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Baldwin’s Coinex Auctions 90 & 91

The David Sellwood Collection of Parthian Coins at Coinex 2014

View the Official Coinex Auction 90 Catalogue

London – A.H. Baldwin and Sons Ltd, the only official Coinex sponsors, 2014, present Auction 90; Ancient Coins, British Coins and Commemorative Medals. The sale boasts Part One of The David Sellwood Collection of Parthian Coins, the most extensive and important of its type in private hands. 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.

Leading the opening 486 lot-strong section of Ancient coins is a Roman Gold Aureus, struck under Emperor Galba (AD 68-69). Troops lead by Galba’s treacherous supporter, Otho, assassinated Galba 8 months after he came to power. This act made Galba the first emperor in ‘The Year of four Emperors’. The Aureus, with its clear portrait of the notorious Roman ruler is estimated at £5,000-6,000. (US$8,000-10,000) [Lot 1328]

baldwins_90To the East of the Roman Empire, the Parthian’s grew as a formidable force for over 400 years, overthrowing much of the Seleucid Empire. Although relatively unknown and under explored, the surviving Parthian coinage is our most informative primary source about the history, art, culture and economics of the Dynasty.

David Sellwood was the foremost numismatist on the coinage of Parthia. His collection, spanning the full history of the Parthian Kingdom, represents a lifetime of critical research on the subject. His comprehensive and important collection will feature across a number of Baldwin’s sales next year, with his highest quality coins selling in the January New York sale.

From the collection is a Phraates III Silver Drachm, minted at Ecbatana. Formerly a Seleucid mint, Ecbatana was a principal mint during the Parthian period. Phraates III was one of the only Parthian King to use the forward facing bust and this example is an exceptional design for the series. The obverse bears diademed and short bearded bust facing forward, wearing a necklet with medallion and a dotted boarder. This attractive example is estimated at £400-500 (US$600-800). [Lot 1172]

Sellwood’s collection also spans the World and English coins in the sale, including a Charles I Pontefract siege piece. The Silver Shilling, 1648, was struck before the execution of Charles I (1st January 1649) and is estimated at £2,000-2,500 (US$3,000-4,000). Pontefract was the longest standing siege town, resisting attack before yielding March 22, 1649, two months after the execution of Charles I. [Lot 1650]

Elsewhere in the English coins is an exceptional example of a Richard III (1483-1485) Halfpenny struck at the Tower mint. This fine and rare coin joins a team of new, Richard III, discoveries. In 2012 a team of archaeologists discovered the crushed skeleton of the last Plantagenet King under a car park in Leicestershire, and a recent bone chemistry analysis has revealed that he indulged excessively in food and wine. The coin is estimated at £3,000-5,000 (US$5,000-8,000). [Lot 1608]

Steve Hill, Director and Head of English Coins at A.H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd said; “I cannot recall seeing a better example of a Richard III Halfpenny than this recent discovery. It is a superb little coin.”

With 2014 marking the World War I centenary, a gold prize medal for Bachelor of Medicine, awarded to Mary Hannah Frances Ivens, is a particularly poignant piece in Baldwin’s WWI medals section. As a member of Suffragist organisation, Scottish Women’s Hospital for Foreign Service, Ivens was tasked with running a 200 bed hospital, Hôpital Auxiliaire 301, in Northern France during the war. Staffed entirely by women, her hospital treated allied forces from the Western Front throughout the Great War from January 1915 until February 1919.

It was only at the end of the 19th century that women gained the right to study and practice medicine, and in 1894 Iven’s enrolled at the London School of Medicine for Women. On graduating she was awarded this medal and in 1903 became only the third women to attain the Master of Surgery honour.

This extremely fine gold prize marked the beginning of Mary Hannah Frances Ivens’ exceptional career that saw her play a vital, life-giving role throughout the Great War. A pioneer of women in medicine, her medal is expected to achieve £3,000-5,000 (US$5,000-8,000) [Lot 2086]

This auction is part of a two day calendar taking place during Coinex 2014 on the 24-25 September, at The Ballroom, 44 Grosvenor Square. Baldwin’s will also be offering Auction 91, on Friday 25 September 2014, featuring the final part of the Lindén Collection. Catalogues are available online at www.baldwin.co.uk

Auction 91

A.H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd, is also 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.

Coins from Lindén’s Japanese section, include a Mutsuhito, Gold 20-Yen, Meiji 9. Mutsuhito restored the Imperial Government and ruled over Japan as Emperor from 1867 to 1912. His monetary reforms replaced official local coins and paper with the Yen, produced at the new Imperial Mint in Osaka. This move transformed Japan into an industrial world power.

Mutsuhit’s Yen, based on the dollar, bears Japanese motifs and inscriptions in Chinese Kanji characters. This Gold 20-Yen is in prooflike mint condition and is estimated at £60,000-80,000 (US$100,000-130,000) [Lots 3502].

From Korea, under Japanese Protection, is a Kuang Mu, Gold 20-Won, Year 10, 1906. This very rare coin is estimated at £50,000-60,000 (US$80,000-100,000) [Lot 3518].

Elsewhere in Lindén’s South Asia collection is a Burmese Mindon Min, Gold Kyat (Mohur) 1228cS (1866). British troops occupied Burma from 1852, but it was not until 1866 that the Burmese King, Mindon Min (1853-1879), acquired modern machinery from the UK to mint coins. Equal in size and weight to the coins of British India, the new coins eased trade with other nations and boosted the economy. Dating from 1866 this Gold Kyat is estimated at £40,000-60,000 (US$65,000-100,000). [Lot 3461].

Following the successes of Lindén’s European coins sold earlier this year, Auction 91 boasts another exceptional selection. One of the many highlights is a George I Gold 50-Drachmai from Greece. With a mintage of only 182, this scarce coin is estimated to achieve £15,000-20,000 (US$25,000-35,000) [Lot 3620].

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.

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