My November 2017 Baltimore Report
EVillageProwler
Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭✭✭
As in the past, I arrived Thursday early afternoon. Unlike in the past, I largely finished my show activity within 1 hour.
I had a pre-arranged meeting with a dealer of Anglo-Saxon material, with him holding a very rare Series W sceatt for me. For those who don't know, the Series W sceattas are the first coinage issues from the Kingdom of Wessex. They are very rare, and are very important to me.
ANGLO-SAXON, Primary Sceattas. Kingdom of Wessex, Ine (688-726). Circa 700-715. AR Sceatt (11mm, 1.12g, 12h). Series W, type 54. Figure standing facing, head right, holding long cross pommée in each hand / Cross-crosslet on saltire cross with central pellet. Metcalf, First, Variety 1B, 4; Abramson 108.20; cf. SCBI 63 (BM), 184–5; North 148; SCBC 787. Good VF, small cut on edge. Rare.
While there, of course I go through the dealer's inventory and bought two other coins.
ANGLO-SAXON, Primary Sceattas. Kingdom of Kent, Wihtred (670-725). Circa 700. AR Sceatt (1.17g, 9h). Series BX, type 26. Diademed bust right, beaded 'serpent' headed circle around / Bird above cross on steps, an annulet each side within beaded circle, blundered legend. North 124; SCBC 776.
From the Academic Collection of Lord Stewartby (Spink, 22 March 2016, lot 3). Bought from Spink, 11 August 1992.
GREAT BRITAIN, House of Stuart. Charles I. 1625-1649. AR Half Pound (c. 44mm, c. 59g, 8h). Oxford mint; im: Shrewsbury plume. Dated 1642. CAROLVS : D : G : MAGN : BRIT : FRAN : ET : HIB : REX ·, Charles I riding left, holding reins with left hand and sword in right hand; Oxford plume to right / (seven pellets in double diamond pattern) EXVRGAT : DEVS : DISSIPENTVR : INIMICI, RELIG : PROT : LEG / ANG : LIBER : PAR in two lines between parallel lines; above, three Oxford plumes above ·X·. North 2404; SCBC 2945. Good VF, toned.
[I've been wanting a Charles I silver Half Pound coin for a long time, and I've been eying this exact coin for almost two years and the dealer finally discounted it enough for me that I decided to buy it.]
My fourth and final coin (though not without trying to find more to buy) is a relatively cheap coin whose eye appeal I like, fills a hole, and I think will provide some research opportunity for me.
ANGLO-SAXON, Primary Sceattas. Kingdom of Kent, Wihtred (670-725). Circa 680-710. AR Sceatt. Series C. Mint in Kent. Radiate bust right, annulets behind bust with A chevron; Runic ÆPA before / Beaded standard, with TOTII legend, cross at each side and T at each angle. SCBC 779. EF, toned.
I spend the rest of Thursday talking to dealers and looking at coins (yes, even looking at US coins!). Later went to Morton's for dinner with a dealer friend.
Given that I was largely done with the show in 2 hours, I contemplated going home early Friday and leaving the show at 1pm. Alas, that would not be the case because Todd didn't finish imaging my coins in time and my light side friends wanted me to hang around to have dinner with them. So, aside from dropping off my coins to Todd (BluCC) for imaging, Friday was just a social day for me. That means I'll be on the road bright and early Saturday morning.
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
Comments
Nice report and great new additions!
Well done!
Attractive additions- sorry I missed you.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Sounds like a successful show for you!
Latin American Collection
Great stuff!
Very very nice Charles I.
Thanks everyone!
Next time, send me a PM or email and we can coordinate to meet up.
Yes, I did. Heck yeah, I did! I checked off two important objectives: a Series W sceatt and a Charles I silver halfpound. That Series W is not perfect, but honestly it is hard to find another let alone one that is better. As for the 1/2-pound coin, well, it typically comes banged up and still expensive. In the past few years I've been eyeballing these coins, I've seen two 1/2-pound coins undeniably better than mine, with them being NEF or EF, and costing about double (or more) mine.
The epilogue to my show report is that I'm finally caught up with my sleep, gave Todd/BluCC the info he needs to process my images into finished products, and finished writing the tags for my new purchases.
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com