New Stock February 2024 (Part II)

This is something rather special. These are 10 sheets of 16 John Lennon Stamps in mint unused condition, a total of 160 mint stamps. They were issued about 1990 and come from 10 different countries. They include: Antigua Barbuda (4 different sheets), Ghana, Palau, Azerbaijan, Guyana, Nicaragua and Mali.

Julia Domna was descended from the Priest-Kings of Emesa, Syria. According to legend, before Septimius Severus was emperor he heard prophecy of a woman destined to marry a king, so he found her and married her! A very intelligent woman, celebrated for her learning, Julia Domna helped administer the empire holding many titles such as the exquisite “Mother of the Invincible Camps”. Like many empresses she also set fashion trends; it is thought she introduced the Romans to the wearing of wigs with her particular hairstyle still worn by Zenobia 60 years later! This hairstyle can be seen on the silver Denarius we offer in Extremely Fine. On the obverse is her draped bust with various goddesses on the reverse. We have not been able to offer Julia Domna like this in a long time, these high grade coins will make great gifts (especially for a lady) or grace any collection. Do not miss out!

Lykaonia was an area in what is now central Turkey, north of the Taurus Mountains. Lukkawanna, the Ancient Hittite name for the area, came from the 2nd millennium B.C. and translated as ‘Land of Lukka’ with ‘Lukka’ meaning wolf. The Ancient Greek for wolf was ‘Lykos’ so this archaic association with wolves was already thousands of years old when this coin was struck. This association is celebrated on the silver obols we are offering here with an impressively engraved forepart of a wolf on the reverse of the coin. The obverse shows Baaltars, the local version of the Greek god, Zeus. This parallel can be seen in the way he is seated and holding his sceptre, the same as Zeus on Alexander the Great’s coinage. These coins grade Very Fine and were struck at the city of Laranda. They date to the middle of the 4th century B.C. and we only have a small group, I hope you get one!

These are 50 Paisa issued in VS2004/5 or our dates 1948 and 1949. They are listed as KM718 and the coins on offer are in Extremely Fine condition. We have never seen them in such a high grade before. There are local designs on both sides with the legend in Nepalese which, to be honest, we cannot read. They are silver and in Extremely Fine condition and we have never seen them so nice. It is a coin that you don’t see and we have never offered before and at this price, they are great value.

Every nation has its national poet and Poland is no exception. Adam Bernard Mickiewicz has even been dubbed the “Slavic bard” as his work is also highly regarded in Lithuania and Belarus. Between 1975 and 1977 the Polish government decided to issue a 10 zloty circulating commemorative coin to celebrate his contribution to literature and drama. On the obverse of the coin is the traditional white eagle emblem of Poland, while the reverse shows a bust of Mickiewicz himself facing left.

These Russian Silver coins of Peter the Great were actually made by rolling out a thin wire of silver and then hammering out the design on them by hand. The value was standardized by the Reform Act of 1535. You have a horseman on the reverse and a legend in old Russian on the reverse. They are tiny silver coins with the denomination of Polushka and they were literally made from a piece of silver wire. They date from about 1700 and are a most unusual coin to have in your collection. Hundreds of years old and something your friends would probably never seen before. An actual coin struck from a piece of wire although it is silver wire.

This is a fantastic piece of the engravers art. On one side you have an ear of corn in both matt and brilliant surface. The reverse has a calendar in a number of different languages for 2001. It was issued by the United Nations in Italy as an art medallion and to raise money for their works. It measures 80mm and is a very heavy bronze piece. It is high relief and would make an outstanding paperweight. After all not all that many people can have one. Choice, large and handsome.

Born about A.D. 328 Valens was the younger brother of the emperor Valentinian I. Trusted with the rule of the eastern provinces of the Empire, he spent much of his reign campaigning against the Goths and the Persians. In A.D. 376 Valens allowed the Gothic tribes to cross the Danube frontier and settle in Roman territory. But as a result of terrible treatment from the Roman Administrators (against Valen’s express orders), the Goths rebelled. Valens attacked prematurely, rushing into ‘The Battle of Adrianople’ unorganized. He was killed and his army was almost wiped out! This loss meant the end of the traditional Roman Empire had begun. Valens was not gifted in war but cared for the general populace, relaxing taxes for the poor and living moderately. We offer his bronze coins showing his bust on the Obverse and the emperor dragging a barbarian captive on the reverse. The reverse legend ‘GLORIA ROMANORVM’ refers to Valens as ‘The Glory of the Romans’ against the barbarians. Sadly, for him and his army, it appears the barbarians had the glory. This grade is Fine, for the Glory of the Romans!

Victorian Farthings featuring the “Old” or “Veiled” Head were only minted from 1895 - 1901. From 1897, the vast majority were “mint darkened” at the mint, this was to stop the public trying to pass the shiny new bronze farthings off as Half Sovereigns! This practice continued until 1925. We recently got hold of a large group of these farthings, they must have been put away for a very long time as they are all around Extremely Fine, but not lustrous as they were darkened. Whatever the catalogue price is, it’s safe to say the 1895 is rarer than the book suggests!

Victorian Farthings featuring the “Old” or “Veiled” Head were only minted from 1895 - 1901. From 1897, the vast majority were “mint darkened” at the mint, this was to stop the public trying to pass the shiny new bronze farthings off as Half Sovereigns! This practice continued until 1925. We recently got hold of a large group of these farthings, they must have been put away for a very long time as they are all around Extremely Fine, but not lustrous as they were darkened. Whatever the catalogue price is, it’s safe to say the 1895 is rarer than the book suggests!

Victorian Farthings featuring the “Old” or “Veiled” Head were only minted from 1895 - 1901. From 1897, the vast majority were “mint darkened” at the mint, this was to stop the public trying to pass the shiny new bronze farthings off as Half Sovereigns! This practice continued until 1925. We recently got hold of a large group of these farthings, they must have been put away for a very long time as they are all around Extremely Fine, but not lustrous as they were darkened. Whatever the catalogue price is, it’s safe to say the 1895 is rarer than the book suggests!

Victorian Farthings featuring the “Old” or “Veiled” Head were only minted from 1895 - 1901. From 1897, the vast majority were “mint darkened” at the mint, this was to stop the public trying to pass the shiny new bronze farthings off as Half Sovereigns! This practice continued until 1925. We recently got hold of a large group of these farthings, they must have been put away for a very long time as they are all around Extremely Fine, but not lustrous as they were darkened. Whatever the catalogue price is, it’s safe to say the 1895 is rarer than the book suggests!

Victorian Farthings featuring the “Old” or “Veiled” Head were only minted from 1895 - 1901. From 1897, the vast majority were “mint darkened” at the mint, this was to stop the public trying to pass the shiny new bronze farthings off as Half Sovereigns! This practice continued until 1925. We recently got hold of a large group of these farthings, they must have been put away for a very long time as they are all around Extremely Fine, but not lustrous as they were darkened. Whatever the catalogue price is, it’s safe to say the 1895 is rarer than the book suggests!

Victorian Farthings featuring the “Old” or “Veiled” Head were only minted from 1895 - 1901. From 1897, the vast majority were “mint darkened” at the mint, this was to stop the public trying to pass the shiny new bronze farthings off as Half Sovereigns! This practice continued until 1925. We recently got hold of a large group of these farthings, they must have been put away for a very long time as they are all around Extremely Fine, but not lustrous as they were darkened. Whatever the catalogue price is, it’s safe to say the 1895 is rarer than the book suggests!

Long before Coincraft had a shop on Great Russell Street, there were other coin dealers located there. This is a brass advertising token struck by William Webster, dealer in Ancient and Modern Coins, Medals & Antiquities at 7 Great Russell Street (although his address was actually no.17). As it states on these tokens, Webster was the successor to William Till who is recorded as a ‘curiosity’ dealer at 17 Great Russell Street in 1832. Till died in 1834 so William Webster, who was Till’s Nephew, ran the business from then on until his death in 1885 and these tokens were struck in the period from 1851-1885. These are very scarce tokens in wonderful condition but we only have a few available to lucky collectors. The last time we offered even one example for sale was 10 years ago at £75.