Sovereigns sell for thousands at auction

The collection, which formed part of the estate of a South Shropshire collector, sold for £18,600 at auctioneers Halls’ £300,000, two-day auction of fine pictures, silver, jewellery, watches and coins in Shrewsbury.

Other leading prices in the section were £4,600 for an Edward VII cased specimen set of 13 coins, dated 1902, £3,500 for a Jersey £10 gold proof poppy coin, dated 2011, to mark the Royal British Legion 90th anniversary', £2,050 for ‘The 100 Greatest Masterpieces’ first edition silver proof set of medals and £1,400 each for 2010 and 2011 Jersey gold three coin sovereigns sets.

Cased pairs of 18 carat gold stamp replicas to commemorate the 700th anniversary of Parliament and Sir Winston Churchill sold for £1,050 and £710 respectively.

Diamonds sparkled as two rings – a brilliant cut single stone example and a late 19th century diamond cluster ring – sold for £5,500 each and a pair of cluster ear pendants made £1,250.

Other gemstones also made their mark. A loose, oval cut Colombian emerald, weighing 2.97cts, sold for £2,600, a pair of pear shaped sapphire and diamond stud earrings, made £1,550 and a five-stone emerald and diamond ring sold for £1,200.

Halls continued its record of achieving high prices for graduated amber bead necklaces, as a 49-bead example sold for £1,800. Another notable result was a gold sovereign set necklace at £1,200.

In the watches section, the time was right for a gentleman's stainless steel Breitling Datora Chronograph at £1,350 and a gentleman's Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Perpetual Air King Precision wristwatch at £1,200.

Silver was again in demand, with the top prices going to an 1844 cased silver castle top card case by Birmingham silversmith Nathaniel Mills at £2,100, a pair of Irish tablespoons and set of four dessert spoons at £1,100 and a George V silver two handled tray at £1,050.