Noonans sell detectorist’s collection of Iron Age coins
Noonans sell detectorist’s collection of Iron Age coins
Noonans held an auction of coins, tokens and medals on 13 July 2022. Â The auction included a good number of recent detecting finds including a detectorist’s collection of Iron Age coins. The sales results were in line with expectations.
A penny of Offa, that we had previously featured in our PAS review, did particularly well but a couple of recent artefact finds failed to sell.
To view any of my selected lots in the auction catalogue click on the lot number. The full catalogue can be found here.
There is a buyer’s premium of 24% (plus VAT) on the hammer price.
Detectorist's collection of Iron Age coins
The first 34 lots in the auction are from the collection of an Hertfordshire detectorist. Most of the coins are the owner’s finds; the other coins in his collection were contributed by other detectorists in his family, who were aware of his passion for the subject.
His interest in detecting began when he received a detector as a Christmas present as a schoolboy. After Christmas dinner he went out in a local farmer’s field and found a halfpenny of George III. His finds continued with the usual crotal bells, thimbles and such like. In April he struck gold when he found a Whaddon Chase stater. Imagine the excitement for a schoolboy.
This sparked an interest in Iron Age coins. His collection is the result of over 30 years detecting.
Stater of the Trinovantes
Quarter stater of the Catuvellauni, Whaddon Cross
Quarter stater of the Catuvellauni, shell box
Gold stater of Cunobelin
Stater of Cunobelin, Classic type
Quarter stater of Cunobelin
Other detecting finds
My selection of the other detecting finds in the auction:
Featured Lot
“Portrait” Penny of Offa
We covered this coin in our PAS finds review a couple of months ago where it was a Find of Note. It is a penny of Offa dating to 783 – 792, moneyer Babba, probably of Canterbury. The auctioneer has this as the first portrait penny of Babba although the PAS records has it as the second example (other in the Fitzwilliam). It is certainly a find of some numismatic interest.
