Your collection may have just become more valuable thanks to intense media and public interest in a recent UK auction. This sort of interest and publicity helps keep numismatics alive and drives sale prices upward.
Baldwins is one of the largest and longest running numismatic dealers and auction houses in the world and trades in the heart of London. They recently conducted an auction of primarily gold sovereigns known as the Bentley Collection which included a key piece of Australian history.
Amassed by the private collector over a 34 year collecting period the Bentley Collections owner had an eye for only the rarest and highest quality pieces. A highlight and one watched by those aspiring to collect such a rarity was an Australian 1920's gold sovereign sold in part two of these prestige auctions. Minted at the first branch of the Royal Mint outside of England, the Sydney Mint, this King George V Australian sovereign is one of only 4 known examples. 3 circulation types struck with rusted dies which includes this piece and a specimen example which sold in the Quartermaster Collection of 2009 for AUD$800,000 plus commission.
This rare sovereign was purchased by leading Sydney coin dealer Robert Jaggard acting on behalf of a very keen buyer who now has a complete Australian gold sovereign collection. The hammer dropped at £650 000 plus 24% buyers premium (over AUD$1.2 million). It had previously been sold in a 2006 public auction in Australia for AUD$582,500 a then world record price for a Royal Mint sovereign. It's provenance also leads back to it's sale by Bob Jaggard in 1979 for AUD$4,250.
Don't you wish you could turn back time....
Posted by harrisk at September 29, 2012 8:15 AM
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