BALDWIN'S AUCTION 91: THE LINDÉN COLLECTION

A.H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd, the official sponsors of Coinex 2014, are delighted to be offering the final part of the exquisite Åke Lindén Collection in Baldwin’s Auction 91; World Coins from The Lindén Collection and Other Properties. This staggering collection has dominated both Baldwin’s auction calendar and the wider numismatic market during 2014.

With a combined sale total of over $7.5 million to date, the finale sale of Lindén’s coins is sure to see his collection consolidate its place as one of the greatest 19th and early 20th century coin collections in recent years. A spectacular auction for quality and rarity, the sale offers collectors coins from across the globe and history. The auction will be held on 25th September 2014 at The CIPFA conference centre in London, as the official auction of Coinex, the International Coin Fair set in London.

Of particular interest from the coins of India is an Ancient Indian Kushan Empire, Kanishka I (c. 127-152 AD) Gold Dinar. Struck on the obverse is Kanishka, whilst the reverse of the coin depicts the Greek moon-goddess Selene.

The Selene type is without question the rarest of only four Greek deity types in the gold coinage of Kanishka. It represents Hellenistic influence and is testament to the variety of religious beliefs tolerated across the Kushan Empire during Kanishka’s reign. It is believed that Kanishka himself practised both Buddhism and the Zoroastrian cult of Mithra.

This coin presents an extremely desirable companion piece to the Kanishka Helios type, her brother the sun. Extremely fine and of the highest rarity, this coin is believed to be the only example in private hands and is estimated at £25,000-35,000 (US$40,000-60,000) [Lot 3830].

The sale also boasts the first gold coin from the Republic of South Africa, the 1874 Gold Pond. The South African Republic (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek) had been petitioning for an indigenous coinage since 1853. It was not until 1874 that President Thomas François Burgers (1872-1877) approached the Heaton Mint in Birmingham to begin production.

The mint proposed two designs, 695 ‘fine beard’ coins and 142 ‘coarse beard’ pieces. The Legislators objected to Burgers use of his own profile on the coins and rejected both designs. As a result, Burgers Ponds were sold as mementoes, with many being altered and set into jewellery.

The successful revival of the Pond in 1892 and the conclusion of the Boer War, ignited numismatic interest in the Burgers Pond, but only a tiny number of these coins remain in mint state. This particular example, with the rarer ‘coarse beard’ design remains in choice mint state with full original lustre and an attractive light tone. One of the finest known examples of this very rare variety, it is estimated to achieve £40,000-60,000 (US$65,000-100,000) [Lot 3395].

Also leading the Africa and Indian Ocean section, from Zanzibar, is a Sultan Barghash ibn Sa’id, Gold 2½-Riyals, 1299 AH (1881-1882). The Krause ‘Standard Catalogue of World Coins’ notes that only 2 or 3 of this coin are known to exist. This example is estimated at £40,000-60,000 (US$65,000-100,000) [Lot 3444].

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