Significant Ships, Colonies & Commerce tokens assembled by noted Canadian numismatic researcher Christopher Faulkner are entering the marketplace in the first offering from his collection.
Jacob Lipson Rare Coins has released the first instalment of the Christopher Faulkner Collection, beginning with Faulkner’s holdings of Ships, Colonies & Commerce tokens.
Among the highlights is a Breton-999 with only eight examples known – three of them held permanently in institutional collections – and a $10,000 Breton-997 identified in the catalogue as the only known example of its type.
The material is being offered at fixed prices, with detailed descriptions, provenance and high-resolution images. Much of the accompanying commentary draws on Faulkner’s research, supplemented with auction records and information on comparable pieces.
Faulkner’s scholarship has covered several important areas of early Canadian numismatics, including Prince Edward Island Holey Dollars, Upper Canada tokens and Bouquet Sous.
EIGHT EXAMPLES KNOWN
One of the key pieces is Lot 25, a Breton-999 Ships, Colonies & Commerce token attributed as Lees-5A, R.10 and BL-24C1.
Only eight examples are known, according to the catalogue, with three permanently housed in institutional collections. That leaves five specimens in private hands.
The 5.01-gram example is graded VF by Faulkner. Its obverse ship and reverse legend remain clear and relatively strong, with minor rub, while its golden-brown surfaces display areas of darker patina.
Writing in Imperial Designs, Faulkner described the variety as having “become the Holy Grail” for collectors of the Ships series, citing its scarcity and separate listing in Breton. The uncertainty surrounding the production and issuance of the token has also contributed to collector interest.
The example carries a provenance extending back more than 120 years. It appeared as Lot 510 in Sotheby’s July 1903 sale of the John G. Murdoch Collection and subsequently passed through Spink & Son.
It later appeared in the November 1926 sale of the W.W.C. Wilson Collection, Part II, conducted by Wayte Raymond, where it realized $105. The token was purchased by L.A. Renaud for Ludger Gravel and, following unidentified intermediaries, was owned by Warren Baker by 1971. It appeared again in Jeffrey Hoare Auctions’ February 1995 sale of the Roy Hughes Collection, realizing $2,900.
BRETON-997
Another standout is Lot 7, a Breton-997 Ships, Colonies & Commerce token attributed as Lees-3.3, R.7 and BL-24A.
Priced at $10,000, the 8.00-gram reverse-uniface token was struck approximately 10 per cent off-centre. Faulkner grades the piece about EF.
The catalogue identifies the token as the only example of its kind known. Early Canadian numismatist R.W. McLachlan was reportedly the first to record its existence, claiming it had been struck from an old die discovered in Montreal around 1876. Its origin remains undetermined.
Its provenance includes Edward W. Barton, John A. Wood and the Warren Baker Collection, where it appeared in a March 1987 Bowers and Merena sale. It was later owned by Len Buth.
A second Breton-997, Lot 8, further illustrates the depth of Faulkner’s holdings. Attributed as Lees-3.4, R.7 and BL-24A2, the 4.94-gram token is graded VF+ by Faulkner.
Faulkner notes that thin specimens with a straight reverse are at least twice as scarce as those with an upset reverse. The variety was absent from the Robins Collection, and the catalogue cites its last auction appearance as a Jeffrey Hoare sale in 2006.
The Ships, Colonies & Commerce material represents the first instalment of the Faulkner Collection to reach the market, with additional selections expected to follow. Click here for catalogue.