A collection of covetable gold coins was the star attraction which launched Clevedon Salerooms latest Interiors sale on Thursday 2nd October. Twenty-two lots were offered with the headliner being a Tristan da Cunha Gold Proof One Hundred Pounds Coin, 2022, commemorating the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
This extremely scarce coin – just eight were minted - tipped the scales at an impressive 311g of 22 carat gold and 2 carats of platinum. The source of a great deal of pre-sale interest, it took the day’s top price selling for £20,000. In all twenty-two lots of special edition sovereigns were offered with a combined sale total of just over £61,000. Staying with coins, recent sales have seen the price of gold sovereigns reach unprecedented heights and, as this sale proved, it’s a trend that shows no sign of abating. An 1861 Queen Victoria gold shield back sovereign sold for £600, just ahead of a 1918 George V Perth Mint gold sovereign, which sold for £580 the same price as two half sovereigns, dated 1900 and 1912. The message is clear: if you have sovereigns now is the time to sell.
A good selection of jewellery came hot on the heels of the coin extravaganza. Leading the way, a Victorian or Edwardian yellow metal (9C) trombone link Albert chain, weighing 36.4g did extremely well, selling for £980, whilst a 21g fancy link yellow metal bracelet stamped 14, sold for £840. High prices for gold continued to be the order of the day. A 9ct rose gold graduated curb link Albert chain of 26.3g approx. sold for £680, whilst a 9ct gold curb link bracelet with yellow metal heart padlock, (24.4g gross approx) sold for £650. One of the day’s surprises came in the form of a group of loose 'cherry amber' beads which quickly overtook their estimate to sell for £750.
Some impressive results were also to be found in the watches section. A Memphis lady's 14k gold bracelet watch sold for £1,200 and a Baume 1960s 9ct gold bracelet watch sold for £840. A George V 9ct gold cased open-face pocket watch hallmarked for Birmingham, 1921 sold for £700. Amongst the Silver it seemed that everything stopped for tea. A four-piece Art Deco tea set, hallmarked for Birmingham 1938, sold for £665, a George V silver teapot weighing 805g gross approx. sold for £600. A set of ten 20th century Japanese knives, each with a floral engraved silver plated blade and kozuka style decorated handle, sold for £580. Also heralding from the Land of the Rising Sun, a very stylish set of six Japanese white metal teaspoons with enamelled bowls and handles topped with grasshoppers and moths, outshone their estimate to sell for £520. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was amongst furniture.
An Edwardian oak inverted breakfront open bookcase of good proportions bucked the current trend against ‘brown’ furniture, outstripping its estimate to sell for an impressive £720. With Halloween looming menacingly into view, a collection of five first edition and later Gothic Horror novels, which included 'Haunted Lives', volumes II and III in the first edition, published by Tinsley Brothers, London, 1868; and In a Glass Darkly, new edition, Richard Bentley & Son, London, 1884, made a timely appearance and devoured their estimate to sell for £340.
After such a busy sale you could be forgiven for thinking the team at Clevedon Salerooms will be putting their feet up but nothing could be further from the truth. The next auction will be another Interiors sale on 23rd October followed by another on 13th November. Our next Specialist sale will be the Winter Fine Art sale on 4th December.