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SPIN-A-DISC BULLETIN BOARD JULY 2006 Highest Price Ever Achieved for English Coin at Auction Today at £460,000
London - England’s first large gold coin, the Edward III (1341-1343) Double Leopard, came up for sale today at Spink in London. The coin sold for a staggering £460,000 (US$841,800), against a pre-sale estimate of £100,000-150,000, making it the most expensive English Coin ever sold. Bidders crowded the room to see history made in the auction world as the estimate was doubled then tripled and continued to climb in price. Towards the end two bidders were left in the fight for the coin, one in the room and one on the phone. At £390,000 a new bidder appeared and the coin received open applause from the room when he purchased the Double Leopard for a hammer price of £400,000. "We knew that there would be huge interest", said Jeremy Cheek of Spink Auctions, "but this surpassed all our expectations". History of the Coin: This coin is the third known specimen of its kind. The two other examples, found in the bed of the river Tyne in 1857, are now both in the British Museum. No other specimens were known until this coin was discovered and dug up earlier this year by a metal detectorist in the south of England. This is therefore the only example in private hands. It is a slightly different variety to either of those in the British Museum. The finder was working with the permission of the landowner who has a joint interest in the coin - the proceeds of the sale will be divided between them. In order to protect the site the find spot is not being disclosed. The Gold Double Florin, authorised on 14 December 1343, was to circulate at a value of six-shillings. The first coins were struck in early 1344, but the coinage was not a success. The Double Florin was replaced by the Gold Noble, authorised on 9 July 1344, and therefore this magnificent coin was only legal tender for a brief seven months. The obverse shows a full length portrait of Edward III enthroned beneath a Gothic portico. The King is crowned and holds an orb and sceptre. Two crowned Leopards sit at either side, and the surrounding fields are decorated with fleur de lis. The reverse is filled by a floriate cross with crowns at the four points, within a quadrilobe with four Leopards in the angles. The Double Florin was the first large gold coin of England. It was intended primarily for foreign trade. The denomination was based on the gold Florin of Florence, and the design was derived from a French gold coin ("masse d'or") of Philip IV of France (1285-1314). Edward’s issue of large gold coins was emblematic of the might of England during his reign (1327-77). Edward ruled not only England but also much of France which he claimed through his mother Isabella, daughter of Philip IV. It was Edward’s brilliant son, the Black Prince, who secured English interests on the continent with his stunning victories at Poitiers and Crecy. Recent Records Set by Spink: 2003 - Charles II Pattern Crown sold for £138,000 2004 - Coenwulf Gold Penny sold for £230,000 2005 - Queen Anne Vigo Five Guineas sold for £149,500 And now… 2006 – Edward III Double Leopard sold for £460,000 © 2006 Press release reproduced by kind permission of Spink & Son Ltd ********************************************************************************************************* AUGUST 2005 SPIN-A-DISC ACQUIRE MOUNT PUBLICATIONS TITLES
Spin-A-Disc
Metal Detectors are pleased to announce the recent purchase of Mount
Publications metal detecting catalogue. The
catalogue comprises five of the hobbies best selling titles: Detecting 2000,
Cleaning and Restoring Coins and Artefacts, Metal Detector Finds Identified and
Valued, Identifying Buckles and Identifying Buttons. Four
of the books were written and compiled by one of the most respected authors
within the hobby, Michael J. Cuddeford- whilst Identifying Buttons was a joint
venture with collecting specialists Alan and Gillian Meredith. The
Mount Catalogue, now joins forces with Spin-A-Discs' own imprints. Metal
Detecting On The Coast, Collecting For Free, New Guide To Metal Detecting, and
Metal Detecting Sites In The County Of Lincolnshire, together with a wide and
comprehensive selection of books from major publishing houses including Spink
& Son, David and Charles, Routledge, Taylor and Frances, Rotographic, Shire
Publications, Oxbow, Ordnance Survey, Tempus Books and of course our good
friends at Greenlight Publishing. Spin-A-Disc
has long been committed to supplying the very best books for both the Metal
Detectorist and collector and has for several years been proud to have been
associated with Mount Publications. This recent acquisition of the Mount
catalogue reinforces that commitment. The worlds largest supplier of metal
detecting books continue to expand their catalogue and in providing the reader
with first class publications directly through their own website, via
"Treasure Hunting" magazine and in addition supplying books to Metal
Detecting outlets, Bookshops and wholesalers with many rare and generally
unavailable titles. ____________________________________________________________________________
OCTOBER 2004 UNIQUE
GOLD PENNY SOLD
FOR £230,000 A NEW
WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A BRITISH COIN Pre-sale estimate: £120,000-150,000 Coenwulf,
King of Mercia (796-821) Gold
Penny, London The first Anglo-Saxon gold penny to come to light for almost a
century, was sold at Spink on October 6th for a record-breaking price of £230,000
(€336,000/$411,400). Found by an
amateur metal detectorist in 2001, beside the River Ivel in Bedfordshire,
the gold penny had been expected to fetch £120,000-150,000. It was bought in
the saleroom by Allan Davisson, an American collector of early British coins
from Minnesota. This magnificent coin, with its superb workmanship and remarkable
state of preservation, is unique in several respects. It is the only known gold
coin in the name of Coenwulf of Mercia and the only known purpose made
Anglo-Saxon gold penny of clearly regal design. In addition, it is also the only
known coin with a London mint signature and to refer to the ‘wic’ of London
(Anglo- Saxon trading settlement, outside the old city walls to the west of the
old Roman city). The coin was offered for sale at Spink by agreement with the
landowner and represents the most important discovery in British numismatics for
many years. It weighs just 4.33g and is very similar in size to a modern one
pence coin. The obverse of the coin carries a finely detailed bust of Coenwulf
surrounded by his title COENVVLF REX M (Coenwulf King of Mercia). The reverse
shows a central floral design surrounded by the legend DE VICO LVNDONIAE [from
the wic of London]. ************************ PREVIOUS AUCTION RECORDS:
© 2004 Press release is reproduced by kind permission of Spink & Son Ltd
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Orders:- (01422) 245401
or you can POST your order with the correct remittance to:
Spin-A-Disc
Metal Detectors
107,
Keighley Road, Illingworth, Halifax HX2 8JE U.K.
Payment should be made to 'Spin-A-Disc Metal Detectors'
