Colonial Column: March – April 2024

Welcome to the next two months of 2024 – March and April!

Business as usual for us at Colonial Coins and Medals. Coming off the back of our first time exhibiting at a London coin show in years, we were focussed on our next show and were deep in preparation for another Hong Kong Coin show in April, this time held by the HICC (HongKong International Coin Convention).

Charles and Peter with our local assistant Pinky at the HICC show.

As always, we handle plenty of great pieces of numismatics and this Colonial Column works as a showcase for recent items we’ve sold – below are a few we have sold in the past two months.

United States of America, Silver ‘Morgan’ Dollar, 1884 CC, Carson City mint. Certified and graded by PCGS as Mint State 65 (48442533). A sublime example displaying most sharp detail and frosted surfaces.

SKU: WC3a-14

Sold for $1,000.

United States of America, Silver ‘Barber’ 50 Cents (12.46g, 30.5mm), 1906 D, Denver mint. KM-116. Deeply toned and evenly worn, more worn on the obverse yet with ‘LIBERTY’ bold, great detail on eagle, grades XF40 or possibly higher.

SKU: WC3c-3

Sold for $300.

United States of America, Silver ‘Morgan’ Dollar, 1885 CC, Carson City mint.KM-110. Certified and graded by PCGS as Mint State 64, housed within a special, large slab. Provenance: From the GSA Hoard, one of 148,400 1885-CC from the hoard.

SKU: WC3a-15

Sold for $1,700

Decimus Clodius Septimius Albinus, as Augustus 195-197 AD and the fourth of the Year of the Five Emperors, Silver Denarius (3.51g, 16mm), Lugdunum mint 195-197 AD. RIC-20b; RSC-24; Sear-6166. Deeply toned and with a choice obverse, the reverse off centre and soft in strike, scarce issue as Augustus, good Very Fine.

SKU: ARI-321

Sold for $1,500

First Republic of Spain (1873-1874 AD), the Spanish interregnum, Silver 5 Pesetas (28.49g, 38mm), 1873 AD, Cantonal Rebellion issue, Cartagena mint. KM-716. Typical surface marks and a few die cracks, rim bump at 6h, otherwise an attractive example and well struck for the type, details good Very Fine.

SKU: WC-100

Sold for $400.

Edward VII of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King of the United Kingdom 1901-1910 AD, Silver Maundy Set, 1905, includes Groat of Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence and maundy Penny. Spink-3985; Bull 3611. A well-preserved set toned in idyllic shades which are quite matched across all the denominations, housed within dated red 1905 Maundy set box, details virtually as struck.

SKU: ECM-130

Sold for $380.

Portuguese Empire, Brazil, Maria I and Peter III of the House of Braganza, Dona and Dom of Portugal 1777-1816 AD, Gold Peça of 6,400 Reis (14.29g, 32mm), 1778 R, Casa da Moeda do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro. Bentes 253.02; KM-199.2. A few typical light marks and patch of soft strike over shield, otherwise attractive and bold, details Extremely Fine.

SKU: ACP4-22

Sold for $2,750.

British Commonwealth, Australia, Queen Elizabeth II (1952-2022 AD), Silver Proof Specimen ‘Goose’ Dollar, 1967. Proof Mintage of 750.

SKU: AC-2

Sold for $2,400.00

Demetrius II Nikator, Seleukid King in his Second Reign 129-125 BC, Silver Tetradrachm (14.29g, Phoenician standard), dated ΓΠP, Seleukid Era 183 (129 BC), Tyre Mint. A choice example with an exceptional reverse with only small parts of the design off the flan, good Extremely Fine, virtually as struck.

SKU: AGC5-1

Sold for $815.00

British Empire, Cyprus, King George V (1910-1936 AD), Silver Forty-Five Piastres (28.29g, 39mm), 1928, 50 Years British Rule of Cyprus commemorative issue, Royal mint, London. KM-19. Mintage of 80,000. Lightly polished on the obverse, although nicely toned now and quite attractive to the eye, a charming example of the Cypriot commemorative piece, good Extremely Fine, reverse better.

SKU: WC-350

Sold for $300.

British East India Company, Queen Victoria (1837-1901 AD), Silver Half Rupee, 1840-(B&C), Bombay or Calcutta mint. Steven & Weir-3.46. Certified and graded by PCGS as Mint State 62. A sharp and most handsome E.I.C. 1840 half rupee, awash with attractive cabinet grey toning supplemented with muted rainbow through the devices.

SKU: IC1-10

Sold for $390

Ptolemaic Kingdom, Ptolemy IX Soter II ‘Lathyros’, as Basileus of Ptolemaic Egypt in his first reign 116-107 BC, with his mother Cleopatra III as co-regent, Silver Tetradrachm (14.06g, 25mm, Ptolemaic standard), dated Regnal Year “L A” (year 1), Alexandria mint 116/115 BC. Svoronos-1659; SNG Copenhagen 347. Well centred each side and lightly toned with a dusty grey patina, a charming piece, area of flatness to reverse, otherwise good Very Fine, reverse Very Fine.

SKU: AGC4-10

Sold for $582.

George III of the House of Hanover, King of Great Britain 1760-1820 AD, Æ ‘Cartwheel’ Twopence, 1797. Spink-3776; Peck-1077. Certified and graded by NGC as Mint State 61 Brown. A decidedly sharp offering of the well-known cartwheel bronze, enriched with dark chocolate brown surfaces and bold devices.

SKU: ACP1-11

Sold for $873.

George III of the House of Hanover, King of Great Britain 1760-1820 AD, Gilt-Bronze Pattern Proof Half Penny, 1799, Third Issue, Soho mint, Birmingham. Spink-3778. Certified and graded by NGC as Proof 63. Minor hairlines typical of a handled proof, a most impressive example with reflective, cameo fields when viewed in hand, virtually as struck.

SKU: ECM-73

Sold for $1,250.

Attica, Athens, Silver ‘New Style’ Tetradrachm (16.28g, 30mm, Reduced Attic Standard), Dositheos, Sarias and Sol(?)- magistrates, circa 99/98 BC. Thompson-875; HGC 4, 1602. Well centred and quite toned with a deep cabinet grey, a most handsome new-style owl, a very collectible series, good Very Fine.

SKU: AGC2-68

Sold for $1,417.

Napoleonic Spain, Client-state of the French First Empire, Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte, as King of Spain and the Indies 1808-1813 AD, Silver 20 Reales (26.86g, 39mm), 1812 AI, Madrid mint. KM-551.2. Notably bold and relatively problem free, only minor contact marks in field and slight metal stress over date, a very noteworthy portrait, very collectible, choice Extremely Fine.

SKU: WC-17

Sold for $2,186.

Napoleonic Spain, Client-state of the French First Empire, Principality of Catalonia, Silver Five Pesetas (26.96g, 39mm), 1809, Barcelona mint. KM-69. Typically weak over the central obverse devices, minor marks and scuffs in field and minor adjustment marks, a collectible type and better in hand, near Extremely Fine.

SKU: WC-15

Sold for $832.

Spanish Empire, Viceroyalty of New Spain, Philip V of the French House of Bourbon, King of Spain in his second reign 1724-1746 AD, Silver Eight Reales (26.86g, 38.5mm), 1738 MF, Mexico City mint. KM-103. A most charming early date pillar dollar, a few light adjustment marks either side, less noticeable now with the deep cabinet grey patina, a few minor marks, a very collectible example, near Extremely Fine, reverse good Very Fine.

SKU: ACP4-23

Sold for $1,303.

The Second Reich, German Colonial New Guinea, Emperor Wilhelm II (1888-1918), Silver Five Marks (27.65g, 38mm), 1894 A, Berlin mint. KM-7. Lightly cleaned in the past thus with typical underlying surface marks and minor rim knocks, regardless quite bold and with great detail, near full eye on bird, a very collectible type, good Very Fine, reverse a touch better.

SKU: WC-279

Sold for $2,017.

Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, the Interregnum of 1649-1660 AD, Silver Crown (30.01g, 43mm), 1653. Spink-3214; Bull-7 (R3); ESC-6a. Certified and graded by NGC as Mint State 62. A scarce variety with inverted ‘A’ over ‘V’ in ‘VS’ of reverse legend – the bar of ‘Ɐ’ still partially visible despite the recut die; overall a very pleasing example, deeply toned with a cabinet grey framing cascading lustre at every rotation of the piece in hand, evenly worn and with quite sharp detail, near Extremely Fine.

SKU: ECH-44

Sold for $23,076.

Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty 14-37 AD, Gold Aureus (7.67g, 20mm), Group 1, Lugdunum mint 15-18 AD. Sear-1760; RIC-I-25; BMC-30; Calicó-305d. Some typical wear over obverse high point, otherwise quite a noteworthy ‘tribute penny’ type of Tiberius in gold, the poor strike of the facial features is easily overlooked when considering the choice reverse, each side well centred, a collectible example, near Very Fine, reverse Very Fine.

SKU: ARI-65

Sold for $7,000.

George III of the House of Hanover, King of Great Britain 1760-1820 AD, Gold Guinea (8.40g, 24mm), 1795. Farey-1340; Bull (EGC)-726. Few typical minor marks and struck with a rusty reverse die, attractive and bold otherwise, details Extremely Fine.

SKU: ACP1-3d

Sold for $2,150.

Charles II of the House of Stuart, King of England 1660-1685 AD, Silver Crown (29.58g, 38mm), 1673 QVINTO, Tower mint, London. Bull-390; Spink-3358. Evenly worn and visually attractive, nicer in hand, near Very Fine, reverse Very Fine.

SKU: ECM-199

Sold for $750.

George VI of the House of Windsor, King of the United Kingdom 1936-1952 AD, Proof 15 Coin Set, 1937, includes half-silver Crown, Half Crown, Florin, English type Shilling, Scottish type Shilling, Sixpence, Threepence, silver Maundy Set (Groat, Threepence, Twopence, Penny), brass Threepence, bronze Penny, Halfpenny and Farthing. Spink-PS16.

SKU: ECM-61

Sold for $750.

George III of the House of Hanover, King of Great Britain 1760-1820 AD, Gold Guinea, 1798. Farey-1370; Bull (EGC)-732. Calendar year output of £2,967,505 of gold, with an approximate mintage of 2,129,992 Guinea pieces. Certified and graded by NGC as Mint State 62.

SKU: ACP1-3g

Sold for $3,250.

Portuguese Empire, John V ‘o Rei-Sol Português’ of the House of Braganza, King of Portugal 1706-1750 AD, Gold Peça of 6,400 Reis (14.30g, 31mm), 1745, Lisbon mint. KM-221; Gomes#J5 127.24. Slight lamination on reverse, a most pleasing piece otherwise, typically bold portraiture and heraldry and near the peak of Australian Proclamation coinage, near Extremely Fine, reverse a bit better.

SKU: ACP4-18

Sold for $2,950.

British Commonwealth, Australia, Queen Elizabeth II (1952-2022 AD), Five Pound ‘star’ banknote, last prefix, 1960, signed by Reserve Bank Governor Herbert Coombs and Secretary of the Treasury Sir Roland Wilson. Serial number TC13 22550✱. Last prefix. Renniks-50sL.

SKU: BN1c-9

Sold for $2,500.

British Commonwealth, Australia, Queen Elizabeth II (1952-2022 AD), One Pound Star banknote, 1953, signed by Commonwealth Bank Governor Herbert C. Coombs and Secretary of the Treasury Sir Roland Wilson CBE. Serial number HA91 57483✱. Renniks-33s.

SKU: BN1d-14

Sold for $1,610.

British Commonwealth, Australia, King George VI (1936-1952 AD), Ten Shillings Star banknote, 1952, signed by Reserve Bank Governor Herbert Coombs and Secretary of the Treasury Sir Roland Wilson. Serial number A4 46103✱. Renniks-15s.

SKU: BN1e-7

Sold for $1,815.

British Commonwealth, Australia, Queen Elizabeth II (1952-2022 AD), Ten Shillings Star banknote, 1961, signed by Reserve Bank Governor Herbert Coombs and Secretary of the Treasury Sir Roland Wilson. Serial number AE95 52056✱. Renniks-17s.

SKU: BN1e-6

Sold for $2,275.

British Empire, Australia, King George V (1910-1936 AD), Silver Threepence (1.34g, 16mm), 1922/21 Overdate, Royal mint, Melbourne branch. KM-24. An infamous rarity of the Australian Pre-Decimal series, in typically worn condition although with a clear overdate and with nice rims and clear legend each side, some hairlines mostly to reverse, details Fair.

SKU: ACPD7-12

Sold for $5,000.

Russian Empire, Paul I of the House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov, Emperor of Russia 1796-1801 AD, Silver Rouble (20.24g, 36.5mm), 1801 CM AИ, Saint Petersburg mint, under mint master Alexey Ivanov. Craig-101a; Bitkin-46. Quite worn and deeply toned, moderately scarce, details Fair.

SKU: WC-379

Sold for $350.