Explorer's Medals, Jewellery and Other Collectables

November 6, 2022 12:00 PM AEDT
Timed Auction

200 Lots

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Smalls Auctions

Location: Paddington, Sydney, Australia

Phone: +61 (0)2 9357 5492

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Accepted Forms of Payment: American Express, COD (cash on delivery), MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Other, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

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AUSTRALIA :

Purchases within Australia will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $10.00 and will be sent by Registered Post.

Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense.

Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

OVERSEAS :

Overseas purchases will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $35.00 and will be sent by standard International Post.

Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense

Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

If we are unsure of the bona fides of a successful bidder we may request identification such as a Passport Photo or Drivers's Licence that matches the Credit Card details registered with Invaluable before we despatch an item.

Both Australian and International packages are traceable in transit and may require a signature on delivery.

Welcome to Smalls Auctions Sale 193 In this Sale we have included an extremely rare Sydney Olympic Medal presented to dignitaries at the launch of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Coin Programme on 6th March 2000. This medal was unknown to us until it turned up in the estate of Stuart Devlin the revered Australian silversmith Stuart Devlin who was responsible for designing the iconic coin reverses that introduced Decimal Currency to Australia in 1966. His inaugural decimal reverses have never been bettered and are still in use today, and on this impressive record he was trusted with the ‘Olympian’ task of producing reverse designs for the gold and silver coins for the Sydney Games. We have no idea how many of this medal were produced but it must be a rarefied number as to our knowledge this is the first time one has been offered for sale and, with the Devlin pedigree, it is a must for serious collectors of Olympic memorabilia. Another item of interest is a desirable Nepalese or Tibetan Thangka centred on the Buddhist Wheel of Life. Tangkas are religious scrolls painted on a silk panel with images dictated by strict philosophical parameters. They are meant to be hung but can be quickly rolled for travelling. It is interesting to note how the great cultures and religions of the world intersect with their philosophies, mythologies, and parables. The perimeter of the wheel in this painting is inhabited with half human - half animal creatures reminiscent of the centaurs and minotaurs of the Ancient Greeks. The plenitude of creatures is a subtle nod to the legend of Noah’s Ark in the Old Testament whilst the erotic couplings above and below the wheel suggest a connection to the Karma Sutra of India’s Hinduism. There is certainly plenty going on in the wall-hanging to potentially intrigue the casual visitor to your home and kick off an interesting dinner conversation. We have also included in the sale some clearance items from a Sydney Jeweller at roughly a quarter of their retail prices. Most jewellers sell ‘the same ol same ol’ product which are just slight variations on a common theme, but the pieces we have on offer are a radical mix of stones and shapes. They might not appeal to conservative tastes but if you are looking to make a statement look no further. We have also included in the sale rare Explorer Medals including two examples of ‘Resolution and Adventure’ Medal (1772). The Platina Medal travelled around the globe with Captain Cook on his ‘Second Voyage of Discovery’ while the Pure Copper Medal was likely a very limited trial strike to test the dies for the silver and gold medals that were also struck to commemorate this event. There are also two French expedition medals struck for the voyages of La Perouse in 1785 and Baudin Expedition in 1801 which both have an intriguing connection to Napoleon Bonaparte. As a 16-year-old second lieutenant, Bonaparte had unsuccessfully applied to accompany La Perouse to the South Pacific thus saving him from a watery grave on the coral shoals of the island of Vanikoro. The fickle hand of fate had intervened in his destiny and just 15 years later he had risen meteorically to be the dictator of France as First Consul of the French First Republic. The Roman Emperors had legitimised the breadth of their reigns by stamping their portraits on their coins and, so it was in keeping that the soon to be Emperor Napoleon's Caesar-like portrait appeared on a medal struck in 1800 to commemorate the voyage of Captain Nicholas Baudin to the South Pacific. Napoleon had personally authorised the voyage and hand-picked Baudin who was tasked with mapping the West Coast of Australia and the largely uncharted Southern Coast, which is where in 1802 he ran into Matthew Flinders at Encounter Bay who was doing the same for the British. Despite the tetchy relationship between the French and British, Baudin was welcomed at Sydney Cove when he called in to replenish supplies. This gave Baudin and his crew a chance to have a good look around and recent research has revealed that Francis Peron the zoologist on Baudin’s voyage penned a secret report on a strategy to capture Sydney for the French. It is highly likely the ambitious Napoleon had greater long-term plans than just conquering Europe but, if he had seriously contemplated invading far-flung Australia it was soon pushed to the backburner as he focused his attention on taking on all-comers in Europe. The British and French expedition medals in our Sale capture both the adventure associated with these Voyages of Discovery and the political intrigue that promoted them. There is also a selection of Modern Mint coins and Banknotes to round out this sale. Smalls Auctions
Buyer's Premium
$0-99: 20.0%
$100-499: 20.0%
$500-999: 20.0%
$1,000-4,999: 20.0%
$5,000+: 20.0%
Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
A$0 A$249 A$5
A$250 A$999 A$10
A$1,000 A$4,999 A$25
A$5,000 A$9,999 A$50
A$10,000 + A$100

Conditions of Sale

VAT and taxes: The Buyer's Premium is inclusive of the Australian G(oods) & S(ervices T(ax) incurred by our service.

Shipping Terms: AUSTRALIA :

Purchases within Australia will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $10.00 and will be sent by Registered Post.

Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense.

Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

OVERSEAS :

Overseas purchases will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $35.00 and will be sent by standard International Post.

Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense

Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

If we are unsure of the bona fides of a successful bidder we may request identification such as a Passport Photo or Drivers's Licence that matches the Credit Card details registered with Invaluable before we despatch an item.

Both Australian and International packages are traceable in transit and may require a signature on delivery.

Buyers Premium: All purchases are subject to an all inclusive 20.0 % Buyer's Premium on the hammer price.

Tax Details: Taxes, Duties and Customs Charges that apply in the country of delivery are the express responsibility of the buyer.

Please notify us if you require a specific description on the outside of the package for customs purposes.