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Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s has was proud to present their Ancient, British and World Coins, and Medals Auction on Monday 21 October 2024. Featuring nearly 700 lots, this auction included an array of numismatic rarities from across the globe.
The Gold Ducats were undoubtedly the start of the show, these exceptional gold rarities have never been on the market before. The special highlight was the astonishingly rare Peter I The Great (1682 - 1725), gold Ducat (#502), dated 1716, this is a rare type boasting an Extremely Fine grade – one of the great rarities of Russian Imperial series. Following determined bidding, the beautiful item commanded a full sale price including fees of £126,000 against an estimate of £40,000 - 60,000.
“As a World Coins Specialist, it was a privilege to work with such an amazing collection of Russian gold coins and rare items such as the Palestine Double Proof Set. Fierce bidding online and on the telephones yielded strong results in all World categories and we are grateful to all of our clients for participating and our consignors for giving us their trust.” - Ema Sikic, World Coin Specialist
Stunningly rare and also deserving of a mention, the Ducat of Elizabeth Petrovna (#504) struck in 1751 (Eagle reverse), the only one known across NGC and PCGS censuses. As such this fetched £36,000 including fees against an estimate of £20,000 - £25,000.
Another worthy of note is a stunning 1529 Ferdinand I Gold Ducat, Struck by mintmaster Thomas Beheim during the Siege of Viena to fund a significant contingent of mercenaries sent by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V to bolster the city’s defences. The magnificent example was acquired for a total price of £4,560 including fees.
The medals section was equally impressive, the standout piece being ‘The Lion and the Wolf’ Medal, thought to be one of only seven which fetched £32,400 including fees. 'In 1765 a treaty was made with the British and Pontiac, and his chiefs were presented by Sir William Johnson, at Oswego, with the medals known as 'the lion and wolf medals.' A large number of these were distributed...'. However, Alan M. Stahl, Coinage of the Americas Conference, ANS, New York, 1997, confirms Adams's conclusions. The Adams 'Modern Census' lists just 17 'Lion and Wolf' medals, of which one (see Ford catalogue) is now thought not to exist. Only 7 are of this variety.
Within the Ancient section, the ever-popular Julius Caesar (February, 44 BC) AR Denarius fetched £6,000 including fees. Known as one of the ‘The Coins That Killed Ceasar’, the depiction of Julius Caesar as Dictator perpetuo “DICT PERPETVO” (Dictator for Life) – is often considered a contributing factor to his assassination, though it was not the sole reason. Several sources and interpretations provide insights into how this bold representation of Caesar on coinage may have accelerated the events leading to his murder.
The British section also witnessed spirited bidding and strong results. A 1839 Victoria Proof Crown, sold for double the estimate with a final price of £11,400 including fees. A Philip and Mary (1554-1558), Shilling, dated 1554 - in exceptional condition reached a total sale price of £4,800. Lot 216, a Charles I (1625-1649) silver Ninepence, 1646, Newark siege piece hammered at more than 5 x estimate selling for £3,240 including fees.
Visit www.sgbaldwins.com or explore the extensive ancient section of the upcoming Ancient, British and World Coin auction here to view the results
