Important Auction Catalogues

[Victor]

I am starting this topic to keep track of assorted catalogues in one thread. I have recently purchased some older auction catalogues that are "important".

There are two books that I use for researching old catalogues. First is Spring's "Ancient Coin Auction Catalogues 1880- 1980" This is a pretty large book which also includes a section of “Most important sales of Roman Imperial coins”.

The second is Clain- Stefanelli's "Numismatic Bibliography; which is a complete bibliographic reference that also has auction references.

[Victor]

Ars Classica/Naville et Cie. NO. XII. CATALOGUE DE MONNAIES GRECQUES ET ROMAINES, QUELQUES MÉDAILLES DE LA RENAISSANCE ET DES TEMPS MODERNES, PIERRE GRAVÉES, BIBLIOTHÈQUE NUMISMATIQUE COMPOSANT LES COLLECTIONS DE FEU E. BISSEN DE COPENHAGUE, DE M. JULES WERTHEIM DE BERLIN, DE SIR ARTHUR J. EVANS DE YOULBURY, BERKS, F.S.A., M.A., D.LITT., LL.D., PH.D., F.R.S., F.B.A., DE LA SÉRIE PARTHE DE FEU ALEXANDRE DE PETROWICZ ET DE PLUSIERS AUTRES AMATEURS. Lucerne, 18-23 octobre 1926. 4to, contemporary green cloth and marbled boards; spine lettered in gilt; marbled endpapers; original printed card covers bound in. (6), 207, (1) pages; 3172 lots; 88 fine plates depicting all single-coin lots; 1 monogram plate. Neatly priced in ink. Near fine. Ex Louis Ciani Library, with his name impressed in gilt at the base of the spine; ex Pierre Bastien Library, with his bookplate. Clain-Stefanelli 3047. Grierson 280, 282. Spring 481 [also listed under "Most important sales of Celtic coins," "Most important sales of ancient Greek coins" and "Most important sales of Roman Imperial coins"].

[Victor]

Bank Leu & Co. AG and Münzen und Medaillen AG. SAMMLUNG WALTER NIGGELER. 1.-4. TEIL: GRIECHISCHE MÜNZEN. RÖMISCHE MÜNZEN. SCHWEIZ. ITALIEN. Basel, 1965-1967. Four catalogues complete, bound in one volume. 4to, later tan linen and marbled boards; red spine label, gilt. Frontispiece portrait; 67, (1) + 63, (1) + 64 + 28 pages; 1604 + 250 lots; 116 plates in all. Estimate lists bound in. Near fine. Ex Pierre Bastien Library, with his bookplate. The complete set of catalogues of this notable collection. Clain-Stefanelli 1981. Daehn 2025. Grierson 285. Spring 412-414 [412 also listed under "Most important sales of ancient Greek coins"; 413 also listed under "Most important sales of struck Roman Republican coins" and Roman Imperial coins"; 414 also listed under "Most important sales of Roman Imperial coins"].

[Victor]

MONNAIES ROMAINES IMPÉRIALES PROVENANT DES COLLECTIONS DE M. PAUL VAUTIER ET DE FEU LE PROF. MAXIME COLLIGNON DE L’INSTITUT DE FRANCE.
Ars Classica / Naville et Cie. II.
Lucerne: 12–14 juin 1922. 4to, later green cloth, gilt; original printed card covers bound in. (6), 107, (1) pages; 1886 lots; 57 fine plates. Fine. Item #6273

A sturdily bound copy of this significant sale of Roman coins. The series of Ars Classica sales, written by Jacob Hirsch (1874–1955), are famous for their fine cataloguing and rigorous scholarship, as well as for their exceptional photographic plates. Clain-Stefanelli 4087. Grierson 288. Spring 472 [also listed under “Most important sales of Roman Imperial coins”].

[Victor]

Dorotheum, Vienna. Large format, card cover, German language. Complete set in fine condition with prices realized lists:
Part I, Roman Coins, June 13-16, 1955. 155 pages, 39 plates. 2328 lots.
Part II, Roman, Byzantine, German, Roman Republic, Ancient Gold etc.. June 8-9, 1956. 52 pages, 20 plates. Lots 2329-3300.
Part III, Greek Coins. March 26-27, 1957. 49 pages, 4 plates. Lots 3301-4430.

Apostolo Zeno (1668-1750) was Court Poet to Emperor Charles VI and wrote libretti for operas of Scarlatti and Vivaldi. His coin collection formed before 1750, which rivaled that of the emperor himself, was sold at auction in 1955 by the Dorotheum Vienna.


Clain-Stefanelli 4090

Spring 127- 129 [also listed under "Most important sales of Roman Imperial coins"]

[Victor]

a new book that will help those that want to aqcuire some of the more important auction catalogues.

Ancient Coins in Early American Auctions, 1869–1939
Fanning, David F.
Gahanna: Kolbe & Fanning, 2020. Crown 4to, original blue cloth, gilt; jacket. 288 pages; illustrated in color throughout. Signed copies available upon request. New. Item #6098

A bibliography and analysis of American auction catalogues issued before the Second World War that feature photographically printed illustrations of ancient coins. Includes biographical material concerning the dealers whose catalogues are discussed, as well as a statistical analysis of the catalogues and supplementary information relevant to provenance research.

here's the link to the CoinsWeekly review

https://coinsweekly.com/a-contribution-to-provenance-research

[Victor]

I just bought a copy of MUNZEN & MEDAILLEN (MONNAIES et MEDAILLES) BASEL AUCTION 61 October 7, 1982 which is noteworthy because it was the sale of Bastien's collection of Roman copper. 1466 Lots - 74 Plates

[Heliodromus]

Quite a few of the Bastien M&M 61 coins ended up in the British Museum, which you can find on their web site by searching for "MMAG 61". There's also at least one (lot 568 Maximianus Marti Pacif) that ended up at the ANS.

I just realized that I have a coin die linked to one of Bastien's ...

The two coins below were sold in M&M 61 as a single lot # 576 (for $70), with only the Marti illustrated, but via the BM (where both ended up) I was to ID the Sol coin too.

 

 

Last year I bought the coin below on eBay - I was aware of the (cross-issue) BM die link, but only just realised the ex. Bastien provenance of that coin ! 

 

It's an interesting atypical bust style for the issue - possibly by one of the engravers who had worked on the earlier London coins.

[Victor]

The bust does look a bit Londony.

[Heliodromus]

Very !   

[Victor]

now that's super Londony!