SOVEREIGN RARITIES AUCTION 11

Sovereign Rarities concludes their auction offerings for 2023 with a superb and varied sale. The sale will be published online for bidding on 7th November and the lots will begin close on 16th November at 10am. The auction contains some important pieces and collections, including an interesting group of Iranian gold of Reza Shah, in the form of both coins and commemorative medals. Also on offer is a superb collection of Chinese, Nepalese and Tibetan coins, which will be located at the end of the catalogue in its own section.

 
Lot 8

 
Lot 15

 
Lot 16

 
Lot 17

The auction commences with a good group of ancient coins, including a gold Aureus of Hadrian, which is graded by NGC as Very Fine (lot 8 estimate £5,000-8,000), and some silver denarii from the Republic period through to the Severan Dynasty. In the hammered British coins section, there are three silver pennies of particular note. One of which is an Alfred the Great London mint penny (c.880-899), which boasts an impressive provenance including the Thomas Bliss Collection of 1916 and the Spink Circular of 1927 (lot 15, est. £17,000-20,000). Following this, the auction features two silver pennies of Stephen, both of which are pleasing examples of rare coins (lots 16 & 17 ests. £2,000-2,500 and £1,500-2,000 respectively). The milled British section coins a good selection of various sovereigns from George IV to Elizabeth II, as well as a George IV silver crown dated 1821 which is certified by NGC as Mint State 62 (lot 24 est. £1,900-2,000). Further sovereigns can be found in the world section for the mint marks in Canada, Australia and South Africa.

 
Lot 24

The Modern section of the catalogue features a near complete date run of gold proof Five Pounds from 1980 to 2017, all of which are graded by NGC or PCGS as Proof 70. Also featured are two examples of coins issued to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, and the coins feature Britannia and her French counterpart, Marianne. One example is the piedfort reverse proof platinum Five Pounds, which is scarce, with an issue limit of just 501 coins. It is graded by NGC as Reverse Proof 70 (lot 41 est. £2,700-3,000), and it is the single highest graded example. Also on offer is the gold proof Five Pounds issue, also graded Proof 70 by NGC, which had an issue limit of just 926 (lot 42 £2,000-2,200). As we approach 2024, the Entente Cordiale will celebrate its 120th Anniversary, making these coins particularly relevant.

 
Lot 41

 
Lot 42

Interestingly, on offer in the World section is a date run of gold proof $200 Australian coins, issued as part of the Pride of Australia Collection, with the coins designed to showcase the unique animals of Australia (lots 105-111 ests. £400-460 per lot). Another showcase of a country's talents is found in the Monnaie De Paris Haute Couture issues, commemorating the Iconic French fashion houses of Jean-Paul Gaultier and Dior (lots 124-126).

 
Lot 126

The aforementioned Iranian section features some impressive 10-Pahlavi pieces which weigh a significant 81.36 grammes each. The items in the collection date from the era of Muhammad Reza Pahlavi Shah of 1941-1979, and it consists of both coins and medals (lots 138-173). From the United States, there is a good group of gold Twenty dollars, Ten dollars and Five dollars (from lot 187). The sale also offers a selection of British and World medals, including many issues in gold.

The medal section commences with a superb Accession of George I medal, which features the popular Leo constellation reverse. The medal depicts the constellation of Leo as George I became king in August, and so it represents him entering the kingdom of the British lion at the time of his Accession (lot 201 est. £2,000-2,500). The medal section also features gold medals issued for the coronation of George IV, Victoria, Edward VII, and George VI.

 
Lot 201

The sale concludes with a superb collection of coins from China, Nepal, and Tibet (lot 236-end). The group features many interesting issues, some of which are provenanced back to the George Blaine Collection, the Wayte Raymond Estate Sales by Bowers and Merena, and some back to the famous Kahn Collection Sales. The group of coins have been selected for their eye appeal and for their rarity, forming a very interesting group. One example from the collection is the excessively rare Nepalese silver Mohur, NS885 (1765) which is graded by NGC as MS62, and it is the single highest graded example across both NGC and PCGS (lot 283 est. £5,000-6,000). Also included is a Chinese silver Yuan, year 40 (1903), which is provenanced to the aforementioned Blaine Collection, which is another scarcity (lot 245 est. £5,800-6,200). In the Tibetan section, there is a superb gold 20 Srang, year 53 (1919) which features the popular snow-lion obverse, the coin is graded by NGC and has significant eye appeal and canary yellow surfaces (lot 263 est. £5,000-5,400).

 
Lot 283

 
Lot 263

 
Lot 245

The 2024 auction calendar will commence with Sovereign Rarities in February, which will be another interesting and varied auction.

For more information, see:
https://www.sovr.co.uk/

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