Early journal set brings $11K

A pair of publications related to Canadian numismatics drew bidders’ interests during the April 30 sale of the Sydney Martin Library.

Martin, of Amelia Island, Fla., was the trustee and former president of the American Numismatic Society when he died on Jan. 19, 2021. Offered by Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers, the library was billed by auctioneers as one of the finest collections of early U.S. numismatic literature.

Among the Canadian highlights was Lot 299, a complete 33-volume set of the Canadian Antiquarian and Numismatic Journal, which the Numismatic & Antiquarian Society of Montréal published from 1872-1933.

Among the Canadian highlights was Lot 299, a complete 33-volume set of the Canadian Antiquarian and Numismatic Journal, which the Numismatic & Antiquarian Society of Montréal published from 1872-1933. Rarely offered, the journal serves as “an indispensable of information to those seriously interested in Canadian numismatics and history, early North American medals, Canadian colonial tokens, and so forth,” according to auctioneers.

It sold for $8,500 US (about $11,000 Cdn.), nearly tripling its estimate. Another Canada-related highlight offered a rare plated edition of S.H. Chapman’s 1920 sale of the W.H. Hunter Collection, which auctioneers called “exceptionally important for American and Canadian medals.” It brought $4,000 (about $5,180 Cdn.), nearly doubling its estimate as Lot 107.

The sale’s top-earning lot was Walter Breen’s personal, annotated copy of his 1988 Complete Encyclopedia, which brought $37,500 US (about $48,500 Cdn.), topping its estimate by more than seven times as Lot 64.

Leave a Reply

Canadian Coin News

Canada

Canadian Coin News is Canada's premier source of information about coins, notes and medals.

Although we cover the entire world of numismatics, the majority of our readers are Canadian, and we concentrate on the unique circumstances surrounding collecting in our native land.

Send Us Your Event

Running an event? Send it to us and we will display it on Canadian Coin News!

Submit Event →

Subscribe To 26 Issues For Just $59.99/year

Subscribe today to receive Canada's premier coin publication. Canadian Coin News is available in both paper and digital forms.

Subscribe Now

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.