News Archive

Ancient, Islamic & Foreign Coins Auction - July 15 2004

The Douglas Griffiths collection of ancient coins starts this auction. While there are no major rarities included in this collection it offers the collector an opportunity to obtain a number of interesting coins in reasonable condition at affordable prices. It consists of over 180 lots.

There follows a fine collection of 27 English gold nobles from Edward III to Henry VI, and a laurel from Edward III to James I. This includes several rare varieties, and the collection was put together with a particular emphasis on quality.

That is followed by another fine collection, this time of 33 English and Scottish hammered silver crowns. Included in this group is the Norweb specimen of the mintmark 2 Elizabeth I crown, lot 239, exceptionally fine for the date and estimated at £4,000-£5,000. Other items of note are a portcullis 8 testerns, lot 240, also estimated at £4,000-£5,000, an outstanding and extremely fine Charles I crown of the Tower mint under Parliament (lot 252), estimated at £3,000-£4,000, and a Briot issue Charles I crown, extremely fine or better, lot 253, estimated at £4,000-£5,000.

In the general properties section a 1690 William and Mary halfcrown, one of the finest known, should be mentioned – lot 276, estimated at £2,000-£2,500, as well as a pattern Garter Dollar, a trio of most attractive proof Victorian florins (lots 300-302), and especially a pattern decimal set (the Norweb specimens) struck for Elizabeth II in 1961 (estimated £4,000-£5,000).

Highlights of the foreign section include a rare Kookaburra nickel pattern penny of 1921, lot 309, estimated at £7,500-£10,000, an Austrian gold 10 Ducat of 1636, lot 312 at £7,000-£8,000, and a superb specimen of an Aachen double sterling. This latter coin has a most attractive tone and is in virtually mint state : lot 348, estimated at £680-£750. A good run of German silver coins, some not scarce but in mint condition, supports an offering of one of the classic rarities of the German series. One of the 16 surviving examples – some in museums – of the Prussian pattern Speciestaler struck for Frederik the Great, dated 1755, lot 363, is estimated at £24,000-£28,000. It is reported that the king was not pleased with his portrait and most of the issue was destroyed.

Following our successful offering of 3 Greek patterns in our April sale, two further examples of the gold patterns of 1935 are offered – the 100 drachmai, lot 387 at £5,500-£6,500, and the 20 drachmai, lot 388, at £4,000-£5,000.

A run of early Indian silver includes some rare issues of the Sultans of Bengal – in particular lots 399, at £900-£1,100, reportedly the only known example of the date, and lot 402, an unusual issue depicting the figure of a lion (£800-£1,000), which is complemented by an interesting group of Islamic coins and medals.