Geoffrey Cope collection

[Coppers]

https://new.coinsweekly.com/news-en/geoffreys-copes-exceptional-collection-comes-to-auction/

[Master Jmd]

What an incredible collection. The catalogue for the first part of the auction can be viewed (and pre-bid on) here if anyone's interested in direct links: https://www.arsclassicacoins.com/biddr/#!/auction?a=4515 and https://www.arsclassicacoins.com/biddr/#!/auction?a=4516.

I find it fascinating seeing some of the coins having a pedigree going all the way back to the 1700s.

Edited April 5, 2024 by Master Jmd

[Kipster]

Some extremely high end pieces in that auction. Likely as not beyond the reach of most of us.

One bit of provenance particularly interested me, that one of the coins was wrapped in a piece of newspaper from 1705 or something of that era. Amazing to think.

[Rob]

The grading on some of the pieces seems a little harsh to say the least. On the plus side, it should help to restrict the number collectors.

[Kipster]

Agreed. They all have great eye appeal and some of those numbers are an insult.

[Rob]

I forecast I will be looking for all the hidden piggy-banks during the next month or two, what with the Motcomb collection coming up as well. I could easily spend a six figure sum (which I don't have) in both these sales.

 

[VickySilver]

Some of those 1st century Roman are just plain fantastic!

Don't know about Motcomb - what was the focus of that collection, and what will be the sales venue Rob?

[Kipster]

6 hours ago, Rob said:

I forecast I will be looking for all the hidden piggy-banks during the next month or two, what with the Motcomb collection coming up as well. I could easily spend a six figure sum (which I don't have) in both these sales.

 

I'm having to sell before I can buy now, so I know what you mean. 

[Master Jmd]

Does anyone else find their handling of the coins hard to watch? Maybe I'm just sensitive, but this one has a £52k estimate and I wouldn't touch coins in my collection that are worth a small fraction of that the way they do in these videos:

They could at least wear gloves. 😓

 

 

[Rob]

3 hours ago, VickySilver said:

Some of those 1st century Roman are just plain fantastic!

Don't know about Motcomb - what was the focus of that collection, and what will be the sales venue Rob?

Charles I at Morton & Eden

[Rob]

1 hour ago, Master Jmd said:

Does anyone else find their handling of the coins hard to watch? Maybe I'm just sensitive, but this one has a £52k estimate and I wouldn't touch coins in my collection that are worth a small fraction of that the way they do in these videos:

They could at least wear gloves. 😓

 

 

It's only really detrimental to coppers and proofs. As long as you don't coat it with your egg mayo sandwich, it will be fine. It's only the last 100 years we have had inert materials, so this had 300 years of exposure to handling prior to that.

[VickySilver]

Ah, thanks then Rob. Out of my wheelhouse...Thank God, don't need to spend any money right now!

[Rob]

Went to see part 1 of the British today with an advance list of potential box ticking lots.

After some brutal pruning I'm left with 32 lots and a pre-sale estimate of around 80K

Might have to conduct this auction in Turkish Lire

[oldcopper]

9 hours ago, Rob said:

Went to see part 1 of the British today with an advance list of potential box ticking lots.

After some brutal pruning I'm left with 32 lots and a pre-sale estimate of around 80K

Might have to conduct this auction in Turkish Lire

and many of the estimates are obvious teasers as well. Perhaps better to pop round the corner to Coincraft and pick up a very reasonable "getting harder and harder to find" 1977 crown in Unc or nearly so (with original plastic flip) for a bargain basement price of ....how much????!!!!!

[Paddy]

1 hour ago, oldcopper said:

and many of the estimates are obvious teasers as well. Perhaps better to pop round the corner to Coincraft and pick up a very reasonable "getting harder and harder to find" 1977 crown in Unc or nearly so (with original plastic flip) for a bargain basement price of ....how much????!!!!!

I dread to think! I was lucky if I could get 50p for one, so I guess Coincraft probably want £20+ ?

 

[Rob]

1 hour ago, oldcopper said:

and many of the estimates are obvious teasers as well.

Yes they're low, but most people bidding on these will be fully aware of a rough market value, so will bid accordingly, and the prices he paid for some of the heavyweight items are well documented. The quality and rarity of a significant number of pieces relative to their peers renders the expected results uncertain in any case, so it is better for the auctioneer to get the ball rolling with multiple bids than it is to start close to where you think it will end up and end up having to pass lots.

Low estimates may in fact benefit the bidder, because in virtually every sale something goes under the radar. e.g. in Noonans last December, I paid the same for the Edward III Reading penny (@one bid over starting price), as it sold for in 1983 - not bad for the best of 3 known given Stewartby's (second best) sold for nearly £1K in 2016. It wouldn't have happened if the estimate had been a more realistic £500-600. 

Edited April 11, 2024 by Rob

[oldcopper]

1 hour ago, Paddy said:

I dread to think! I was lucky if I could get 50p for one, so I guess Coincraft probably want £20+ ?

 

And that's without the original flip! They've just found a small parcel of them at the back of their basement that they never knew they had, squirrelled away many moons ago.....etc.

[Rob]

On 4/6/2024 at 9:21 AM, Kipster said:

Agreed. They all have great eye appeal and some of those numbers are an insult.

As is the description of the 1860 TB/BB mule on the slab. NGC have identified it as a halfpenny on the label, thus creating a variety that didn't exist previously and at same time producing a population report for said fantasy piece. Still, at least it fills the gap between penny and farthing. Another box to tick.

 

[SilverAge3]

I just came across this auction via numisbids alerts yesterday. I'm pretty floored by the quality, and this is only part 1, no less. I was commenting elsewhere that the estimates felt about half what i'd expect, at least for lots I'm semi-familiar with.

[SilverAge3]

On 4/11/2024 at 6:05 PM, Rob said:

As is the description of the 1860 TB/BB mule on the slab. NGC have identified it as a halfpenny on the label, thus creating a variety that didn't exist previously and at same time producing a population report for said fantasy piece. Still, at least it fills the gap between penny and farthing. Another box to tick.

 

What is tb/bb, please?

[Zo Arms]

25 minutes ago, SilverAge3 said:

What is tb/bb, please?

Toothed border/beaded border.

[Rob]

24 minutes ago, SilverAge3 said:

What is tb/bb, please?

1860 toothed border/beaded border penny. Lot 1462. Freeman 9. NGC have slabbed it as a halfpenny in their wisdom.

[Rob]

46 minutes ago, SilverAge3 said:

I just came across this auction via numisbids alerts yesterday. I'm pretty floored by the quality, and this is only part 1, no less. I was commenting elsewhere that the estimates felt about half what i'd expect, at least for lots I'm semi-familiar with.

Plenty more to come. There are approx. 170 Roman and 850 British in total.

[SilverAge3]

6 minutes ago, Rob said:

1860 toothed border/beaded border penny. Lot 1462. Freeman 9. NGC have slabbed it as a halfpenny in their wisdom.

NGC moments.

8 minutes ago, Zo Arms said:

Toothed border/beaded border.

Thanks guys.

[Rob]

WOW, so far.