On July 3, London saleroom Dix Noonan Webb will offer the second part of The North Yorkshire Moors collection – a group of British coins formed by the American collector Marvin Lessen. The first sale made more than £300,000 in April 2018.
The second tranche spans the half-millennium between Eadgar’s coinage reform in 972/3 – when mint names started to accompany those of moneyers on coins – and the death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Coins from over 50 different mint-towns from the period are represented in the catalogue.
Included in the 526-lot sale is a penny dating from the reign of Edward the Martyr (975-978) estimated at £4000-5000.
On June 26 South Cerney saleroom Dominic Winter will offer a private collection of books, prints and paintings belonging to the late Martin Orskey (1926-2019), a well-known name in the book trade for over half a century.
The collection contains almost 400 lots of rare books – ranging from science and medicine to natural history and travel – and over 50 English paintings and prints.
A naïve 18 x 25in (46 x 64cm) portrait of a brown and white spaniel called Sancho is estimated at £2000-3000. It was painted by Daniel Clowes (1774-1829) who lived and worked in Chester for most of his life.
dominicwinter.co.uk or see this item on thesaleroom.com
This postcard, written in Hindi and signed by Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) in May 1935, was sent to Mir Asghar Ali, a freedom fighter who stayed with Gandhi in his Wardha Ashram. Ali also wrote editorials for the Urdu newspaper Ajmal Daily in Mumbai.
The translated postcard reads: Brother Asghar Ali, received your letter. Do come to meet me at my Bombay address. Show this card. I can spare at least five minutes for you. Blessings from Bapu. It is estimated at £3000-5000 in the sale at Mullock’s in Ludlow on June 20.
mullocksauctions.co.uk or see this item on thesaleroom.com
These original mid-century gouache graphic illustrations are from a series of 16 produced by Ada ‘Betty’ Swanwick (1915-89) for an unpublished children’s novelette titled Ella & Mimi.
Swanwick, a pupil of Edward Bawden who produced posters for London Transport between 1936-54, is thought to have given them to her friend and colleague Christian Barman (1898-1980), who was publicity officer for London Transport from 1935-63.
The 16 illustrations have remained in the Barman family since and will be offered with other London Transport-associated pieces from his collection at Catherine Southon's auction in Selsdon, Surrey, on July 17.
Estimate £2000-3000.
