Record-breaking results from The Slaney Collection of English Coins – Part 2 , sold on May 14, 2015
A sale as long-awaited as this one was bound to attract extremely high prices, but the results of the sale exceed expectations. The first part of the Slaney Collection was sold by Spink 12 years ago in 2003, so it is only fitting that Spink should have the privilege of selling the second half. The collection was originally formed with great care and at considerable expense between 1940 and 1960. Several famous collections were dispersed during these decades, and so many of the Slaney coins have impressive provenances going back into the 19th century. The first half managed to smash several record prices for English coins, but it pales into insignificance compared to the second half’s results.
PART TWO started off with some very strong bidding and almost every single hammered gold coin not only exceeded its highest estimates, but in most cases even more than doubled them. Some of the most staggering results from this section include:
- Lot 297: Elizabeth I (1583-1600), Half-Pound – realised £28,800 against its top estimate of £10,000
- Lot 299: James I (1619-25), fine gold Rose-Ryal, 30-Shillings – realised £46,800
- Lot 303: Charles I (1625-49), Oxford, Unite, 1644 – achieved £69,600 against top estimate of £25,000
These three monarchs certainly pulled their weight in this sale, but Charles I didn’t stop there.
He reigned supreme throughout the hammered silver coins with the famous Oxford Pound (Lot 345, 1644) realising a fantastic £144,000 compared to the top estimate of £80,000.
Charles I Civil War siege pieces from Newark, Pontefract, Scarbourough and Carlisle all did very well, with Lot 349–a Charles I Carlisle (besieged between October 1644 – June 1645) Three-Shilling–achieving £56,400.
Lot 356, a lozenge-shaped Two-Shillings from Pontefract, also achieved a very high hammer price, realising £52,800.
But the stars of the show appeared in the selection of milled gold coins. Not one, but two world records were broken in this section of the sale.
Lot 367, a Charles II (1660-85) Five-Guineas, achieved the highest price ever seen for a coin of this type, realising £162,000. Its remarkable deep red tone and exemplary provenance made it extremely popular. In 1903 it was bought for £12.5/- by J. G. Murdoch, which does not seem like a lot but certainly would have been enough to purchase a decently-sized house with in the early 20th century.
Not to be outdone, a George III pattern Five-Pound piece (Lot 411) that displays the first use of a design still in use on English coinage today: the George and the Dragon motif designed by Benedetto Pistrucci. The Five-Pound pattern achieved an astounding £360,000; a world record for this extremely rare coin, of which only 25 were ever struck. Spink could not be more pleased with this result, tripling an estimate to this high a price is almost unheard of!
For more Information, please contact Richard Bishop at +44 020 7563 4053, or email him at [email protected].
At the time of publication, one British pound trades for approximately $1.57 USD.
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About Spink
Spink is the world’s leading auctioneer of stamps, coins, banknotes, medals, bonds & shares, autographs, books and wine. Since its foundation in 1666, the Spink name has become synonymous with tradition, experience and integrity. Holder of royal warrants and numerous records for prices achieved at auction, Spink offers an unparalleled range of services to collectors worldwide. Headquartered in London, with offices in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Switzerland, Spink holds over 70 auctions a year. Catalogues can be accessed through the Spink website (www.spink.com) or via the Spink App for iPhone and iPad.
