Militaria, Jewellery & World Proof Coins ( I - Z )

August 28, 2022 12:00 PM AEST
Timed Auction

277 Lots

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Smalls Auctions

Location: Paddington, Sydney, Australia

Phone: +61 (0)2 9357 5492

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

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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.

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Welcome to Smalls Auctions Sale 184. In this Sale we are continuing with a selection of rare World Proof coins this time with countries running from ‘I to W.’ Perhaps the most important coins on offer are the New Guinea 1935 Proof 3d and 6d and the 1936 Proof Penny. The later coin is one of only a few coin issues stuck for King Edward VIII before he abdicated the Crown for the love of the American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Many see parallels with the romance of Prince Harry (Henry) and Meghan Markle although he is now so far down the pecking order, that barring a calamity, it is highly unlikely that he will assume to role of King Henry the Ninth. And anyway, the heir apparent, Prince Charles, is a divorcee so it’s no big deal these days. The Sale also includes a strong selection of Militaria including contemporary Photographs that capture the carnage of War, some War Art from some of Australia’s leading Artists who were commissioned to capture the pitch of battle, as well as some Trench Art items crafted by troops on the front line from available items such as shell casings. Many of the troops who served were tradesmen before they volunteered for service and turned their experienced hands to crafting ashtrays and vases in between dodging bullets. One of the more interesting collectables are the autographs of key players in the conflicts of WWI and WWII. We have the signatures of Prime Ministers Henry Asquith and David Lloyd George who steered Britain through the First World War. We also have a Christmas Card from Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, albeit unsigned, who to appease Hitler’s territorial aspirations signed the Munich Agreement which ceded parts of Czechoslovakia to Germany only to be double-crossed when Germany invaded Britain’s ally Poland 1n 1939 thus sparking WWII. But it is ‘the men behind the men’ who are the most intriguing. Take the case of Wellington Koo the Ambassador to the Court of St James whose signature on official Chinese Embassy note paper appears in this sale. Koo was born in Shanghai in 1888 and completed his education at Columbia University (U.S.A.) where his exposure to the West saw his appointment in 1912 as the English Secretary to Yuan Shi-kai, the first President of the Republic of China. In 1915 he was elevated to the pivotal role of Minister to the United States and Cuba and in 1919 he joined the Chinese delegation to the Paris Peace Conference at the conclusion of the Great War. Koo's call for the end of Imperialism was rejected by the Western powers and Japan who all had designs on the post-War World, and in protest China was the only nation in attendance to abstain from signing the Versailles Peace Treaty. His prescient diplomatic skills would later be called upon as China's founding delegate at both the 'League of Nations' and the 'United Nations.' During the tumultuous 1920s in his role as China's Minister of Foreign Affairs he was twice asked to assume the office of acting 'Premier,' and for a short time the ultimate role of 'President of the Republic of China.' He also served variously as the Chinese Ambassador to France from 1936 until its occupation by Nazi Germany in 1940, in the crucial war-time role as China's Ambassador to Britain, and also later as an Ambassador to the United States. He retired from the diplomatic ranks in 1956 to take up an appointment as a judge on the International Court of Justice where he served until 1967, the last three years as Vice-President. Phew! What a life. But then there is Ivan Maisky, the highly influential Soviet Ambassador to London from 1932 to 1943 who counted amongst his friends Winston Churchill and Lloyd George. He had the celebrity of a Henry Kissinger in his day and was tolerated by Stalin managing to escape the tyrant’s erratic purges of political rivals up until 1953 when he was arrested for treason. Luckily, he avoided long-term imprisonment or even death when Stalin died just two weeks after his arrest. Maisky was right at the heart of crucial events during WWII and the secret diaries he kept of meetings with his western counterparts rewrote our understanding of the decisions that both caused the War and ultimately led to victory for the Allies. And then there is the indefatigable James Byrnes who at one stage was but a heartbeat from the US Presidency. A giant of the Democratic Party he was a jurist and career politician who served in all three branches of the American Federal Government - first as a member of the House of Representatives where he was the go-to-man for President Woodrow Wilson during WWI, then as a Senator where he was the self-appointed spokesman for the President Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ before being nominated by Roosevelt to serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court of America. Later, after leaving the Federal government he was also elected for a term as the Governor of his home state South Carolina. Between the periods in elected government, he was also tapped on the shoulder by President Roosevelt to join its executive branch during WWII where he headed up the offices of ‘Economic Stabilisation’ and ‘War Mobilisation’ and, under his successor President Truman he was appointed to the senior position of ‘Secretary of State.’ Truman governed without a Vice-President in his first term and, so at the time, if he had died in office, it was the capable Byrnes who would have assumed the Presidency. These three public servants served their countries well during times of peace and war playing a complicated diplomatic game of chess to achieve their outcomes. They were masters at their art and one can only just imagine the important historical documents that were signed off on their signatures. It is an important Sale in terms of history, and we hope you find the items on offer of compelling interest. 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.