: Ancient Greek, Sicily, Syracuse, decadrachm, an unsigned work by Euainetos, c. 400 BC. 41.63g, die axis 10.00 (Gallatin G.I A /R. XIX; BMC 187, same dies), some corrosion and minor marks on cheek, die flaw behind neck (obscuring scallop shell), otherwise extremely fine, the head of Arethusa in high relief, very rare with griffin below chin. Estimate: £10,000-15,000. Sold for £18,000 (22,444 Euro / $28,568).
Lot 738: Ancient Greek, Sicily, Katana, tetradrachm by Euainetos, c. 412-403 BC. 17.04g, die axis 6.00 (Rizzo pl. 14, 6; AMB 334; Jameson 550; Kraay/Hirmer 42), good very fine, of superb classical style. Estimate: £8,000-12,000. Sold for £16,800 (20,948 Euro / $26,666).
Lot 482: Great Britain, Elizabeth I, ‘Portcullis Money’ 4 testerns (1600-01), Tower mint. 13.63g (Pridmore 2; S.2607B), double-struck on right side of reverse legend, toned, good very fine, very rare. Estimate: £4,000-5,000. Sold for £13,800 (17,148 Euro / $21,871).
Lot 727: Renaissance Italy, Johan Gregor van der Schardt, Netherlandish sculptor, uniface silver medal, circa 1570, in the style of Antonio Abondio. Unsigned, 40mm (Toderi/Vannnel 2877; Arm. II, 233, 21), an extremely fine contemporary cast, the reverse hollowed and “ARGENT” and “1570” inked in. Estimate: £2,000-3,000. Sold for £10,200 (12,718 Euro/ $16,189).
Lot 743: Ancient Greek, Siculo-Punic coinage, tetradrachm, c. 320-300 BC. 16.93g, die axis 11.00 (Jenkins 163, this piece cited), well toned, about extremely fine and with an exceptional pedigree. Estimate: £3,000-4,000. Sold for £10,200 (12,718 Euro / $16,189).
Tom Eden commented on this auction: “This was a wide-ranging sale of coins, medals and banknotes and the results confirmed the strength of the market with bids coming in from all quarters of the world. We were particularly pleased with the prices realized for a small group of exceptionally fine ancient Greek coins from an American collection and there were also strong prices for other coins, medals and banknotes”.
For more information oyu may visit the website of Morton & Eden.