Auction Collection Reflects Shropshire’s Political History

The second part of a collection of election jugs, a punch bowl and a mug, reflecting Shropshire’s political history is set to go under the hammer in Shrewsbury next week.

The three Coalport jugs, a Crown Devon mug and a Staffordshire pearlware punch bowl are expected to fetch around £3,500 and have been consigned by a Southern England collector to Halls’ auction of antique furniture, ceramics, clocks and works of art at the Welsh Bridge saleroom on Wednesday, February 8.

The first part of the collection, which sold for £5,000 at Halls’ auction last November, included a Coalport blue and white election jug, dating to 1796, which was made to mark the bitter and closely fought battle to become MP between two branches of the Hill family living at Hawkestone and Attingham.

The jug, which sold for £3,600, declared a majority of 44 for John Hill of Hawkestone when, in fact, his cousin, William Hill of Attingham won.

In this week’s auction, the punch bowl, which dates to around 1805 and is valued at up to £1,000, continues the William Hill theme as it carries the following verse:

“Success to Will’m Hill

With a flowing bowl

We will bring him in with honour

When we do come to poll”

The collection also includes a restored Coalport blue and white porcelain jug, pictured, valued at up to £2,000. The jug is printed with the arms of Shrewsbury Corporation and Hill, tied with a ribbon and sash marked ‘ The Corporation and William Hill’ and has a Latin motto to both sides below two crests.

A Coalport cobalt and gilt 1835 ‘Twelve Apostles’ election jug “In commemoration of the Twelve Conservatives of Shropshire, representatives of a free and intelligent people”, is valued at up to £400.

The other Coalport blue and white porcelain election jug, which is from 1906 and is valued at up to £300, commemorates the Shrewsbury election victory of Sir Clement Lloyd Hill, while a Crown Devon 1959 election mug for members elected for Shropshire is valued at up to £50.

Also featured in the auction is a private collection of Royal Crown Derby paperweights, which is valued at up to £1,000.

For more information about the auction, contact Halls on Tel: 01743 284777 or view the sale catalogue online at www.hallsgb.com. The lots can be viewed on Monday from 9.30am to 8pm, Tuesday from 9.30am to 4.30pm and on the morning of the auction.

Sotheby's New York Old Masters Week Sales Total $73.1 Million

Sotheby’s annual Old Masters Week sales in New York concluded last Friday 27th January with a strong cumulative total of $73,052,668. Top 10 sheets are attached for each of the four sales, including Friday’s auctions of Masterworks and Old Master & 19th Century European Art.

The sale of Important Old Master Paintings & Sculpture totalled $62,081,477, and was highlighted by five remarkable pictures that achieved prices over $4 million – led by Canaletto’s View of the Churches of the Redentore and San Giacomo from the Estate of Lady Forte that sold for $5,682,500 (est. $5/7 million), and Lucas Cranach the Elder’s portrait Lucretia that brought $5,122,500 (est. $4/6 million). New auction records were established for artists including Simone Martini, Fra Bartolommeo and Charles-Antoine Coypel.

On Wednesday, the auction of Old Master Drawings achieved $5,640,813 – the highest result for an auction in this category at Sotheby’s New York since 1998. The sale featured an Italian Renaissance Portrait of a Young Man attributed to Piero del Pollaiuolo, which sold to the J. Paul Getty museum in California for $1,398,500 – well above its $400,000 high estimate. Friday’s auctions of Masterworks and Old Master & 19th Century European Art added a combined $5,330,387 to the week’s total.

Click here to read the of sale reports and full round-up of top tens.

UKauctioneers Update

I've just read that today has been dubbed 'Happy Monday' by Dr David Homes, a senior psychologist at Manchester Metropolitan University and other field experts. In their view, today is apparently the day when the majority of us have received our first paycheque of the new year and can finally put the financial excesses of Christmas behind us and start looking forward to our summer holidays! So if you feel like your much anticipated paypacket is burning a hole in your pocket and you fancy a treat, here is a reminder of some of the best auctions coming up across the UK this week, to include fine art, beautiful furniture, jewellery, collectables and as usual, much much more. Peter Francis Carmarthen Enquire about this lot Fine Art & Antique Sale Tue 31st Jan 10:30am Barry Hawkins Norfolk Enquire about this lot Antiques, Collectables, Household Furniture & Effects Wed 1st Feb 10am Golding Young Grantham Enquire about this lot Two Day Collective Sale - Day 1 Wed 1st Feb 10am Burstow & Hewett East Sussex Enquire about this lot Picture Sale Wed 1st Feb 10am Lawrences Somerset Enquire about this lot Maps & Manuscripts Thur 2nd Feb 9:30am Golding Young Grantham Enquire about this lot Two Day Collective Sale - Day 2 Thur 2nd Feb 10am Chorley's Gloucestershire Enquire about this lot Antiques and Collectables Thur 2nd Feb 10am Thomson, Roddick Carlisle Enquire about this lot Antiquarian & Collectable Books & Related Ephemera & Effects. Thur 2nd Feb 10am Batemans Lincolnshire Enquire about this lot Fine Art, Antiques & Collectables to include Books & Printed Ephemera Sat 4th Feb 10am Latest from the Blog Now it's the da Vinci handbag: Italian fashion house to launch calfskin handbag... designed by Renaissance genius Quick Search Over 300 search results for "Military" Military>> What Did it go For? Sale Room: Mullock's Specialist Auctioneers Autographs and ephemera collection including autograph books, one containing the signatures of Louis Wain and Frederick Treves, a collection of cabinet and c de v style photographs (mainly portraits), two privately printed theatre scripts relating to Guys Hospital (early 20th c), and a collection of photographs including interesting images of late 19th/early 20th c shops. Hammer Price: £120.00 For more catalogues go to www.ukauctioneers.com

Look Lively There For A Sale With A Maritime Flavour At Peter Wilson, Nantwich

Illustrated sailors' logs and hundreds of photographs of tall ships

A collection of ships' logs, some illustrated with drawings and watercolour sketches, and hundreds of photographs of tall ships bring a fascinating maritime flavour to a sale of antiques, fine art and collectors' items at Peter Wilson auctioneers. They will be sold on February 15 and 16 at the saleroom's Victoria Gallery in the town's Market Street.

Said specialist Chris Large: "The logs are one man's collection. What makes them so interesting is the meticulous records kept on voyages, some lasting two or three years, the most notable of which was compiled by a Herbert Edward Leadam. He embarked at London on the ship 'Zealandia' of Greenock on July 29 1859, arriving at Port Cooper, Canterbury, New Zealand on November 14,1859. Then, having spent 20 years in New Zealand, he sailed on the same ship from Port Nicholson, arriving back in London at the East India Dock on March 6, 1879."

The log in Peter Wilson's sale charts the return voyage via Cape Horn, commencing on December 12, 1878 and ending with the ship berthing back home. Leadam was formerly a ship's officer and was probably trained as a midshipman to sketch what he saw on voyages for later research by the Admiralty. As a result, the log contains watercolour and pen and ink illustrations of coastal views, among them the islands of Diego Ramirez off Chile on the approach to Cape Horn in the Pacific and Trinidade in the southern Atlantic.

Other, illustrations show some of the tall ships encountered during the voyage, as well as meticulously drawn and painted, almost scientific, watercolours of a magnetic compass, course charts, and loose illustrations of compasses, all painted on card. Elsewhere, the handwritten pages contain detailed technical and navigational data, particulars of the usual daily nautical data and the occasional interesting mention of incidents during the voyage. The log is estimated at £400-600.

Two log books from the barque Wychwood of Sunderland contain details of a voyage from Hamburg to Melbourne, Australia, and back to Falmouth, from September 7, 1906 to February 7 1908, and a second a voyage from Port Talbot to Arica, Peru, and back to Hamburg, from November 5, 1909 to December 5, 1910. The logs are accompanied by two black and white photographs of the Wychwood and are estimated together at £300-500

A journal of the barque Eleanor details a voyage from London to Hong Kong and then on to New York, beginning January 15, 1869 and ending January 13, 1871, kept by Frederic R. Wootten, the rear of the book containing a log showing the expenditure paid for goods and wages during the journey. It is estimated at £200-300.

A journal recording the "Proceedings of the Honourable Company's Ship Buckinghamshire" details the tea clipper's voyage from the Thames to Whampoa Reach, 10 miles from Canton up the Pearl River and back. The voyage was from July 27, 1823 to June 27, 1824, and the log was kept by, 2nd mate Alexander Bell. (estimate: £300-500).

A journal and weather register for the ship Genie or Gemini covering the voyage from Cardiff to Rio de Janeiro, then on to Diamond Island on the East coast of Tasmania, India, and back to Liverpool, between August 1873 and July 1875, kept by Chas Marples is estimated at £100-200, as are others for the German ship under the command of Captain J. Kock; a navigational log of the frigate Aricifie, which runs from September 16, 1844 to August 30,1846 and a log book for the John Ema, covering a voyage from Norfolk to San Francisco and then Philadelphia, commencing October 1908 and running to May 1910.

Elsewhere in the maritime section of the two-day sale, almost 600 photographs and postcards of tall ship, many by the Nautical Photo Agency, Suffolk, all contained in individual preservation wallets, will be sold in six lots, each with estimates of £100-200.

Of local interest, a framed black and white photograph of Liverpool's Salthouse Dock dating from June 1897 by Priestly and Sons, Wallasey, the image sized 48cm x 61cm, is estimated at £60-100.

The sale is on view at Peter Wilson's Victoria Gallery, Market Street, Nantwich, on Sunday February 12 from 2-4pm; Monday February 13 from 10am-7pm; Tuesday February14 from 10am-4pm and on the morning of the sales from 9-11am. For further information, please contact auctioneer Chris Large on 01270 623878 or auctions@peterwilson.co.uk.

The £5 Coin That's Worth £1,500

Grandfather's investment set to pay dividends at The Canterbury Auction Galleries

It was the year of King George V's Silver Jubilee, but there was little to cheer about. In his address at St Paul's Cathedral on May 6 1935, the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of a quarter century "of almost unbroken anxiety and strain". Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald confessed in his jubilee speech that the economic and industrial problems he faced were "baffling".

With one in five men out of work and with "fear and preparation for war again astir in the world" as George V warned, his realm since he ascended the throne in 1910 was falling apart. History shows that abandoning the Gold Standard in 1931 had caused much of the problem in the post Depression years. The Pound traded on foreign exchange markets at 25% below its official value and with a consequent run on gold halving reserves, the Government formally resigned on August 23.

One man saw the turn of the year as time for action. On January 18 1935, he marched in to Spink & Son, the King's jeweller and goldsmith, to purchase a George V £5 gold coin. The original receipt shows he paid £9/10/0 (£9.50) for the privilege and it has remained in his family ever since.

It was a wise investment. According to the Bank of England inflation calculator, goods and services costing £9.50 in 1935 would cost £526.92 in 2010 (the most recent figure available. But that same £5 coin is worth its weight - quite literally - in gold.

The precious metal has always been considered a safe haven for money in troubled economic times and a hedge against inflation. As its inexorable rise in value continues, the coin is expected to sell for around £1,500 in the Two-Day Sale at The Canterbury Auction Galleries.

One of almost 40 lots of coins in the sale on February 14-15, it is sure to bring cheer to its Ramsgate owner. The sale also includes a large number of Royal Mint proof coins and sovereigns from the reigns of Victoria to the present Queen with estimates starting at £200.

Interestingly, an Elizabeth II 2002 gold £5 coin in uncirculated condition and still in its Royal Mint case of issue is estimated at £1,000-1,200, while a United States of America 1997 Twenty Dollar gold coin is estimated at £900-1,100.

The coins will be sold alongside the usual eclectic mix of fine art, antiques and collectors' items viewing for which is on Saturday February 11 from 10.00am to 4.00pm; Sunday February 12 from 12 noon to 4.00pm; Monday, February 13 from 10.00am to 7.00pm and on the mornings of sale from 8.30am. The catalogue can be viewed on-line at www.thecanterburyauctiongalleries/com and the sale will be broadcast on the Internet allowing for live bidding on www.the-saleroom.com. For further information, please contact the auctioneer on 01227 763337 or auctionrooms@btconnect.com.

UKauctioneers Weekend Update

As the weekend approaches, here is our pick of the best lots over the next few days... Thomaston Place Auction Galleries based in Maine USA joined the site recently with their incredible Two Day Winter Fine Art Sale which starts this Saturday. Don't be afraid to bid if you are based in the UK, just use the 'ask a question' button located underneath every lot in order to inquire about shipping costs. There are plenty of beautiful and unique items up for grabs, from an original Edison Lamp to an exquisite Patek Philippe Mechanical Bird Music Box, so don't be shy! Meanwhile back on our side of the pond, don't miss out on Kent's two part Saturday sale and The Auction Centre's quality antiques sale both with live bidding. Thomaston Place United States Enquire about this lot Two Day Winter Feature Auction of Fine Art & Antiques - Day One Sat 28th Jan 11am Kent Folkestone Enquire about this lot ATTEND LIVE AUCTION Victorian & Later Effects Auction Lots 1 - 299 Sat 28th Jan 10am Kent Folkestone Enquire about this lot ATTEND LIVE AUCTION Victorian & Later Effects Auction Lots 300 - end Sat 28th Jan 10am The Auction Centre Runcorn Enquire about this lot ATTEND LIVE AUCTION Antiques and Collectables Sale Sat 28th Jan 10am Semley Dorset Enquire about this lot Pictures, Books, Prints & Ephemera, Antique Furniture & Objects Sat 28th Jan 10:30am Michael Bowman Devon Enquire about this lot Pictures, Books, Ephemera, Collectors' Items, Jewellery & Antique Furniture Sat 28th Jan 2pm Thomaston Place United States Enquire about this lot Two Day Winter Feature Auction of Fine Art & Antiques - Day Two Sun 29th Jan 11am Lots Road Chelsea Enquire about this lot Lots 1-300 Contemporary and Modern Design Furniture and Fittings Sun 29th Jan 1pm Lots Road Chelsea Enquire about this lot Lots 301-600, Antiques, Furniture, Works of Art, Carpets & Textiles Sun 29th Jan 1pm Latest from the Blog 57,500-carat world's largest emerald worth $1.15MILLION up for auction... Quick Search Over 40 search results for "Emerald" Emerald>> What Did it go For? Sale Room: Mullock's Specialist Auctioneers Napoleon nine original issues of the Liverpool Mercury, October to January 1812-13 containing bulletins of the Grand Army and detailing the Battle for Moscow, the burning of the City, Napoleon's entry into the Kremlin, the Kremlin mined and blown up and the arsenal, barracks and magazines destroyed, Napoleon's eventual defeat and the retreat from Moscow etc, with a map showing the Seat of War in Russia. Good condition throughout. Hammer Price: £135.00 For more catalogues go to www.ukauctioneers.com