A copy of the Declaration of Breda, estimated at £400,000-600,000 at Sotheby’s Coronation Sale running from April 21-May 4.
1660 Restoration charter at auction
The highlight of Sotheby’s Coronation Sale running from April 21-May 4 is a copy of the Declaration of Breda.
Bi lled as “the most important Royal document ever to come to auction”, the manuscript that restored the monarchy af ter Ol iver Cromwell’s death, is estimated at £400,000-600,000.
Compiled when Charles was in exile in Breda (in the Protestant Netherlands) in April 1660, five versions of the document were created (for the House of Commons, the City of London, the Army, the House of Lords and the Navy) but only two copies survive.
The Declaration of Breda publicly outlined the terms on which the exiled king could return to Britain, laying the foundations for the shape of the future monarchy.
The Sotheby’s version is the Navy’s copy and passed through the hands Samuel Pepys (now considered ‘The Father of the Modern Navy’) who was secretary to the General at Sea, Edward Montagu, who tasked him with winning the Navy over to Charles II.
The document was first auctioned in 1985 from the collection of the Montagu descendants.
A statistical invoice for numismatist
A Swiss firm has launched what it believes is the first numismatics index, designed to show the change in prices of a typical ‘basket’ of collectable European coins over time.
Numindex bel ieve s stat istical information documenting the rise and fall of coin values will encourage new buyers into the market.
Michael Zagorowski, a Zurich fund manager turned numismatist at Swiss coin auction house Sincona, has selected 30 coins to produce the index. Half of the coins are silver, 14 are gold with an aluminium coin from the Litzmannstadt Ghetto completing the ‘basket’. All regularly appear for sale and have a value well above their precious metal content. They joined the index priced at under SFr2000 each. The two British coins included are the 1887 £2 piece and an East Indian silver trade dollar from 1901.
Calculating the price index over the last five years - a strong period for the coin market - the average annual increase has been 12.1%. The index starting at 1000 points, rose to over 1800 points in 2021, although it has fallen 450 points over the past year.
Gurr Johns supports ACS Studio Prize
The Artists’ Collecting Society’s (ACS) annual Studio Prize has returned for its seventh year.
It offers a recent graduate the chance to win £6000 to contribute to the cost of an artist’s studio in a UK city of their choice.
This year art adviser Gurr Johns will offer five finalists the opportunity to take part in a group exhibition at its St James’s first-f loor gallery between September 19-22.
The judges this year are artist Mat Collishaw, Simon Martin, director of Pallant House Gallery, and Lady Bridgeman, managing director of ACS. The winner will be announced at the exhibition’s private view on September 19.
Taylors moves back to the beginning
James and Robert Laverack outside John Taylors of Louth's new location.
Lincolnshire auction house and estate agent John Taylors of Louth is moving - returning to the Victorian building where it was founded 130 years ago.
The firm has bought 127 Eastgate, a 8000 sq ft Victorian building in which the founder of the business - John Taylor - occupied and conducted auctions in the 1890s.
Its auction room will relocate from the Old Wool Mart in Kidgate to the new premises later this year. The firm’s estate agency is also relocating to Eastgate, bringing the two parts of the business back together for the first time in more than 30 years.
Directors James and Robert Laverack said the new premises will double its space for auctions and includes a double shop frontage, offices above, and a large hall on two levels behind.
James said that the business was bucking the trend by returning to a high street location and added: “The withdrawal of the national retailers has provided an oppor tuni ty for the independent to expand.”
Cheshire Police issue theft alert
Stolen in Cheshire, a lacquered papier mâché snuff box dated 1789 with a gilt bust portrait of a man wearing the liberty cap.
Cheshire Police are warning antiques dealers to be vigilant following the theft of two silver items and a lacquered snuff box in the village of Hartford.
A number of items were stolen in a burglary and police have warned they could be offered for sale to dealers, pawn shops or auction houses.
The burglary occurred sometime between 11pm on April 1 and 7.20am the following day at a house in Beech Road, Hartford.
Anyone with information should contact Cheshire Police on 101 or via its website quoting IML1514437. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 080 555 111.
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1 No market wobble as jelly mould sets new auction record
2 Cheshire Police warn dealers to be vigilant following theft
3 Early telegraph keypad stars in our pick of five auction highlights
4 5 Questions with Julian Hartnoll
5 Rare South African Dinky toy car is among five lots to watch
In Numbers
90
The number of minutes it took to free a man who fell into a public sculpture in Canada. The man climbed Talus Dome made of 1000 handcrafted stainless steel spheres and became trapped after slipping between them.
