One month, two auctions - Harmers of London

Harmers of London is pleased to announce the dates of its next two auctions. The spring sale season will open with Harmers’ signature Stamp Auction on the 1 April and close with a new format Coin Auction on 21 April 2020. Both sales have been tightly curated and designed to appeal to collectors seeking interesting, rare and beautiful items to add to their collections. The sales will comprise mainly of British and Commonwealth stamps and coins, however, exquisite examples of philatelic and numismatic material from other realms, including Imperial Rome and Russian, will be offered alongside British classics to add depth to these seminal sales.

Filippo Bolaffi, Chief Executive:

“When Harmers joined the Bolaffi Auction Group in 2018, one hundred years after opening its doors to collectors, it was my ambition to preserve this heritage brand for future generations of collectors. April’s two blue-chip sales are an exciting step in securing Harmers as a major collectables hub for the next 100 years.”

The auctions will take place at the five-star Westbury Mayfair Hotel, just a few yards from the Company’s original premises on Bond Street, London’s most exclusive retail destination. Highlights from the auction include:

George II (1727-1760)
5 Guineas 1729, TERTIO, London mint

Estimate: £20,000-£25,000

The Five-Guinea piece was the largest regularly used gold coin in the UK for nearly a century. It was first minted in 1668 during the reign of Charles II and The Royal Mint stopped production in 1758, meaning George II was the last monarch to feature on the denomination.

First minted in 1729, the George II Five Guinea piece was issued in two types, the ‘East India Company’ variety and the rarer and more scarce ‘Plain’ variety. The coin offered in our April sale is of the rarer ‘Plain’ variety – it does not have the E.I.C. monogram below the bust of King George.

George IV (1820-1830)
Proof Five Pounds 1826, SEPTIMO, London mint

Estimate: £25,000-£35,000

During the ten-year reign of George VI this coin was the highest value coin issued by The Royal Mint. The coin was only struck during two years of the Kings rule, 1826 and 1829.

George IV was the definitive Regency man; in fact, he gave the period its name. Cultured, charming and flamboyant, George IV and his influence ushered in a mini renaissance during the early 1800s. This coin, although strictly post the Regency period, with its extravagant revers, picturing the royal coat of arms draped with ermine mantle, mirrors the upper-class society of the time. Whilst the mintage is unknown this Proof Five Pound coin was not released for general circulation and it is believed that only 150-225 examples exist.

1860 – Combination of Queen Victoria 1856-58 1 d. rose with Tuscany 1860 40 c. rose and 80 c. pale red-brown on cover, 11/1/1860

Estimate: £25.000/30.000

This cover is understood to be a unique combination. Sent from Florence to Salisbury it is an excellent example of inter-country post during the mid-19th Century.

The cover was intended for Walter Kerr Hamilton, Lord Bishop of Salisbury. Hamilton had reached one of the highest positions in Anglicanism, possibly helped by his family’s long history in the Church – his grandfather had been Archdeacon of Colchester and his Great Grandfather had been Lord Bishop of London from 1764 until his death in 1777. The majority of Hamilton’s personal papers are now held by Pusey House, Oxford. This lot is offered with a Colla certificate.

1839 – James Chalmers Essay 1 d. One penny on laid watermarked paper.

Estimate: £ 25.000/30.000

Not only is this beautiful and well-proportioned, it is also in excellent condition and believed to be unique. Dated one year before the world-famous Penny Black it was created by James Chalmers, a trailblazer in the postal revolution.

Chalmers played a pivotal party in modernising the British postal system and famously petitioned Parliament for the provision of a low cost, high volume postal service. This important piece of postal history would be a jewel in any major philatelic collection.

This lot is accompanied by a certificate from the Royal Philatelic Society dated 4 June 2008.