Hansons Historica Auction – 9/10 December 2021
Hansons Historica Auction – 9/10 December 2021
Hansons held an auction of historic artefacts and coins on 9 and 10 December 2021. There were a number of detecting finds, including one Find of Note of National Importance and a Carausius Denarius which was sent into this website for valuation in September. The star lot, a gold signet ring attributed to Thomas Curwen sold for £20,000, significantly above its estimate.
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 25% (plus VAT) on the hammer price.
Featured Lots
Gold signet ring of Thomas Curwen
This revolving bezel finger ring was found by a detectorist in Thornton, Buckinghamshire in October 2017 at a rally entitled “Weekend Wanderers Bucks Oct 2017 American Tour 2“. It is recorded at the PAS as BUC-D65E68. Revolving bezel finger rings date from 1600s.
On one side of the bezel is the family crest of the Curwen family of Workington Hall, Cumberland. The crescent in the arms indicates that this is the second son and the date of the ring suggests that it belonged to Thomas Curwen (1590 – 1653), the second son of Sir Henry Curwen MP.
Iron age coin die/potin matrix
This Iron Age potin matrix was found in Steventon, Hampshire and recorded at the PAS as SUR-08FD05. It was designated a Find of Note; National Importance.
This matrix has a positive image in relief which is a copy of the image on the finished coin and not used to strike coins but instead produce casting moulds, in this case for Soissons Eye Boar type potins. These are typically identified as a Continental/Belgic import type originating from the Soissons region of Northern France, c. 60-20 BC
The Suessiones “six peoples” lived around the river Aisne (Axona “river”). their capital: Noviodunum “New Fort” modern Soissons (Aisne, Picardy), which is named after the tribe.
Carausius Denarius
This coin was sent into my website by its finder Lee Richardson in September this year. I identified and valued it in my article Denarius of Carausius. The auctioneer has given an estimate in line with my valuation.
