Final hammer set to fall on Block Arcade auction venue…
Almost 500 bidders are expected to attend the final Downies Australian Coin auction in the Block Arcade ahead of relocation to a more user-friendly venue in April 2015.
The curtain will fall on a Melbourne institution when the final hammer comes down on Wednesday October 29. Set to be held over two days (October 28 & 29), Auction 318 will see over 2500 lots offered for sale to coin and collectable enthusiasts.
Ranging from rare coins through to more contemporary collectables, each of the offerings represent significant value to the vendors and a potential investment of note to bidders, with the highlight being the consignment of the late Terry Pepperell, a collector of great standing within the Australian numismatic community.
Downies Australian Coin Auctions is the longest established coin and banknote auction house in Australia, having conducted auctions in Melbourne’s inner city since 1963. Over that time, the business has accumulated the expertise and experience to become the clear market leader in Australian numismatic auctions, repeatedly delivering the best clearance rates in the industry.
“We’ve certainly had some wonderful auction events in Melbourne, delivering great outcomes for vendors and buyers alike as we’ve witnessed many thousands of lots transition into the custodianship of new owners,” says Downies’ Managing Director Ken Downie.
One of the more memorable auctions included a Beatles themed event that saw a significant collection of Fab Four memorabilia, celebrating their one and only concert tour of Australia, offered to the market in 1999 following the passing of an avid collector.
“The Beatles collection was one of many highlights,” said Downie. “People were crawling over one another to get a piece of the action, and it highlighted how the art of collecting can capture the public’s imagination when the topic resonates strongly with them.”
The most valuable consignment offered to date was the Reserve Bank of Australia gold sovereign collection that sold for almost $5 Million in 2005.
Auction 319 will take place on April 14-16 in a modern new location to be revealed early in 2015. The auction administration team will also relocate from The Block Arcade to the Downies’ Mitcham base following next week’s auction.
“Unfortunately we’ve outgrown the current venue and the layout was impacting negatively upon on our client service levels,” Downie concluded.“We’re confident that integrating our auction team into our head office will deliver much greater efficiencies from a planning and administration point of view.
“It will also free up our team to devote more of their time to securing higher quality consignments to offer to our clients at forthcoming auctions.”
View the complete auction catalogue, click here.
