Autumn Sale Report – 14th October 2015
The most recent sale at the Ibbett Mosely Auction Rooms was a great early Autumn success, with several four-figure hammer prices, and was also held in the presence of a TV camera crew.
The top prices of £1,800 was paid for a piece of First World War memorabilia. Lot 282 was a Rear Admiral’s Flag, and was that of Rear Admiral Sir William Pakenham. This particular example was flown from HMS New Zealand at the Battle of Jutland, 31st May – 1st June 1916, when he commanded the Second Battle-cruiser Squadron. It was sold in a presentation case, together with two letters from the Captain of the Ship, which meant that the piece had a decent provenance behind it.
The initial bidding came from a North of England Dealer, but there was also keen interest from the Royal Navy Museum, Portsmouth, who were the underbidders against a private collector, who became the eventual owner.
Elsewhere in the sale other healthy prices were paid, particularly for mixed lots of jewellery. These lots of gold, gem-set and costume jewellery, often comprise a high proportion of gold items, some of which might be in poor condition. Several of the lots sold between £460 and £1,200.
A lovely quality 18ct gold and enamelled chain, complete with a pocket watch and other accessories, was sold in its case for £1,750.
A gold medallion for the Westminster Fire Office 1816-17 also attracted a lot of interest, selling to a member of the established trade for £720.
Silver is another area of the antiques market that is selling well at the moment, and it is the weight of the item that will usually dictate what it may realise. A silver teapot, on its own, sold for £170, whereas a part service of silver cutlery dated for London 1862, was bought for £1,100, and two smaller quantities of Georgian silver cutlery sold for £390 and £420.
The Auctioneers’ next sale is being held on Wednesday 18th November 2015m at the Ibbett Mosely Auction Rooms, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks, commencing at 12.30pm, and the sale dates for 2016 are about to be announced.
Entries are invited for future auctions at the Auctioneers’ office at 125 High Street, Sevenoaks (tel: 01732 456731), or can also be contacted by email on [email protected].
