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Sold between 21 January & 25 April 2018
4 parts
Marvin Lessen
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1,310 lots found
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Hammer (High–Low)
21 January 2021
IV: Coins of Oliver Cromwell, Crown, 1658/7, laureate bust left, olivar d g r p ang sco et hib &c pro, rev. pax qværitvr bello, crowned shield, edge has nisi peritvrvs mihi adimat nemo, 30.06g/464.0gr/6h (Lessen, BNJ 1996, E12; L & S 1; ESC 240 [10]; S 3226). Traces of tooling to remove parts of the customary die break on neck, otherwise good extremely fine with old cabinet toning and reflective fields £4,000-£5,000
Hammer Price: £6,000
IV: Coins of Oliver Cromwell, Halfcrown, 1658, laureate bust left, olivar d g r p ang sco et hib &c pro, rev. pax qværitvr bello, crowned shield, edge lettered, has nisi peritvrvs mihi adimat nemo, 15.00g/231.9gr/6h (Lessen, BNJ 1996, I26; ESC 252 [447]; S 3227A). Light scratch on neck, otherwise extremely fine, old cabinet toning £3,000-£4,000
III: Commonwealth Coins of 1651, Patterns, Pattern Sixpence, 1651, by T. Simon and P. Blondeau, in silver, mm. sun on obv. only, shield within wreath of oak and palm, the commonwealth of england, rev. god with vs, conjoined shields, mark of value above, edge grained, 3.02g/46.9gr/6h (ESC 217 [1498]; N p.206; cf. Tisbury I, 818). Extremely fine or better with proof-like fields and most attractive toning, rare [formerly slabbed NGC PF 64] £2,000-£3,000
29 January 2020
James I (1603-1625), Second coinage, Shilling, mm. key, fifth bust with long hair, reads hib, 5.99g/10h (N 2101; S 2656). Extremely fine and toned, excellent portrait £600-£800
IV: Coins of Oliver Cromwell, Halfcrown, 1656, from the same dies as previous, edge has nisi peritvrvs mihi adimat nemo, 14.82g/229.1gr/6h (Lessen, BNJ 1996, H25; ESC 251 [446]; S 3227). Characteristic small die flaws in front of face and other minor marks on hair and neck, otherwise very fine and dark-toned £3,000-£4,000
Hammer Price: £5,500
III: Commonwealth Coins of 1651, Patterns, Pattern Halfcrown, 1651, by T. Simon and P. Blondeau, in silver, mm. sun on obv. only, shield within wreath of oak and palm, the commonwealth of england, rev. god with vs, conjoined shields, mark of value above, edge in · the · third · yeare · of · freedome · by · gods · blessing · restored · 1651 ·, 15.07g/232.8gr/6h (ESC 62 [443]; Nathanson p.17; N 2731; cf. DNW 75, 331). Very fine, old cabinet toning over lightly reflective fields,...
XI: Hammered Coins of Charles II, Third issue, Shilling, mm. crown, crowned bust left, with inner circles and mark of value, carolvs ii d g mag brit fr et hib rex, rev. christo avspice regno, shield, [90.8gr], 5.86g/90.8gr/11h (ESC 308 [1016]; N 2764; S 3322). Neatly struck on a round flan, good very fine, light olive tone £400-£500
3 July 2019
Henry IV or Henry V, Light coinage: Secondary series, Groat, class A, mm. pierced cross with central pellet on obv., cross pattée on rev., ‘emaciated’ bust, large fleurs on all cusps, quatrefoil after henric, slipped trefoil after posvi, 3.68g/6h (Stewartby p.323 [Henry IV]; Harris, BNJ 1997, p.26, 7, and pl. 2, this coin; Potter I-1 and pl. ix, 1, this coin; N 1385; S 1759). Very fine and very rare £2,000-£2,600
25 April 2018
Carausius (286-293), Denarius, London, 286-7, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, rev. votvm pvblicvm around circular altar inscribed mvltis xx imp, rsr in exergue, 4.03g (Shiel 97; RIC 597; Sear 13548; cf. S 669B). Small flan crack at 1 o’clock, otherwise very fine and very rare £1,500-2,000
Charles I (1625-1649), Worcester or Shrewsbury mint, Shilling, mm. pear on rev. only, bust left of good style, uncrowned oval draped shield, mm. flanked by two groups of four pellets, 6.10g/9h (Allen A-5; SCBI Brooker 1172, same dies; N 2613; S 3109). Very fine and full, toned, very rare £4,000-£5,000
Henry IV (1399-1413), Heavy coinage, Halfgroat, London, mm. cross pattée, star on breast, unbarred Roman ns on rev., 2.28g/1h (DIG 5, this coin, illustrated on p.50; Potter 4, this coin; N 1346; S 1718). Very fine and dark-toned, extremely rare; only 7 true Heavy Halfgroats known for the reign, of which 3 are in institutions £3,000-£4,000
Hammer Price: £5,000
V: Original Medals by Simon, Scottish Rebellion Extinguished, 1639, a struck silver medal, unsigned, King on horseback left, trampling arms, date in exergue, carolvs d g mag brit fran et hib rex, rev. qvos devs, hand issuing from clouds holding cord linking a rose and a thistle, 31mm, 6.45g (Platt I, p.150, type A; MI I, 282/90; E 134a). About extremely fine, attractively toned, rare £800-£1,000
Charles I (1625-1649), Pontefract, Charles II, Shilling, 1648, type 2, no mm., large crown above hanc devs dedit and date, carol ii d g mag b f et h rex around, rev. post mortem patris pro filio, castle gateway, obs to left, p c [Pontefract Castle] above, cannon protruding at right, octagonal flan, 4.38g/12h (Hird 282-4 and SCBI Brooker 1235, same dies; N 2649; S 3151). About very fine and toned, rare £4,000-£5,000
Charles I (1625-1649), Pontefract, Shilling, 1648, type 1, crowned c r, thin lettering, rev. castle gateway, obs to left, p c [Pontefract Castle] above, hand holding sword at right, date below, octagonal flan, 4.92g/12h (Hird 270-1 and SCBI Brooker 1229-30, same dies; N 2646; S 3148). Cleaned in the past, otherwise good very fine, well-centred, rare £4,000-£6,000
Mary (1542-1567), Third period (First widowhood), Testoon, 1561, small plain cross over crown with no pellets on band, 5.98g/8h (SCBI 58, 1148, and B fig. 896, same dies; SCBI 35, 1111ff; S 5422 and p.76). With crowned thistle countermark for the revaluation of 1578 on obverse, portrait smoothed, otherwise about very fine and dark-toned, very rare £3,000-£4,000
V: Original Medals by Simon, Scottish Rebellion Extinguished, undated [1639], a struck silver-gilt medal by T. Simon, King on horseback left, trampling arms, signed s on cuirass on ground, carolvs d g mag brit fran et hib rex, rev. from the same die as previous, 31mm, 7.88g (Platt I, p.150, type B, and p.150, this piece illustrated; Nathanson p.10, same dies; MI I, 282/91; E 134a). Attractive original gilding, reverse off-centre, otherwise very fine and very rare £1,500-£2,000
Hammer Price: £4,600
Edward I (1272-1307), New coinage, Groat, London, variety e (Fox 4), crowned wider-faced bust in quadrilobe, pellet in oval eyes, bushy hair, edwardvs : d’i : gra’ : rex : angl’, large commas in punctuation, rev. : dn’s hibn’e dvx aqvt, londonia civi, 5.34g/1h (Allen, Corpus –, but 42, e1/r24, same dies [= RCL 2987]; Fox, BNJ 1910, pl. v, 4, and Spink 1, 176, same obv. die; N 1006; S 1379E). Stress surface mark running east-west visible on close inspection, otherwise no traces of...
IV: Coins of Oliver Cromwell, Halfcrown, 1658, from the same dies as previous, edge has nisi peritvrvs mihi adimat nemo, 15.03g/232.4gr/6h (Lessen, BNJ 1996, I26; ESC 252 [447]; S 3227A). Small edge split at 11 o’clock, otherwise extremely fine, toned £3,000-£3,600
William II (1087-1100), Penny, Profile type [BMC I], Worcester, Eastmær, estmier on pihr, 1.39g/12h (Allen, BNJ 2012, p.83; BMC 64, same dies; N 851; S 1258). On a large flan, extremely fine and toned, very rare £3,000-£4,000
XIII: Medals of Charles II by Simon, Restoration of the Monarchy, 1660, a struck silver medal by T. Simon [formerly known as a Pattern Broad], laureate bust right, wearing Garter badge over armour, hair falling over shoulder, signed s below, carolvs ii d g mag br fr et hi rex, rev. magna opera domini, crowned shield of arms, edge plain, 29.5mm 7.95g (Lessen, BNJ 1995, type Ba; Nathanson p.34; MI I, 463/59; N 2776; cf. DNW 34, 521). About extremely fine and attractively toned, rare £500-£600
Hammer Price: £4,400
XIII: Medals of Charles II by Simon, Dominion of the Sea, 1665, a struck silver medal by T. Simon, from the same dies as previous, 27mm, 10.24g (Nathanson p.40; MI I, 506/145; E 233). Graze in field behind King’s head, otherwise good very fine and toned, with only a faint trace of the characteristic die flaws on reverse, very rare £700-£900
Danes of York, St Peter coinage, Penny, Phase III, Sword type, iiiic eiic (reversed) divided by sword, cross pattée at right, quatrefoil of pellets above and below, rev. e + v + ic + d around voided hammer, 1.14g/7h (SCBI Hunterian 517, same dies; N 556; S 1015). Obverse very fine, reverse extremely fine but light trace of surface corrosion by initial cross, very rare £3,000-4,000
Charles I (1625-1649), Inchiquin Money, First issue, Shilling, irregular flan stamped 3dwt: 21gr within treble beaded border, 5.86g/6h (S 6534; DF 279). About very fine, very rare £4,000-£5,000
IX: Original Naval Rewards (and Electrotypes), Naval Reward, 1650-1, a struck plated medal by T. Simon, mervisti, shields of England and Ireland superimposed on anchor, surrounded by rope, signed ts monogram, rev. view of the Long Parliament, 25 x 21mm, 6.72g (Lessen, BNJ 1981, p.112 and pl. vii, 1, this piece; Platt II, p.335, type B; MI I, 390/12; MH 33; E 179). About extremely fine, extremely rare £3,000-£4,000
Hammer Price: £4,200
Archbishops of Canterbury, Wulfred, Penny, Gp III, Canterbury, Swefheard, vvlfred archiepi around tonsured and draped facing bust breaking inner circle, flanked by vertical trio of pellets, rev. svvefherd moneta around Dorobernia Civitas monogram, 1.35g/6h (Naismith C47.2e, this coin; BLS 8c, this coin; N 240/1; S 889). Trace of surface verdigris on reverse, otherwise very fine with a good portrait, rare £2,400-3,000
Matilda (c. 1139-49), Penny, Cross Moline type [BMC I], Cardiff, Bricmer, [bric]mer: c[ai]er[di], 1.00g/3h (Allen, BNJ 2012, p.108; Boon type A, 33, this coin; Williams 728, same dies; Mack –; BMC –; N 936; S 1326). Crack repaired, legends mostly flat, otherwise fine, portrait better, rare £700-£900
CATUVELLAUNI, Cunobelin, Stater, Classic type, series A, ear of barley with central stalk dividing camv, rev. horse prancing right, branch above, cvno below, 5.33g (Sills 589, and p.686, this coin [CCI 08.8216]; BMC 1829ff; ABC 2822ff; S 288). A well-struck coin of fine style and exceptional quality, trifling marks, otherwise extremely fine, rare £2,000-3,000
Hammer Price: £4,000
Charles I (1625-1649), Chester mint, Halfcrown, mm. sword erect between three gerbs, spirited horse, chst below, b over r in hib, oval garnished shield, 14.76g/12h (Bull 576; Lyall B/2; SCBI Brooker 1111 and Chester 447, same dies; N 2627/1; S 3130). Metal fault on reverse, otherwise good very fine with an excellent horseman, toned, rare £4,000-£5,000
Kings of Kent, Cuthred (798-807), Penny, Canterbury, Dudda, cvdred rex cant around diademed and draped bust right, breaking inner circle, rev. dvda moneta around cross pattée with wedges in angles, 1.22g/3h (Naismith C30.1g, this coin; BLS 15f, this coin; BMC 5; N 211; S 877). Very fine and toned with a good portrait, very rare £2,400-3,000
XIII: Medals of Charles II by Simon, Restoration of the Monarchy, 1660, a struck silver medal by T. Simon [formerly known as a Pattern Broad], from the same dies as previous, edge reversvs sine clade victor · simon fecit, 30mm, 11.53g (Lessen, BNJ 1995, type Dc; MI I, 464/62; N 2777). Good very fine and toned, very rare £600-£800
Kings of All England, Eadmund (939-46), Penny, Two Line type [HM var. D], Shrewsbury (?), Eoformund, eadmvnd rex around small cross pattée, rev. eofermvnd m¯o divided by three crosses pattée, sideways s above and below, 1.62g/12h (CTCE 241, and pl. 11, this coin; SCBI Yorkshire 1000, same dies; BMC –; N 694/1; S 1105). About extremely fine and toned, of the highest rarity; perhaps only one other specimen known [Yorkshire Museum] £2,000-3,000
James II (1437-1460), Second coinage, Groat, Second issue, Stirling, type II, mm. crown, lis by neck, 3.33g/11h (SCBI 35, 721, same obv. die; B fig. 539; S 5241). Good very fine and toned, very rare, an exceptional specimen £1,500-£2,000
XI: Hammered Coins of Charles II, First issue, Sixpence, mm. crown on obv. only, crowned bust left, no inner circles or mark of value, carolvs ii d g mag brit fran et hib rex, rev. christo avspice regno, shield, stop above, dies 1/1, 2.93g/45.3gr/3h (ESC 274 [1507]; N 2765; S 3309). Tiny mark in obverse field, otherwise extremely fine and attractively toned £1,500-£2,000
Hammer Price: £3,800
I: Briot, Warin and Rawlins, England, Charles II, Coronation, 1661, a struck silver medal, unsigned [by T. Rawlins], crowned bust left wearing Collar of the Garter, carolvs ii d g mag bri fra et hi rex coronatvs, rev. dixi cvstodiam xxiii april 1661, Charles as a shepherd tending his flock, edge pastore ovat ovile coronato, 33mm, 22.78g (MI I, 473/78; E 220). Good very fine, old cabinet toning, very rare £600-£800
Kings of Wessex, Æthelred I (865-71), Penny, Wessex Regular Lunettes type, Dudda, aedelred rex around diademed bust right, rev. dvdda moneta in and between two lunettes, 1.31g/3h (Lyons/Mackay –, but cf. BNJ 2007, p.106, lines 3-4, this coin; cf. BMC 13; N 622; S 1055). Very fine and toned, rare £1,500-2,000
I: Briot, Warin and Rawlins, France, Louis XIII, Trial Piédfort Quart de Franc, 1618a, Paris, by N. Briot, in silver, laureate bust right, date below, lvdovicvs xiii d g fran et navaræ rex, rev. sit nomen domini benedictvm, L in centre of ornate cross fleury, edge + ivstissimi regis perennitati, 14.10g/217.8gr/12h (Ciani 1641; VG 32; KM. P24). Good very fine, very rare £1,000-£1,500
The earliest English coin-related piece to bear a date of any kind: ‘Perkin Warbeck’, medallic jeton, 1494, in silver, issued for the Lower Exchequer and struck at the Tower mint, ‘mm’. lion, crowned arms of England and France quarterly, flanked by crowned lis and crowned rose, all within 5-arc tressure, domine salvvm fac regem, rev. mani techel phares and date, crown above lis, lion and rose, all within 4-arc tressure, 3.78g/6h (Dykes/Archibald, BNJ 2020 [forthcoming], 10, this...
George I (1714-1727), Shilling, 1725 wcc, second bust, harp with 6 strings (ESC 1596 [1185]; S 3650). Very fine and toned, very rare £1,500-£2,000
V: Original Medals by Simon, The Trial and Acquittal of John Lilburne, London, 1649, a struck silver-gilt medal, unsigned [by D. Ramage after T. Simon], draped bust left, iohn lilborne saved by the power of the lord and the integrity of his ivry who are ivges of law as wel as fact oct 26 1649, rev. myles petty ste iles abr smith ion king, etc around central rose, 34mm, 13.66g (Platt II, p.202, type A; MI I, 385/3; E 177). Good very fine, very rare £900-£1,200
Hammer Price: £3,600
III: Commonwealth Coins of 1651, Patterns, Pattern Shilling, 1651, by T. Simon and P. Blondeau, in silver, mm. sun on obv. only, shield within wreath of oak and palm, the commonwealth of england, rev. god with vs, conjoined shields, mark of value above, edge grained, 5.74g/6h (ESC 173 [1002]; N p.206; cf. Tisbury I, 816). Good fine and toned, rare £600-£800
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