SIMMONS GALLERY

PO BOX 104, LEYTONSTONE, LONDON E11 1ND, UK

 

TEL: 020 8989 8097   

(International + 44 20 8989 8097)

Email info@simmonsgallery.co.uk

 

 Illustrated catalogue online: www.simmonsgallery.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAILBID 43

A Postal Auction of Weights and Scales

 

Featuring

British and foreign weights for British, Portuguese and other coins

A 15th century unrecorded weight for a Half Noble

Rare and unrecorded Charles I coin weights

A “Justici” shilling coin weight of William III

Italian weights for Italian and other coins

Ancient and Byzantine weights

Glass weights

Trade and lead weights

Apothecary and bullion weights

Scales, folding balances and rocker balances

 

 

 

CLOSING DATE: Wednesday 2nd April 2008

At 12 noon British Summer Time

 

 

 

Enquiries about the sale to Howard and Frances Simmons at the above address

Viewing by appointment on 020 8989 8097

Terms & conditions of sale printed on front inside cover and on website.

NO BUYER’S PREMIUM – BID EARLY AND BID HIGH FOR SUCCESS!

 


Introduction

 

We’ve gathered together a bunch of interesting weights and scales for our 43rd sale which we hope will tempt you to add to your collection.  Some are the classic coin weights of the 18th and 19th centuries, others animal sculptures and figurative glass weights from ancient times, plus a rare prize medal of the 1851 Great Exhibition, a steelyard and a 12 shekel from Judea, a simply beautiful piece of sculpted limestone.  Of special note are lot 3 (the unrecorded half noble),  lot 19  - a new obverse and reverse die for the Charles I silver half-crown - and a William III shilling weight (lot 31).  We will have a further sale in the summer of coin weights, rockers and balances but that would have been too many to include here.  So have fun looking through the catalogue either here or online and remember to get your bids in early! 

It’s our intention to make it to Liverpool for the ISASC meeting so look forward to meeting up with some of you then.

 

With best wishes from us both

 

Howard and Frances Simmons

Simmons Gallery Limited

 

 

 

Terms & Conditions Of Sale

 

General terms: All items are guaranteed genuine as described.  Prices realised are only sent to bidders.

Postal auction:  Closing date is at 12 noon BST on Wednesday 2 April 2008.  Written bids must be received no later than this date, either by post or email. All telephone bids must be confirmed in writing. Email bids will be accepted but are only valid once we have sent an acknowledgement. We bear no responsibility for emails not being received, or indeed for the late arrival of any bids. If bidding by email or phone, please quote the lot number and brief description with your maximum bid.   The first price in the catalogue is the reserve; bids will be refused below this.  The second price is an estimate but you may need to bid higher to secure a lot.  Bidding is in increments of £1.  Bids will be reduced to 10% (rounded up to the nearest pound) above the next highest bid; 

Example 1. Weight reserved at £30 has 3 bids A.£25, B.£50 C.£35.  Bid B is successful at £39 and we ignore bid A which is less than the reserve.

Example 2.  Weight reserved at £100, you bid is £200 but you’re the only bidder so you buy it for £100 (the reserve)

Postage:  is added to orders at cost.  Goods sent by registered insured mail where possible.

UK Under £30 value  £1.50 recorded  over £30 value minimum £4.50 special delivery.  Overseas:  from £1.50 your risk;  insured from £5.00 (Europe)  or from £6.00 for the rest of the world.

Payment: Payment is due on receipt of our invoice, and goods are sent out when we receive payment.  Payments from abroad should be in GB pounds sterling drawn on a UK bank. We accept US dollars; please indicate on your bid-sheet if you want to be invoiced in US funds (note: Bids must be in £ sterling).  We accept PayPal and Amex (2% surcharge on bills over £100), credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) and Maestro/Visa debit cards for payment (no surcharge).  If you wish to pay by this method please put your card details on the bid-sheet (card number, expiry date, last 3 numbers on signature strip,), and name and address as written on your card and statements plus for debit cards only date of commencement and issue number), and sign your bid sheet.  Successful bids can then be sent out without delay which speeds up transactions to the advantage of all.  Do not send credit card details by email unless split into two or more emails.

Photographs: Look on www.simmonsgallery.co.uk for illustrations of lots.  Digital photos give much better detail and can be sent direct to your computer. Please state on your bidding form if you want photos of items on which you are unsuccessful.  Requests made after the closing date cannot be met. 

Grading & other abbreviations:  Please note that the weights are bronze or brass unless stated otherwise

Obv. = obverse or first side Rev.  = Reverse     ctm. = counter mark              lis = fleur de lis or lily

UNC                       Uncirculated,          AU about uncirculated         EF                           Extremely Fine, lustre

VF                           Very Fine (normal circulated wear)                       nVF or VF-            near  or almost Very Fine

gF or F+                                 good Fine but not Very Fine                                                F                              Fine                                        

VG                          Very Good                                                             G                             Good                     

VF/VG or VF-VG One side very fine, the other  very good.                          

AV gold, AR silver, AE   bronze or copper, Pb  lead. Fe   Iron, CuNi cupro-nickel, Br brass, Zn zinc

References: We use the standard reference works, e.g. Withers British Coin Weights, Biggs various texts on weights, Bendall for Byzantine, Dieudonne for foreign coin weights, Mazza for Italian, and for the ancient weights, Petrie and Forien de Rochesnard, etc. If in doubt about descriptions or terms please ask.  We can often find copies of the reference books for you.

General notes:  Sale organised by Simmons Gallery Ltd,   Directors H. W.  Simmons, M.Sc. F. M. Simmons 

Registered number 1612141 England   Registered office 34-40 High Street, Wanstead, London E11 2RU


 

 

 

 

MB 43 WEIGHTS AND SCALES POSTAL AUCTION

Condition 

Reserve or Minimium bid 

Estimate

 

 

BRITISH COIN WEIGHTS 
W = Withers British Coin Weights

 

 

 

1.         

W92

Noble ctm. crown & lis two concentric circles rev. blank 18.1mm. 6.66gm.

F

20

 

2.         

W-

Noble ctm. crown (4)  & lis (c) no circles rev. blank 16.8mm.  6.42gm

gVF

25

 

3.         

W135b

Half Noble, fleur-de-lis and stylised ship both raised in shaped frames. The blank has 3 incised circles near the rim; the edge is grooved (akin to some Byzantine weights) 14.0mm. 3.23gm. The Noble weight that matches this unrecorded weight is Withers 135.  However no others seem to have been found in the last 14 years so can be considered a special issue. Withers postulated that this was made when the Rose Ryal was introduced in 1464. Green/black patina

gVF

200

 

4.         

W177a

Noble, brick planking on ship, lis and single stay rigging rev. blank 16.1mm. 6.44gm. worn but rare variety

F

20

 

5.         

W195a

Rose Ryal, King holding shield in ship rose on hull, E on flag rev. blank 16.6mm. 7.25gm.

nVF

20

 

6.         

W276

Florentine Florin, Fleur-de-lis rev. blank 13.9mm. 3.08gm. light green patina

nVF

20

 

7.         

W397

James I 2nd coinage Spur Ryal, spur device rev. crowned XI s VI D  ctm. lis square 19.0mm. 6.61gm.

nVF

30

 

8.         

W555

James I Half-crown, portrait r. rev. crowned II S IX D ctm. crowned I Square 10.3mm. 1.26gm. obverse die rather too big for the flan.

EF

40

 

9.         

W628

Angel. no legend, rev.large crown over X S, ctm. crowned C 12mm. 3.88gm.  Has been buried

F

12

 

10.      

W652

James I Unite, portrait with laurels rev. Crowned XX s  ctm. crowned I square 17.1mm. 9.08gm. some adjustment marks

EF

30

 

11.       

W710

James I  2nd  coinage Rose Ryal,  British arms  on rose rev. crowned XXXIII s  20.7mm. 13.66gm. This dates from the revaluation of 1612 and is very rare. Not buried

VF

100

 

12.      

W716

James 1 2nd coinage Angel Briot dies lozenge punctuation 17mm. 4.45gm.

F

10

 

13.      

W782

James I Unite, crowned portrait right rev. crowned XXII s 19.1mm. 9.97gm.

gF

12

 

14.      

W809

James I double crown, portrait r. rev. crowned XI s 17.3mm. 5.01gm. VF  15-20

EF

30

 

15.      

W832

James I Crown, James crowned right rev. open crown over V s VI D  .B. below 14.3mm. 2.49gm.

EF

25

 

16.      

W974

Charles I Unite, Charles crowned left rev. crown over XX s B  19mm. 9.08gm. some flan irregularities

nVF

20

 

17.      

W1042

Charles I silver half crown, King on horseback HONI SOIT… around rev.  C R  WITHOVT GRAYNES above 2 s 6 d  below 23.7mm. 14.22gm.

gF/ nF

30

 

18.      

W1049

Charles I silver half crown, King on horseback lis to l. W. C. below,  rev.  C R  WITHOVT GRAYNES above 2 s 6 d below 23.0mm. 13.96gm. has been buried

F

25

 

19.      

W-

Charles I, silver Half-crown, King on horseback to left brandishing sword  plumes behind, no legend rev. crowned XXX D lis to left of crown Motto on garter around (similar to W1046  but a different and neater die) 24mm. 14.95gm. New obverse and reverse die

VF

250

 

20.      

W1064

Charles I silver shilling, WITH OVT GRANES around crowned rose rev. crowned CR rose to either side, small crown and D above, XII lion below 20mm. 5.65gm. Rare - we have not handled this weight before

VF

100

 

21.      

W1065

Charles I sixpence, WITH OVT GRANES around crowned rose rev. crowned CR rose to either side, small crown and D above, VI lion below 15.6mm. 2.7gm. Rare and superb

EF

100

 

22.      

W1065

Charles I sixpence, WITH OVT GRANES around crowned rose rev. crowned CR rose to either side, small crown and D above, VI lion below 15.7mm. 2.50gm. has been buried

F

20

 

23.      

W1090

James I Unite, James II bust to right rev. crowned XX s. 20mm. 9.10gm.

gVF

30

 

24.      

W1095

James I Double Crown, James II bust to right rev.crowned .XI S below 16.6mm. 4.92gm.

VF

30

 

25.      

W1125

French Half Pistol, WILLIAM HAYWARD ctm. ewer rev. three lis  ½ PISTOL  W  16.9mm. 3.30gm. has been buried and slightly porous

gF

35

 

26.