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Author Topic: Salton Collection Greek (Stack’s, 2023). Addendum: Notable Lost Provenances  (Read 667 times)

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Offline Curtis JJ

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I hope it's okay to discuss this sale here, now that it has completed, and the topic is provenance research...

More comments at the end, but here's a list of about a dozen important “lost provenances” (old collections, publications, hoards) that were NOT mentioned in yesterday’s sale of Salton Collection Greek coins (Stack’s, NYINC). (And one important correction.)

They include: Pozzi Collection, C.S. Bement, Photiades Pascha, Hermann Weber, the Lockett Collection, the Selinutre Hoard 1888, and associated publications.

Note: I only researched this handful, mostly from among the cheapest lots, so if you bought any yesterday,  it’s safe to say there are many, many more to find.


Stack's Bowers January 2023 NYINC Auction, Session I, Salton Collection (16 Jan 2023)

26063. Selinus Didrachm. Described: “Weber-1527 (this coin illustrated)”.
Also: Weber Collection, acquired “Castel Vetrano 1889.” No doubt this refers to IGCH 2059, Selinutre Hoard (1888) [LINK];

26079. Philip II Tetrobol. Described: “SNG Lockett-1418 (this coin).”
Also: Lockett Collection, Glendining (1958) Part VI, 1330 (part, not ill.). Previously C.S. Bement Collection, Naville Ars Classica VI (28 Jan 1924), Lot 703.
Notes: Given the hammer, I suspect I’m not the only one to notice the Bement prov. After, the bid caller concluded: "You make my job fun!"

26083 & 26084. Alexander III Drachms. Described: “SNG Lockett….(this coin)” but not “Lockett Collection” (26086 did, though). (The Glendining sale is available on Archive.org [LINK] -- though I used my copy purchased from FORVM for this research!)
Notes: There were actually many more Alexander type drachms ex-Lockett, most of which Lockett had previously acq. from Baldwin’s according to his purchase records [LINK].

For the following eight Alexander III Drachms, no provenance or hint of publication was given at all:
26085. Alexander III Drachm. Also: SNG Lockett 1481, Lockett Collection, sold in Glendining Part VI, 1958.
26095. Alexander III Drachm. Also: SNG Lockett 1495, Lockett Collection, sold in Glendining Part VI, 1958. Acquired by Lockett from Baldwin’s.
26097. Alexander III Drachm. Also: SNG Lockett 1501, Lockett Collection, sold in Glendining Lockett VI (Greek II, 12 February 1958), Lot 1378 (part, not ill.). Acq. by Lockett from Baldwin’s.
Notes: Soon to be CJJ Collection.

26099. Alexander III Drachm. Also: SNG Lockett 1483, Lockett Collection, sold in Glendining Part VI, 1958.
26101. Alexander III Drachm. Also: SNG Lockett 1503, Lockett Collection, sold in Glendining Part VI, 1958.
26105. Alexander III Drachm. Also: SNG Lockett 1487, Lockett Collection, sold in Glendining Part VI, 1958.
26106. Alexander III Drachm. Also: SNG Lockett 1486, Lockett Collection, sold in Glendining Part VI, 1958.
26107. Alexander III Drachm. Also: SNG Lockett 1504, Lockett Collection, sold in Glendining Part VI, 1958.

26128. Larissa Obol. Described: “SNG Lockett-1555 (this coin illustrated). Ex: Ars Classica XIII (1928), Lot # 697.”
Also: Lockett Collection (Glendining Part VI [1958], Lot 1419 [illustrated]), ex Hermann Weber Collection, Weber 2827 (this coin), Ex Photiades  Pacha (Hoffmann, 19 May 1890),  lot  85.
Notes: It’s probably possible to determine which of the Naville XIII collections this was: Allatini - Bloch – Churchill.
Again the high hammer makes me optimistic that someone else noticed all the extra prov.

26157. Boeotia Stater. Hammer: $14,000
Described: “Weber-1568 (this coin)…. Ex: Weber Collection.”
Notes: I don’t think that’s correct. I couldn’t find this coin in the Weber Collection. I checked a couple other collections to see if the 1568 reference was to another, but couldn’t work it out.

26233: Megalopolis Bronze.
Also: Ex Pozzi Collection (not in the 1921 Ars Classica sale), illustrated in Boutin, No. 4349.
Notes: I really wanted this one, but couldn’t stay in the bidding, even though it was a good price for the type. It’s hard to see it from the plaster cast photographed (something I’ve noticed with my other ex-Pozzi’s), but I’m certain this is the same coin. It raises some issues for prov. research caused by slabbing: (1) many of the coins in this sale had NO WEIGHT given (!), (2) it's very difficult to compare the edges, which is where you find the defects that help confirm/disconfirm a specimen's identity. (I'm also really hoping Stack's didn't throw away the Saltons' envelopes; I received several from Kuenker -- but they didn't slab the Romans.)



26234: Tegea Hemidrachm.
Also: Williams 84c (this coin cited); Roderick Williams (1965) The Confederate Coinage of the Arcadians in the Fifth Century B.C.
Notes: Notes: Soon to be CJJ Collection.



COMMENTS/BACKGROUND:
This was the second portion of Greek coins from the highly important Salton Collection (Mark Salton-Schlessinger [1914-2005] & Lottie Salton [1924-2020]). Last year’s NYINC was the first (best) portion of Greek. Additionally, Stack’s, Künker, and Kolbe & Fanning have held Roman, World, and library sales.

For history on this importatnt collection: Ursula Kampmann’s volume, The Origins of the German Coin Trade…[LINK]; or excerpt in The E-Sylum [LINK] or CoinsWeekly announcement + links [LINK].

The coins from the Salton Collection have such extensive collection and publication histories that the catalogers can’t be expected to track them all down. I bet all the other hounds of provenance research were also searching for an edge, so hopefully the collectors or dealers who acquired the coins individually will find them. I hate to see an important provenance stay lost (or incorrect ones perpetuated).

Once again, I only looked at a fraction of lots, focusing on the cheaper bronzes and silver fractions. There’s much more to find.
“Collect the collectors…” John W Adams’ advice to J Orosz (Asylum 38, 2: p51)

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Offline PtolemAE

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Thank you. Always interesting to see the additional history of collections like this.
PtolemAE

Offline cicerokid

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This coin from the Salton collection in NSSCA  one of 3 known  believed to be mentioned as commerce  1955   Thompson 1227 a. No one knows where the Salton's bought it from. Poor guardianship by a couple  who should have known better!
Timeo Danaos afferentem coronas

Offline Curtis JJ

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Yes, I remember that one. I take the opposite interpretation. They obviously made their collections available to many researchers, since their coins are frequently cited in many major die-studies from the 1960s onward. (They have at least one other in Thompson, for which we do get further provenance [Schlessinger & Hermitage...possibly one of those Salton tracked down & recovered post-WWII?].)

The fact that the coin ended up in the die study means it could be tracked down again 60+ years later; that Thompson didn't feel it worth saying where they bought it isn't on them, and probably wasn't of much consequence. I can't comment on them personally, but it's clear they contributed vastly more to numismatic scholarship (including donating coins & money to museums/institutions) than all but a small fraction of collectors.
“Collect the collectors…” John W Adams’ advice to J Orosz (Asylum 38, 2: p51)

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Offline Kevin D

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Quote from: Curtis JJ on January 17, 2023, 05:57:12 pm

Again the high hammer makes me optimistic that someone else noticed all the extra prov.


Yes, provenance research often does pay off. As well, the increasingly restrictive import/ownership laws in many countries makes finding an old provenance doubly worthwhile.

 

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