The New Baldwin s Winter Fixed Price List

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Barbara Burns
5 years ago
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The New Baldwin s Winter Fixed Price List Baldwin s are delighted to announce that their new Fixed Price List is now available both in printed format and online at www.baldwin.co.uk.

gold coins, as well as a good selection of numismatic books. Highlights from the Ancient coin section include item number AG012, a Kingdom of Thrace, Lysimachos (323-281 B. C.), silver Tetradrachm.

1 The New Baldwin s Winter Fixed Price List Baldwin s are delighted to announce that their new Fixed Price List is now available both in printed format and online at As in previous years the new list comprises a wide selection of Ancient, British and Scottish Coins, including an unusually large run of unduplicated Anglo-Saxon pennies and a small run of Celtic gold coins, as well as a good selection of numismatic books. Highlights from the Ancient coin section include item number AG012, a Kingdom of Thrace, Lysimachos ( B. C.), silver Tetradrachm. This is a stunning example of a portrait of Alexander the Great, beautifully crafted and with an excellent provenance, having been sold in two major auctions of the 20 th century. The item is priced at 3,000. AG048 is a rare coin of Pharaonic Egypt, Nektanebo II, the last Pharaoh of Egypt. Nektanebo s coinage consisted of the well known and extremely rare gold Staters and an issue of bronzes, of which this coin is one. The issues of Nektanebo II used hieroglyphs as their reverse types and are considered to be the only true native Egyptian coins. This example depicts a ram running, head right, on the obverse and a pair of scales on the reverse and is priced at 1,850. Item AG049 is another example of a great rarity. The North Africa, Zeugitana, Carthage, Electrum Stater is an exceptional piece, superbly forged and is one of the very few of its kind remaining. The Staters were widely used prior to the Roman siege operation which resulted in the Battle of Carthage. During the battle the city of Carthage was completely ruined and most of the coinage was destroyed along with it. This extremely fine example is priced at 4,500. Another most noteworthy piece of the Ancient Roman section is item AR029, a Claudius, gold Aureus, Lugdunum. A very pretty example in excellent condition, priced at 12,500. A 1643 Charles I Triple Unite depicting one of the rarer types of Obverse is undoubtedly the highlight of the British hammered section and this particular example is an extremely fine piece with a clear portrait. The die combination of this coin is always double struck to a degree but it is notoriously hard to find a coin with this die combination which has a clear and well preserved portrait, such as this. The piece comes with exemplary provenance, most recently being sold through the Samuel King Spink auction, 2005 and is priced at 120,000. Item BH032 is a lesser example of the Charles I Triple Unite, but equally as interesting. Also a 1643 example it is interesting to note that, amongst the 15 different Triple Unites within the comprehensive John G Brooker Collection there was no example of this particular die combination. It is estimated by Baldwin s English specialist Steve Hill that only one in every twenty of the available Triple Unites would be found in this die combination, making this an

2 incredibly rare piece and a must have for any English coin collector. The item is priced at 49,500. Highlights from the British section continue with item SC002, a 1593 James VI, sixth coinage, hat piece or Eighty Shillings. This is one of the rarest Scottish coins to carry a Renaissance style portrait of the King. Very few examples of the coin are known to be in private hands and this is one of the finest examples encountered by Baldwin s specialists. The item is priced at 30,000. During the compilation of this list the Baldwin s specialist team discovered a new transitional die variety of the William IV Crown, unrecorded in English Silver Coinage. The proof crown of 1831 created by William Wyon would appear to be the first die proposed for the new William IV Crown. Wyon spelt his surname in full on the bust of the King s portrait, which must have been considered as far too bold, but rather than waste a valuable obverse die Wyon must have re-filled the signature on the die s truncation and reengraved with an incuse WW over the top. This is an extremely interesting discovery for English coin enthusiasts and William Wyon aficionados alike. A smaller selection of numismatic books completes the list with a few notable items of great interest. Item NB01, a copy of Edward Burns The Coinage of Scotland is illustrated in part from the collections of Thomas Coats Esq. The three volumes were printed in Edinburgh in 1887 and are one of only 45 large paper copies ever produced. Other copies can be found in libraries and institutions internationally and so it is unusual for these volumes to be offered for sale on the open market. The books are priced at 875. Item NB040, is perhaps one of the most interesting items in the list. A copy of both volumes of T.E. Mionnet s book De La Rareté Et Du Prix Des Médailles Romaines, have been interleaved and rebound with photographs and photocopies of illustrations taken from contemporary auction catalogues, cut and pasted onto the relevant pages. These images are accompanied throughout by numerous handwritten notes in French but sadly there are no clues as to the identity of the compiler. These unique volumes are priced at 365. A. H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd were established 1872 and are one of the oldest numismatic dealers and auctioneers in the industry. Since our formation we have built the largest stock of coins in the UK and the Baldwin s specialist team scour three continents to source the rarest and highest quality items through attendance at international fairs and auctions. The bi-annual list produced by Baldwin s retail department is a product of all of our hard work and a compliment to the online stock listed at and the extensive selection of coins held at the Baldwin s offices in London. All of the coins included in the list are available to view at the Baldwin s London office by appointment. For more information about the items included in the price list or to make an appointment please contact our specialists at winter@baldwin.co.uk or on +44 (0) For all press enquiries please contact Caroline Newton at caraolinenewton@baldwin.co.uk

3 HIGHLIGHTS LYSIMACHOS TETRADRACHM WITH AN OLD PROVENANCE AG012 Kingdom of Thrace, Lysimachos ( B.C.), AR Tetradrachm, Magnesia, c B.C., diademed head of Alexander the Great right, wearing horn of Ammon, rev BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΛYΣIMAXOY, Athena enthroned left, holding Victory and resting her elbow on shield, behind her rests spear, race torch to left, maeander in exergue, 17.07g (Thompson 112; Mülle r 445 var.). Well-struck and well-centred, wonderful style, cabinet tone, extremely fine and with an excellent old provenance. 3,000 Ex Naville XVII, 3 October 1934, lot 421 Ex Monnaies et Médailles XXVIII, 19 June 1964, lot 94 NEKTANEBO II, THE LAST PHARAOH OF EGYPT AG048 Phara onic Egypt, Nekta nebo II ( B.C.), AE 16mm, ram running left, its head turned right, rev scales, 3.46g (Weiser, Katalog Ptolemäischer Bronzemünzen der Sammlung des Instituts für Altertums kunde der Univers ität Köln, p. 16, 1; Butcher 11 (uncertain northern Syrian mint)). Brown patina, very fine, very rare and extremely interesting. 1,850 Nektanebo II was the last Pharaoh of the thirtieth dynasty of Egypt. He was the nephew of the Pharaoh Takhos and had assumed control of Egypt by force after being granted command of the Egyptian army in Syria. Nektanebo II was eventually driven from his throne by a Persian invasion in 344/3 B.C., after which he fled to Ethiopia and, for a few years, managed to maintain some control of Upper Egypt. During the reigns of Takhos and Nektanebo II, the only coinage to be issued in Egypt during the Pharaonic period was produced. Takhos apparently issued gold staters, imitating issues of Athen s, which today are represented by a unique example in the British Museum. The issues of Nektanebo II, employing hieroglyphs as their reverse types, are considered to be the only truly native Egyptian coinage. Nektanebo s coinage consisted of the well-known and extremely rare gold Staters, possibly silver fractions (of which two examples are known), and an issue of bronzes. OUTSTANDING CARTHAGE STATER AG049 North Africa, Zeugitana, Carthage (c B.C.), EL Stater, wreathed head of Tanit left, wearing earring and necklace, rev horse standing right, exergual line below, 7.57g (Jenkins & Lewis, group IVb, 189). W ell-struck from fresh dies on a very broad flan, beautifully toned, extremely fine, a wholly exceptional example. 4,500 PORTRAIT OF CLAUDIUS IN GOLD AR029 Claudius (A.D ), AV Aureus, Lugdunum, A.D. 46-7, TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P VI IMP XI, laureate head right, rev IMPER RECEPT on battlemented front wall of Praetorian camp; a soldier stands on sentry duty within the camp, holding spear and aquila; a distyle pediment with fortified flanking walls behind him, 7.79g (RIC 36; BMC 37; Calicó 362a; RCV 1832 var.). Broad flan, excellent portrait, a few insignificant marks, about extremely fine. 12,500 RIC attributes this issue to Rome ONE OF THE RARER TYPES OF OBVERSE FOR THE LARGEST HAMMERED GOLD DENOMINATION EVER ISSUED BH031 Charles I, Triple-Unite or Three Pound Piece, Oxford Mint, 1643, crowned and armoured half-length portrait of King left, holding upright sword in right hand, laurel branch in left hand, flowing scarf behind, Oxford plumes in field, wit hin beaded circle, top and bottom of portrait intruding, initial mark plume with bands, CAROLVS:D:G.MAGN:BRIT:FR:ET:HI:REX beaded outer border both sides, rev legend on wire line scroll EXVRGAT: DEVS: DISSIPENTVR: INIMICI: surrounds

4 Declaration RELIG:PROT LEG:.:ANGL: LIBER: PAR. in three lines on wavy scroll at centre, date below, value III between stops and three Oxford plumes above, 26.66g. (Beresford-Jones dies V/S5; Schneider 291; Brooker 836; N.2383; S.2726). Double struck as usual for this die combination, struck on a nice broad flan, as struck with weaknesses inherent from the double strike, toned with underlying brilliance, about extremely fine and very rare. 120,000 Clifford T Weihman, Stacks USA, October 1951, lot 174 John Jay Pittman, USA, 6-8 th August 1999, lot 3739 and colour plate Samuel King, 5 th May 2005, lot 77 This die combination is always double struck to a degree, and is notoriously hard to find with a decent portrait. The piece offered here is not as double struck as usual and it is the legend that exhibits more of the doubled look rather than the portrait. The portrait of this piece is particularly pleasing for a coin of this die combination. For further reading see R D Beresford-Jones, British Numismatic Journal 3rd series, Volume VII ( ) pages and plates. ONE OF THE RAREST DIE COMBINATIONS IN THE TRIPLE UNITE SERIES, AND ONE OF THE FEW THAT J G BROOKER DID NOT OBTAIN BH032 Charles I ( ), Triple-Unite or Three Pound Piece, Oxford Mint, 1643, crowned and armoured half-length portrait of King left, holding upright sword in right hand, laurel branch in left hand, Oxford plumes in field, all entirely within beaded circle, initial mark plume with bands, CAROLVS.D:G.MAGN:BRIT:FRAN:ET:HIB:REX.: toothed border both sides, rev legend on wire line scroll EXVRGAT: DEVS: DISSIPENTVR: INIMICI: surrounds and continues into Declaration RELIG:PROT LEG:ANG LIBER: PAR in three lines on continuous scroll at centre, date below, value III and three Oxford plumes above, 26.49g. (Beresford-Jones dies VI/L4; Schneider 298; Brooker -; N.2384; S.2727). Once polished, now starting to tone with a tinge of red, dig in obverse field and lightly hairlined, weakly struck on shoulder and at corresponding part of reverse, a few tiny nicks on reverse and short scratch above first I of value, otherwise nearly very fine and an extremely rare die combination with this London made reverse die. 49,500 Glendining, 9 th April 1975, lot 24 It is interesting to note that amongst the 15 different Triple Unites within the comprehensive John G Brooker Collection there was no specimen of this die combination. All the specific dies were recorded by R D Beresford-Jones in his article about Triple-Unites in the British Numismatic Journal 3 rd Series, Volume VII ( ), page and plates. It would be a fair estimate to say that only one in every twenty of the available Triple-Unites will be of this die combination, thus making it extremely rare. How often this combination might be encountered on the open market is even harder to estimate. A NEWLY DISCOVERED TRANSITIONAL DIE VARIETY OF WILLIAM IV CROWN BM052 William IV ( ), Proof Crown, 1831, bare head right, W. W. engraved incuse over a weaker trace of a die-filled W. WYON on truncation, rev crowned mantle over quartered shield with escutcheon of the Arms of Hanover, within Order of the Garter, date below, plain edge (cf. ESC.271 / 278; L&S 1 / 3; cf. Davies 300; S.3833). Toned, a few tiny hairlines and marks, reverse a touch double struck in places, otherwise good extremely fine, and a new variety unrecorded in English Silver Coinage. 25,000 It would seem that chronologically the first die proposed for the new William IV Crown was the W WYON version. It must have been considered far too bold of William Wyon to spell his surname in full, especially on the bust of the King s coinage. Rather than waste a valuable obverse die with his enigmatic portrait of the King, William Wyon must have re-filled the signature on the die s truncation and re-engraved an incuse WW over the top. This is a new and significant discovery and is published for the first time on this list. ONE OF THE RAREST SCOTTISH GOLD COINS TO CARRY A RENAISSANCE STYLE PORTRAIT

5 SC002 James VI ( ), sixth coinage, Hat Piece or Eighty Shillings, 1593, bust in tall hat right, thistle behind, all within beaded inner circle, initial mark pierced cinquefoil both sides, rev crowned lion seated upright left holding sceptre, Hebrew word Jehovah in cloud above, date in Latin legend, 4.40g. (S.5457). Tiny nick in reverse field, with a superb portrait, weak extremely fine reverse good very fine and extremely rare, very few examples in private hands, one of the finest examples we have encountered. 30,000 Ex C F Gilboy, Glendining, 14 th May 1975, lot 50 NB011 Burns, E. The Coinage of Scotland. Illustrated From the Cabinet of Thoma s Coats, Esq., of Ferguslie and Other Collections. Three Volumes. Edinburgh, Volume I. David I. A.D to Robert III. A.D Volume II. James I A.D to Anne A.D Volume III. Plates an d Descriptions of the Figures. Folio, pp. xxiii, 365 (iv); xviii, 556; vi (iii), 78 exceptionally fine plates engraved by Dujardin of Paris, each with tissue guard. Th ree quarter crimson morocco over marbled boards, raised bands, ruled in gilt, gilt letter ing in compartments. Top edge gilt, the others untrimmed. Binding repaired at some point but still strong and contents clean. One of the scarce large paper copies, of which only 45 copies were printed. 875 NB040 Mionne t, T. E. De La Ra re té Et Du Prix De s Mé daille s Romaine s Ou Re cueil Conte na nt Le s Type s Ra re s Et Inédits De s Mé daille s D Or, D Arge nt e t De Bronze Fra ppée s Pe nda nt La Durée De La République Et De L Empire Romain. Third Edition. Paris, Two Volumes, both rebound and interleaved. Thick quarto. Over 1800 pages, many with photographs and illustrations of coins taken from contemporary auction catalogues and cut and pasted onto relevant pages. Numerous handwritten notes in French throughout both volumes. Both volumes bound in half leather, ma rbled boards. Rais ed bands, gilt. Faded and worn, spine of the second volume loose. An interesting example of a nineteenth century collectors handb ook, could b enefit from further research. 365

6 Notes to the Editor: Established in 1872 A. H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd has over 100 years experience in servicing the numismatic industry. Baldwin s auction department was established in 1993 and has grown to hold between ten and twelve sales annually in London, New York and Hong Kong and specialise in all areas of Numismatics. Baldwin s broadcast all of their main auctions over the internet and provide a live bidding service through

from the David Sellwood collection ex Morton & Eden auction 9, May 2004, lot 646 (part) ex DNW auction, 7 October 2004, lot 75

from the David Sellwood collection ex Morton & Eden auction 9, May 2004, lot 646 (part) ex DNW auction, 7 October 2004, lot 75 1650 Charles I, Obsidional Coinage, Silver Shilling, 1648, Pontefract besieged, struck on an octagonal flan before the execution of Charles I (June 1648 - March 1649), CR at centre, crown above, legend