Auction 64 Highlights

Welcome to Smalls Auctions Sale 64

Our 2nd last sale for 2019 features some rare and unusual items.

The sale starts with a run of extremely rare Convict Love Tokens which wouldn’t be out of place in any Museum collection. One of the most troubling aspects of life in Georgian England was the very young age of some of the convicts transported to the colonies and the relatively minor charges that led to their banishment. Such was the case of the 'William Foster' the subject of one of these tokens (See Lot 3). There are two possible candidates for the William Foster whose name is stippled on this smoothed English penny and who was transported to the colonies in 1836. The first William Foster was a 13 year old boy when on the 7th March, 1836 he was convicted for housebreaking and was transported to Van Diemen's land on the 'Royal Sovereign' in August 1836. The second William Foster was just 16 on April 4th 1836 when he was convicted of stealing fowls and transported to Van Diemen's Land in July of the same year. It must have been a hardened criminal justice system that tore these boys from their families and sent them to a foreign land and an unknown fate. A heart-rending token of an unjust system.

Following the Love Tokens is an extensive range of Australian and New Zealand Trade Tokens. These tokens performed all the functions of ordinary coinage despite the fact that they were issued by Hotel keepers, Grocers, Pawnbrokers, etc which upset the Colonial Governments greatly during the ‘Gold Rush’ era in Australia.

These interesting pieces of Australiana are followed by commemorative medalets from Australia and around the world. We have also showcased a small number of silver antiquities. Lot 113 is a very impressive suite comprising a Sterling Silver Urn with gilded interior and four matching Silver Goblets in the form of Griffins. Housed in a custom wooden display case with an engraved plaque which reads "From Florence Countess Dowager of Kingston to John Garnett Tatlow Esqre on the occasion of his Gold Wedding”. The sale concludes with an interesting run of Government Reports issued from the mid 1800’s to early 1900’s.

Hopefully there is something in this sale to satisfy even the most curious of collectors.

Happy Bidding

Smalls Auctions