On September 29th, Spink held a sale in London of A Superb Set Of The 1913 – 1914 Commonwealth of Australia Banknotes.

The notes were found in a chest of drawers in the North Yorkshire home of an elderly man when his home was being cleard out for an estate sale. He had been unaware of their existence until he was told by the auctioneer who was clearing his house, that a windfall might be coming his way.

Recognising that these notes were a rare find indeed, an astute Rodney Tennant of Tennants of Leyburn asked London coins and banknote specialists Spink to sell the six notes – all with early serial numbers and all marked Cancelled.

Spink offered them (in the separate catalogue) as lot number one of their banknotes sale of September 28. They did not quite make their £400,000-450,000 estimate, but the vendor’s family was delighted to learn that they had sold to an Australian private collector at £350,000.

Background from the Catalog:

From May 1913, the first distinctive Commonwealth of Australia banknotes were issued. They were controversial in that no portrait of the reigning monarch, King George V, was included in the design. It was also feared that the release of a ten-shilling denomination (reportedly the first by any government within the British Empire) would spread diseases from the lower to middle and upper classes. Specimen notes were prepared from regular note stocks by perforating them horizontally with the word ‘CANCELLED’. Such notes were taken at random from the print runs as required, so many bear relatively high serial numbers. It wasn’t until the issuance of the 1923 series bearing George V’s effigy that low numbers were reserved for specimen notes.
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UPDATE June 25, 2009: Today at auction Spink sold the Anglo-Frisian Solidus coin from ninth century England for £9,300. The coin was purchased by anonymous bidder in the room.

Spink are pleased to announce the sale of an extremely rare Anglo-Frisian Solidus coin from ninth century England. The coin will be sold at auction in London on the 25th of June 2009. The Solidus is truly rare with only one other coin of this type known.

Earlier this year the coin was brought in by a lady who discovered it in a field near Salisbury. After dusting the earth from the face of the coin the lady, who wishes to remain anonymous, knew that she had tripped upon something very unusual.

William MacKay, coin specialist for Spink, stated, “It’s always thrilling to see the face of the owner when you share that their coin is incredibly rare and valuable. In this case we know that these coins are highly desirable as so few exist and collectors will pay any price to add such a gem to their collection. It is estimated to fetch £8,000-10,000 at auction in June but such rarities are often times very difficult to price.

Spink sold an example from the same time period in 2004, the Coenwulf penny, which fetched an incredible £230,000 and now has a home in the British Museum.”

Lot Detail from The Spink Catalogue

Found March 2009, near Salisbury

Whilst coinage in Northern Europe and England in the ninth century was predominantly silver there is substantial evidence for a smaller gold coinage. In all around 100 examples of gold coins exist from this period with most from continental find spots, however a small number have been found in England, with two in the name of the English rulers, Coenwulf of Mercia and Archbishop Wigmund of York. Gold coins from this period are all very rare, with examples from England extremely rare. (more…)

As part of its international expansion in collectibles auctions, Spink Smythe of Dallas, Texas, New York City and London, England has hired Jim Fitzgerald as Senior Vice President of Auctions.

“We are delighted to add such a knowledgeable and well-respected numismatist to lead the Spink Smythe team. We are extremely proud of our past and look forward to continued success in the future with our new, truly global presence,” said Tracy L. Shreve, Chief Operating Officer of Spink USA.

The former Director of Currency Auctions at Heritage Auction Galleries, Fitzgerald also has extensive management experience in the travel and hotel industry. He started collecting coins as a child when his grandfather helped him fill Whitman folders with Lincoln cents found in circulation. In addition to coins, he collects small-size U.S. notes, Texas obsoletes, Confederate and National Bank Notes.

He has presented educational seminars for the Texas Numismatic Association (TNA) and the Tarrant County Historical Society, and recently served as Chairman of the TNA Convention in his hometown of Fort Worth. He and his wife, Sheli, have a son born this past December.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity with Spink Smythe, and look forward to blending two distinguished names both firmly established in their fields into the marketplace,” said Fitzgerald.

“Emphasizing a boutique, more personalized service to our clients is the main goal here at Spink Smythe. In these uncertain economic times people want to know their collection is important and that it will be sold with the same care and dedication that they have given it over the years,” he said.

In January, Spink Smythe launched its Collector’s Series Sales that will feature coins, banknotes, antique stocks and bonds, autographs, ephemera, photographs and tokens and medals.

“Under the Spink banner, Spink Smythe now offers a truly global experience for both buyers and sellers. Additionally, Spink Smythe is pleased to offer the world’s leading online bidding platform, SpinkLive.com. This innovative and easy to use system offers real time bidding featuring audio and streaming video so that bidders may participate as though they were on the auction floor,” explained Shreve. (more…)