Welcome to E-Auction 29

You will find variety in our spring sale. Opening bids from $16 to $5000. Gold coinage, interesting and affordable classics, including early Greek electrum, an early Islamic trade coin, an affordable Nero aureus, a pretty Byzantine scyphate, a choice Celtic Britain stater, and more modern British issues, including a pretty milled George III quarter guinea and a 1989 commemorative sovereign (an important modern British rarity). Continuing, from here in North America–a rare New Orleans mint quarter eagle, California gold, and finally, from the world of myth, a Hobbit fantasy gold piece.

Greek and Roman coins—look for the marvelous Sybaris stater with its remarkable incuse-reverse stater (lot 19) (made by creative and careful minters—this was not an easy coin to produce correctly); fascinating countermarks (lot 26), a rare Roman bronze brockage with an appealing portrait of Claudius (lot 52).

England: Covering thirteen centuries, ranging from a transitional sceat made by the thrymsa minters through Anglo-Saxon—neat seldom-seen portraits of Coenwulf, and Aethelwulf (particularly bold and attractive, a feature coin of the English section), a pair of James I 4th bust shillings from obviously different dies allowing an interesting comparison of a series that has not gone through a die classification. The 2d Briot pattern—milled in a hammered era, the work of a master, preserved in choice condition—an historic piece at an affordable price. Preceding a run of choice silver tokens from Baldwin’s basement, and a group of PCGS graded tokens consigned to us, the British section also offers a beautiful Anne pattern farthing, early Maundy sets, a superb William III shilling, and the star of the sale—a glorious Gothic crown with classic blue gray color, and without the hairlines that plague so many of these pieces.

The world section offers an eclectic sampling of 20th century silver crowns that have interesting histories of their own. See Lots 152 to 161 and 174–an historical note about each follows the lot description.

America–Colonial, post colonial, and federal issues–includes inexpensive and “historically worn” coppers, some better copper pieces including an exceptionally fine NOVA EBORAC issue, an early draped bust dime (1798/7), and two fascinating US Mint errors.

The medals section presents several medals marking the English defeat of the Scots at Culloden, the bloody end of  “Bonnie Prince Charlie’s” Jacobite rebellion, along with other historic medals that mark important times and important people with high relief designs of notable artistic merit. And, for a change of pace in terms of medals, the lovely silver agricultural medal that ends the section reflects a bucolic time that no longer portrays the average family farm.

Important books and sale catalogs including the final Douglas Bayern library items complete our catalog.

Allan, Marnie, & Lief Davisson