£140,000 result highlights growing national reach of Shrewsbury auctioneers
A Shropshire-based fine art auction house has enhanced its reputation for selling coins, books and stamps by recording a £140,000 sale result.
The result, which included buyers’ premium, reflected the current record price for gold on the world market and the growing national reach of Halls Fine Art who sold coin collections from across the country.
Gold coins and 30 Maundy sets, the earliest of which were from the reigns of Charles II and Queen Anne, sold for £23,000 for a Norfolk collector. The Maundy sets sold for up to £850 each, with the top price gong to 1953 and 2003 cased sets from the reign of Elizabeth II.
A collection of gold commemorative coins from a South Shropshire collector sold for £16,000, which included the auction’s top price of £5,000 for an Elizabeth II 2017 UK five coin sovereign proof collection.
Part of a collection of 18th and 19th century copper tokens and silver coinage from a Cheshire collector sold for £6,500.
An album containing 60 English banknotes, comprising the treasury series by John Bradbury from 1914-1919, sold for £3,200 and the third and final part of a ’Shropshire Gentleman’s’ extensive fountain pen collection, which included famous brands and limited edition examples, sold for £4,000. The whole collection of fountain pens sold for £10,000 over three auctions.
Other notable prices were £2,200 for two gold proof two pounds and a gold proof 50p, all dated 2007, £1,950 for States of Jersey, gold proof five pound coins, £1,600 for four Tristan Da Cunha, Elizabeth II gold proof sovereigns dated 2022, £1,550 for three George V sovereigns and two half sovereigns and £1,500 for two Royal Mint Elizabeth II gold proof two pound coins.
Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley, Halls Fine Art’s associate director, was delighted with the auction result which she said vindicated the company’s decision to hold specialist books, coins and stamps sales for the first time this year.
“We are one of the few regional auction houses in the UK to hold books, coins and stamps auctions and the fact that they are getting stronger every time underlines the value of having specialists in our team,” she said.
“The market for coins is particularly strong, reflecting the high price of gold and there were highlights in all sections.”
Derek Ainsworth, Halls Fine Art’s coins specialist, added: “I was delighted with the prices achieved for the coin collections which highlights the fact that gold is a safe haven for investors.
“We are grateful for the support of collectors and buyers from across the UK and overseas. I am already working on consignments for our next coins sale in April and look forward to hearing from people across the UK who wish to sell their collections.”
