DNW – Coins, Medals and Antiquities – 7 & 8 September 2021

September 17, 2021February 7, 2022 Peter

DNW – Coins, Medals and Antiquities – 7 & 8 September 2021

DNW are held an auction on 7 and 8 September 2021. The results were a bit of a mixed bag: some lots selling for far more than there estimate and other lots with high estimates failing to sell. A Henry V farthing (lot 120) sold for £3,000 against an estimate of £300 – £400 but the star lot, a Charles I, Halfcrown (lot 167) was unsold.

The full catalogue can be found here. To view any of my selected lots in the auction catalogue, click on the lot number.

There is a buyer’s premium of 24% (plus VAT) on the hammer price.

Featured Lots

Photo: © DNW

Charles I, halfcrown

Mint: Chester

Estimate: £7,000 – £8,000

Chester mint is indicated by the mint mark of three garbs, or sheaves of grain (from the Chester coat of arms) and CHST between the feet of the horse. In 1644, after Marston Moor, the king lost the mint at York and was cut off from Oxford. Cheshire being a loyal county, the king came here in 1645. The need for an emergency mint in this part of the country would be pressing,

The date of the coin will be between the date of the instruction to begin minting coins at Chester, 31 January 1645, and the surrender of Chester by Lord Byron to the Parliamentary besiegers under Sir William Brereton on 3 February 1646; a period of one year and three days. Due to this short minting period, Charles’s Chester coins are rare.

Selection of other lots

Photo: © DNW

Stater of the Corieltauvi

South Ferriby type, wreath design. Reverse: disjointed horse left, ‘anchor’ shape above, star below,

Estimate: £500 – £600

Hammer: £650

Photo: © DNW

Eadberht, sceatta

Class A. Obverse: EADBERhTVT around small cross, Reverse stylised stag right with protruding tongue

Estimate: £300 – £400

Hammer: £360

Photo: © DNW

Edward III, half noble

Transitional period (no French titles), London mint, mint mark: cross potent. Reverse legend reads: DOMINE IN FVORE TVO ARGVS M from Psalm 37 – Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me. “O Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation“

Estimate: £500 – £700

Hammer: £550

Photo: © DNW

Henry V, farthing

Calais mint

Estimate: £300 – £400

Hammer: £3000

Photo: © DNW

Henry VI, quarter noble

First reign, Rosette-Mascle issue. Mint: London, Mint Mark: large lis

Estimate: £1,000 – £1,200

Photo: © DNW

Henry VIII, Testoon

Third coinage, Tower mint. Mint mark: lis. Reverse legend reads: POSVI DEVM ADIVTORIVM MEVM (ADIVTORIVM rather than the normal ADIVTOREVM)

Estimate: £2,400 – £3,000

Hammer: £4800

Photo: © DNW

Edward IV, groat

Anonymous Crown coinage minted in Dublin

Estimate: £400 – £500

Hammer: £850

Photo: © DNW

Edward IV, penny

Reverse legend reads CIVITAS [—]RICI indicating the mint as Limerick.

Estimate: £120 – £150

Hammer: £200

Photo: © DNW

James I of Scotland, six shillings

Ninth coinage. Reverse legend reads: QVÆ · DEVS · CONIVNXIT · NEMO · SEPARET, “What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder“

Estimate: £2,000 – £3,000

Photo: © DNW

Irish half crown

The design of this Irish Half Crown by Percy Metcalf features an Irish Hunter Horse. Produced between 1939 -1943 a total 3,534,001 were minted. Of this total only 1,000 were dated 1943.

Estimate: £150 – £180

Hammer: £220

Photo: © DNW

Vitellius, denarius

Obverse: laureate head right. Reverse: tripod, dolphin above, raven at base.

Estimate: £100 – £120

Hammer: £180

Photo: © DNW

Marcus Aurelius, sestertius

Minted 161-2. The obverse shows Marcus Aurelius. On the reverse he is clasping hands with his adoptive brother, Lucius Verus, who reigned alongside him.

Estimate: £100 – £120

Hammer: £320

Photo: © DNW

Limoges mount of a Saint

Gilt brass Limoges mount of a Saint with recessed longitudinal cells containing champleve enamel. These mounts were originally attached to reliquary caskets or an altar cross and were likely removed and then buried to gain a blessing

Estimate: £200 – £260

Hammer: £460

Photo: © DNW

Medieval Seal Matrix

Inscription reads SIGILL ROGERI D HECHAM – “Seal of Roger of Heachem” around a monks head. Heachem, a village in West Norfolk, is believed to have been the home to a cell of Cluniac monks.

Estimate: £300 – £400

Hammer: £750

Photo: © DNW

Vervel

A silver Vervel or Hawking Ring, used to identify the owner of a falcon. The reverse reads H IERNE GAN and the crest on the obverse represent the Jernigan family. The family was based in Norfolk and Suffolk. Sir Henry Jernigan (†1571) was a courtier and master of horse to Queen Mary and was granted the manor of Cossey in 1557

Estimate: £800 – £1,000

Hammer: £950