On March 12, the London auction house of Dix Noonan Webb sold the best collection of British half-crowns to be offered for sale since that of Colin Adams in 2005.
Assembling the 195 lots had been a 50-year labor of love for Brian Dawson, a well-respected coin dealer from Lancashire. The oldest coin in the collection came from Edward VI dated 1551. The most recent was an Elizabeth II issue of 1961.
At final hammer fall, the total realized was $819,975 [£620,418], or an average of $4,205 per lot. All lots sold except one that was withdrawn pre-sale.
Both Charles Stuarts, father and son, dominated the sale. They secured 27 of the top 30 prices, the other three places going to Hanoverian monarchs. Of these 27, 15 Stuart half-crowns made…
