endpapers with manuscript note written by Leopold George P. Messenger taped onto first pastedown. Contents remarkably clean with some insignificant browning. A remarkably fresh copy of this fascinating catalogue containing many major rarities. Early catalogues such as this are rarely seen, especially when hand annotated and in such a good state of preservation, as here. Exceptionally rare thus. (M&R p10) £1,650
NB002
Richard Mead (1673-1754) was an eminent Royal Physician who in his lifetime attended to Sir Isaac Newton as well as both Queen Anne and George II. Author of a number of renowned medical texts he is most remembered for the ground breaking work, ‘A Short Discourse concerning Pestilential Contagion, and the Method to be used to prevent it’ (1720) revolutionary at the time for its understanding of contagious diseases. His decision to collect coins came rather late in life and apparently upon the prompting of his second wife whom he married in 1724. During this relatively short time he managed to build a vast collection consisting of Ancient Greek coins (this series was sold to dealers Angel Carney and Patrick Kennedy prior to the auction), Roman coins, British coins and Commemorative Medals. The present volume also details his impressive collection of Gems and Antiquities. “Mead’s sale offered the most extensive collection of coins available in London to that date and the purchasers included many well-known eighteenth century English Collectors”. Notable highlights of his collection include, on the first day two exceptionally rare Aurei, lot 17, of Pompeius (£25.0.0) and lot 19, of Brutus (£22.10.0), on the second day, lot 110, an Aureus of Allectus (£21.5.0). On the sixth day of the sale, lot 26, an Elizabeth I Portcullis Crown (£4.4.0), lot 38, a Charles II Petition Crown, “highly preserved” (£12.0.0), and lot 76, an “exquisite fine” Fifty Shilling piece of Oliver Cromwell (£9.0.0), on the seventh day, lot 21, a Twenty Pound Scottish piece of James VI described as being “A large beautiful piece” (£4.10.0), and on the eighth day, lot 48 (p.197), “An exquisite fine oval Gold Medal upon Admiral Blake’s Victory at Sea by Thomas Simon” (£21.0.0). As Manville states, ‘Many lots contained 20-40 Roman Coins, each described with full legends, which helps to explain the catalogues length of more than 200 pages for fewer than 600 lots.’ The total value of the sale realised an incredible £1,997.17.0, unheard of at this time.
“Dr Hunter’s Duplicates…as presumed” THE RARE 1777 SALES CATALOGUE CONTAINING DR HUNTER’S DUPLICATES WITH PRICES & BUYERS NAMES NB003 [Gerard, John] A Catalogue of a Valuable Collection of Antient and Modern Coins and Medals Containing Very large and Rich Series, in Gold, Silver, and Copper, of Greek Kings, Cities, and People, Roman Families, and Imperial Coins, Besides a considerable Number of Saxon, English and other modern Coins and Medals. Thursday, the 23rd of January, 1777 and the Seven following Days (Sunday excepted). Quarto, pp. 38 pages, 1-80, 1-83, 1-80, 1-81, 1-81, 1-96, 1-93, 1-93 (687) lots. Handwritten prices and buyers names throughout. Manuscript note on first free endpaper stating ‘Dr Hunters Duplicates as presumed’. Neatly bound in three quarter calf and artificial silk boards, gilt. A trifle faded and edges bumped. Endpapers very slightly foxed otherwise remarkably clean. A fine copy of a rare and important catalogue. (M&R p25) £385 The substantial numismatic collection formed by noted physician and ‘foremost medical man in London’, Dr William Hunter (17181783) was, in 1899, ‘the finest ever got together by a private individual. Its trays contain about 30,000 specimens, of which 12,000 are Greek and nearly the same number for Roman.” The collection was from the very beginning undertaken by Hunter as a public duty and was, upon his death, bequeathed to Glasgow University “for the improvement of knowledge” along with £8,000 to support and house it. This generous legacy formed the basis of what is now the Hunterian Museum. Hunter bought coins and medals from all geographic areas but was highly diligent in ‘systematically ridding himself of the many duplicates which the wholesale additions to his Cabinet naturally left upon his hands.’ As explained by Anne Robertson in SCBI No. 2., “His aim of making his collection comprehensive and free from duplicates involved him and his advisors in much toil. ‘I explained what I meant’, he wrote to one who had questioned his interpretation of the term ‘duplicate’, ‘viz. No medal was a Duplicate where there was a difference in the Dye; and two were not duplicates , when by injuries of preservation they were both necessary to make out the medal either in the figures or inscription…I was tired of the labour and would not do it again for £50”. Some of these duplicates were offered to the Royal Cabinet at Paris whilst others were sold through auction, Manville states that there were ‘five or six anonymous sales over several years’ although McDonald writes only of ‘the sale’ in 1777 (as here). Sold over a period of eight days the coins were lotted up seemingly with no consent to geographic areas or individual importance or value. Of particular note are two Ptolemaic gold Oktodrachms which sold on the seventh day (lots 62 & 65) for £27 and £36 respectively, a number of rare Roman Aurei including those of Elagabulus, Pescennius Niger, Nero and Agrippina and Drusus. In the English series there was a fine selection of English hammered gold including one Henry VIII Sovereign and an Edward VI Angel, as well as one single lot (73) on the seventh day, consisting of three Pontefract Shillings, one Carlisle Shilling and one Newark Ninepence. Also of particular interest and note are the names of those buying at the sale, many of whom were eminent people of the time or famous (or infamous) collectors and dealers. Amongst these names are coin dealer Henry Young (father of the notable and highly respected nineteenth century coin dealer Matthew), Lord Sandwich (who later sold his collection to William Hunter), agent and dealer John Thane (son-in-law to Thomas Snelling) who upon his death sold the latters collection of English coins to Samuel Tyssen, Thomas Dummer son of the MP Thomas Lee Dummer, and the substantial buyer Edward Hodsoll who also bought heavily in the sale of Richard Mead (see NB0…). One further name which features heavily is that of ‘White’, who is more than likely to be the notorious counterfeiter John White, described by J.T. Smith as, “a cunning old fox” and with whom Hunter had first dealt with a few months prior to the auction. For more information see Manvilles ‘Biographical Dictionary’ and MacDonalds ‘Greek Coins in the Hunterian Collection.’
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