Rare Colonial Coins and Russian Icons

December 11, 2022 12:00 PM AEDT
Timed Auction

175 Lots

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Smalls Auctions

Location: Sydney, Australia

Phone: +61 (0)2 9357 5492

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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 198. As the world passes eight billion inhabitants, most metropolitan dwellers are now living in ever shrinking apartments that can no longer accommodate large pieces of furniture. Minimalism is now the price of living close to work but that does not mean you need to live in sterile surrounds, and you can still indulge in one of two statement pieces for you to admire and to impress your friends. In our sale we have a matched pair of heavy 19th Century bronzes by the renowned French sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. Both are impressive with their size, their heft, and their exquisite detail. The first depicts a ‘Fisher boy’ at the end of a long day displaying his impressive catch as he walk home with his fishnet draped over his head. The second bronze shows a ‘Hunter boy’ holding aloft a brace of game birds with his head symbolically shrouded with a Leopard Skin. Each standing a half a metre tall and weighing more than twenty kilos they are a truly impressive sight to greet you when you walk through your door of your castle at the end of a long working day. Also in the sale are some items of rare Colonial Currency including possibly the earliest NSW 1813 Dump known to have survived. We have researched the timeline of the Dumps and are of the strong opinion the experimental ‘E3’ Type were the first strikings. In our sale we have one of the finest known of the ‘E3’ Silver Dumps which was graded Fine details by PCGS. Less than twenty of this type are known to have survived but it must have been preceded by the E3 ‘Copper’ Trial which claims the trophy as the earliest known Dump. We have also included two contemporary forgeries of the Dump struck in copper and likely the work of the recidivist forger William Henshall who was tasked by Governor Macquarie with striking the silver Holey Dollars and Dumps for circulation. Because of his hands-on knowledge, Henshall was always a prime suspect for the forged copper dumps that began circulating in the Colony and, perhaps as a deterrent, he received an unusually severe flogging for trespassing on Sydney's Domain on the direct orders of Governor Macquarie his past employer. It is thought that about 10 - 20 copper forgeries were unearthed in 1927 during the excavation of Sydney’s Pitt Street for the City Circle Rail Line and all appear to be by their same hand being the product of one die. The spacing of the obverse legend is consistent across all known examples, but most are so heavily corroded from being buried that a common marker which consists of two stops either side of the "C" in "PENCE'’ is not always evident. The dots are evident on both examples we have on offer. In our opinion the contemporary ‘Copper’ Dumps, be they either the ‘official trials’ or the ‘forgeries,’ should be represented in any serious collection of Australian Colonial Coinage because as evidenced by their usually very worn state they all passed as ‘accepted’ coinage in tandem with the ‘Silver’ Dumps. Just in time for Christmas we have included two Russian Orthodox Icons the first featuring St Nicholas (Santa Claus) and the second the Madonna and Child, who for those of the Christian faith recognise as the ‘Christ’ of ‘Christmas.’ If you are looking to impress your guests over Christmas, may we suggest that you indulge in the Georgian pair of Silver Salvers dated 1815 or the single William IV Silver Salver of 1835 as a centrepiece for your table. Surely these will provide a conversation starter if the company proves boring as nothing impresses more than a Silver Service. Our office will close on the 16th of December and reopen on the 3rd of January to allow our staff a well-earned break, so our Sale 199 will be run over 3 weeks. The staff of Smalls Auctions thank you for your continued patronage and wish you a ‘Merry Christmas’ or a ‘Happy Festivus’ for the rest of us. 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.