Stanley Gibbon Baldwin's Abby Welsh Collection and A Superb Gold and Silver British Coins auctions held on 29th May both achieved strong results.
Coins
Auction Highlights: The Abby Welsh Collection & Gold & British Coins auction
4 June 2026
Abby Welsh Collection, Auction 129
The sale went very well, with a total hammer of £326,000 against a low estimate of £328,450. Of the coins that were sold, there were only a handful of unsolds - post sale offers are currently underway, so be sure to get your offers in before time runs out.
Certainly the 'star' of the sale was lot 75, the 1853 Gothic Crown, SEPTIMO edge, graded at PF63 with beautiful gold/blue iridescence, which hammered for £39,000 against an estimate of £35,000-40,000. The previous lot, a plain edge Gothic Crown graded PF64, hammered at £25,000. The Gothic Crown is regarded by many as Britain's most beautiful coin - and results demonstrate that demand for them is still high.
Although struck some eighty years after Cromwell's death, Johann Tanner's 1747 issue of the 1658 Crown (lot 31) hammered at £20,000, right in the middle of its estimate of £18,000-24,000. Despite being a copy, Tanner's exquisite engraving of the dies produced a much superior and pleasing coin. Originally from Coburg, Tanner designed a lot of the silver coinage for George II, and is perhaps remembered best for his new sixpences that were nicknamed 'tanners' - an expression that survived right up until the early 1970s when decimalisation spelled the end of this much-loved coin.
Lot 16, our Charles I Crown, engraved by Nicholas Briot, deserves special mention. This coin, although ungraded, was in wonderful condition with beautiful steely-grey 'purpleish' toning, and hammered at £14,000 against an estimate of £6,000-10,000. The horseman design is a strong example of the superior engravings of French diesinker Briot.
Superb Gold and Silver Coins Auction 130
Undoubtedly, the star of this auction was the Edward III gold Noble, allegedly given to Queen Victoria in her Jubilee year of 1887 (lot 3). Housed in a copper-gilt casket with Victoria's portrait on the front, the Noble was graded MS63 - VICTORIA PRESENTATION COIN and hammered at an impressive £29,000, against an estimate of £15,000-20,000. The story goes that Victoria declined to accept it as a gift and returned it to the finder in the casket, which then was exhibited in the shop window of a varnish maker in central Newcastle. Whatever the truth of the matter, the exceptional condition of the coin and casket, and the story behind it obviously drew attention!
A James II Two Guineas of 1688 (lot 12) also did exceptionally well, achieving £28,000 hammer against an estimate of £26,000-30,000. This was graded AU58, making it the second finest-graded by PCGS. This coin is only a two-year type, minted during the final two years of James II's tumultuous reign.
Again, the sale did very well totalling £175,00 against a low estimate of £126,000. There were only three unsolds, one of which was very surprising - lot 10 the 1643 Oxford Half Unite of Charles I. Graded at AU58, this is the second-finest ever graded by NGC. Whilst it was very puzzling that it did not reach its reserve, there has been lots of interest in it after the auction and it will doubtless sell for its reserve, or slightly more!
Our 131st Ancient, British, and World Coin Auction, takes place on 22nd July. We'll be sharing an auction preview soon, so be sure to visit our website for a sneak peak.
Found in a Railway Dig: The £20,000 Gold Coin Given to Queen Victoria
During our auction on May 29th, we were thrilled to spotlight a true numismatic masterpiece: a rare Edward III gold noble graded as MS63 (Lot 3). Discovered in 1887 during a railway excavation on former monastic grounds in Newcastle, this stunning Gold Noble of Edward III who ruled for 50 years was unearthed in the year Queen Victoria was celebrating her own Golden Jubilee. The coin was famously presented to the Queen before being preserved in an ornate, custom-gilded presentation casket. This, extremely beautiful and mint condition gold coin would make the centre-piece for any world-class collection and had an estimate of between £15,000 - £20,000 and sold for £35,670