DNW Auctions
Dix Noonan Webb St Piccadilly, Bolton, London 16
+44 0-20-7016-1700
About Auction House
Established in 1990, Dix Noonan Webb Ltd are the UK’s leading specialist auctioneers and valuers of coins, tokens, medals, militaria and paper money of all types staging regular auctions throughout the year. We expanded into the specialist fields of jewellery, watches and objects of vertu with the opening of the Jewellery department in November 2015 and are now one of the top Jewellery Auctioneers in Mayfair.Auction Previews & News
14 Results
Auction PreviewRare Medals and Honorary Orders Lined Up in Noonans’ Upcoming Sale
The upcoming Noonans auction is dedicated to the sale of rare Orders, Decorations, Medals, and Militaria. Leading the catalog is a set of honorary medals and badges, including The Most Honourable Order of the Bath made for K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander. The contemporary Paris-made breast star from circa 1815 was awarded to Colonel Cameron, appointed as one of the first KCBs. The Order of the Bath was a British order of chivalry founded by George I on May 18, 1725. Since 1815, KCB knighthood was recognized as the second level of the Order of the Bath. A group of six unique medals belonging to Sergeant D. C. Ellis for his service during the Second World War is also available. The set includes a military medal, a 1939 to ‘45 Star, an Africa Star, a Burma Star, and Defense and War Medals from 1939 to ‘45. A fine Regency period breast star of the Order of the Garter designed by London-based jewelry firm Rundell Bridge & Rundell is also part of the sale. To view the full catalog or to place a bid, visit Noonans.
Auction PreviewRare Coins and Historical Medals at Noonan’s Upcoming Event
The 1970 Football Association Challenge Cup Finals was ranked as one of the greatest FA cup finals and often called the most brutal game in the history of English football. The match between popular football teams Chelsea and Leeds concluded with a score of two to two— making it the first FA Cup Final since 1912 that required a replay. A unique 1970 FA Cup Final Winners’ gold medal was awarded to player Alan Hudson for making 145 first-team appearances for Chelsea FC between 1969 and 1974. This medal is available for sale in Noonans’ upcoming auction of coins and historical medals. Over 700 coins and historical medals from a private collection comprise the catalog. An 1887 specimen set of gold and silver coins is one of the highlights. The set includes five and two pounds, sovereign and half-sovereign, a crown, and threepence. A very rare coin from the North East Thames, belonging to the British Iron Age, is also available. Visit Noonans to view the full catalog or place a bid.
Auction PreviewNotable Currency Collectibles Available at Noonans, Including Rare Russo-Chinese Bank Note From 1903
The Russo-Chinese Bank was founded in 1896 to oversee the loans intended to back China’s indemnity to Japan following the First Sino-Japanese War. The bank would eventually become the second largest in China with headquarters in St. Petersburg and branches in China, East Asia, Calcutta, San Francisco, Paris and London. The bank also issued legal tender at the time, including a $5 note such as the example issued in September, 1903, on offer in the Banknotes auction from Noonans. Very few examples of this note are known to exist, and Noonans has been unable to find records of its sale in decades. Other rare items in the auction include a National Bank Limited £3 note, a Banque de l’Indochine 100 Piastres note, a United Arab Emirates Currency Board 1000 Dirhams note from 1973, and more. With over 1,204 lots in the auction, there are many nations and periods represented, such as a Bank of Ireland color trial from 1978, a Government of Ceylon 100 Rupees note from 1945, and an Imperial Bank of Persia 1 Toman note from 1930. View any of these lots and register to bid on Noonans.
Auction IndustryImportant group of medals awarded to Captain Peter Townsend to be sold at Dix Noonan Webb
The group of eleven includes a C.V.O., D.S.O., D.F.C. and Second Award Bar and will be sold with the recipient’s original Flying Log Books, bound in one volume - with later annotation in his own hand - covering the entirety of his operational career. LONDON.- The Important Battle of Britain fighter ace’s group of eleven awarded to Group Captain Peter Townsend (1914-1995) of the Royal Air Force, who was also known for his famously controversial romance with the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret will be offered by Dix Noonan Webb in their live/ online auction of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 on their website www.dnw.co.uk. It is expected to fetch £160,000 - 200,000. Peter Wooldridge Townsend was born in Rangoon, Burma on November 22, 1914 and was brought home to be raised in Devon. In February 1940, he became the first pilot to bring down an enemy aircraft on English soil, later commanding No. 85 Squadron from May 1940 until June 1941, a period that witnessed him completing over 300 operational sorties, twice taking to his parachute - once when wounded - and raising his score to at least eleven enemy aircraft destroyed. He was subsequently awarded a richly deserved D.S.O, and in June 1942 he assumed command of No. 605 Squadron, recently back from the Far East, and later R.A.F. West Malling and the Free French Training Wing. He was then appointed Equerry to H.M. King George VI in 1944, and Comptroller to the Queen Mother’s Household in 1953, his ultimately forlorn romance with the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, brought him further celebrity status to add to his spectacular wartime achievements. Turning his attention to writing, in later years he authored the classic Battle of Britain memoir ‘Duel of Eagles’ whilst his well regarded 1978 autobiography ‘Time and Chance’ tells the story of his eventful personal life. The group of eleven includes a C.V.O., D.S.O., D.F.C. and Second Award Bar and will be sold with the recipient’s original Flying Log Books, bound in one volume - with later annotation in his own hand - covering the entirety of…
Auction PreviewDNW Auctions Brings Mercian King’s Coinage
During the reign of King Offa in the 7th century, Mercia’s coinage went through multiple changes. In one of the major changes, the coins bore the image of his queen, Cynethryth. She became the only Anglo-Saxon queen to appear on a coin during the Middle Ages. An example of this particular coin will lead the upcoming Coins, Tokens, Historical Medals, and Antiquities sale, presented by DNW Auctions. Alongside the portrait of Cynethryth is the name of the moneyer who issued the coins. The inscription reads CENEÐRYÐ REGINA (Queen Cynethryth) on the reverse. Coin collectors can also find a pale gold Thrymsa that dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period. Around 600 CE, the Anglo-Saxons began making their first gold Thrymsa coins. The design of these early coins closely imitated gold Merovingian tremisses, the currency of late ancient Rome. This piece is one of only nine known examples of Thrymsa coins. Also highlighted in this auction are Roman gold coins featuring Carausius, Nero, and Agrippina II. For more information about these or any other lots, visit DNW Auctions and register to bid.
Auction Preview17th-Century Cromwell Broad Gold Coin Headlines Dix Noonan Webb’s May Auction
An Oliver Cromwell Broad gold coin is the leading lot of Dix Noonan Webb’s upcoming auction. Born in 1599, Oliver Cromwell rose to prominence at the beginning of the English Civil War. After Cromwell and his allies proved victorious in the Civil War, they executed King Charles I to establish the Commonwealth of England. Cromwell earned the title of Lord Protector in 1653. Soon after, he introduced the new coinage. The Cromwell Broad gold 20 shillings was struck between 1656 and 1658; production soon halted due to Cromwell’s sudden death. The 1656 is an early example of the first milled coins in England. The available coin features Cromwell’s portrait with a laureate wreath on one side. The other side bears his personal motto ‘PAX QVÆRITVR BELLO,’ meaning ‘peace is sought by war.’ The sale also offers coins dating from the time of Alfred the Great and Harold II. A silver penny of Harold II is one of the highlights. Harold Godwinson, popularly called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon king of England. He only ruled for nine months before William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, defeating Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Coins minted during Harold’s reign featured a bust facing left on one side and ‘Peace’ written on the other side. Those interested in this or any other lot can register to bid by visiting Dix Noonan Webb.
Auction ResultMedals awarded to doctor in West Africa and China highlight medal sale at Dix Noonan Webb
This highly-prized group of four was awarded to Dr. Wordsworth Poole. LONDON.- An important and unique group of medals relating to West Africa and the Defence of Legations in China during the Boxer Rebellion sold for £39,680 at Dix Noonan Webb in auction of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. Estimated at £20,000-26,000, this highly-prized group of four was awarded to Dr. Wordsworth Poole, who was the Principal Medical Officer in Central Africa between 1895-97; West Africa during 1897-99 and was also Mentioned in Despatches for his services as Physician to the British Legation during the Siege at Peking. He was the only Doctor attending the wounded and kept diaries of his time in Africa and China. A copy of 'Doctor on Lake Nyasa. Being the Journal and Letters of Dr. Wordsworth Poole (1895-1897)' published circa 1960 was also included in the lot, which was bought by a collector of medical related awards [lot 4]. As Christopher Mellor-Hill, Head of Client Liaison (Associate Director) of Dix, Noonan, Webb, explains: “This is a extremely rare group to a Doctor who was responsible for the health and wellbeing of all the British serviceman serving in Africa and China. This fascinating group of medals reflect the other side of these famous events that were happening around the world at the time.” Also of note in the sale was the Impressive ‘Malaya, Borneo and South Vietnam Jungle Fighter’ D.C.M. group of eight awarded to Warrant Officer First Class J. G. Sandford, 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, for great gallantry, forceful leadership and aggressive demeanour as a Platoon Commander during multiple close-quarter jungle fights. This was one of the four D.C.M.s awarded to New Zealanders during the Vietnam War, and Sandford was probably the most decorated New Zealand combatant senior Non Commissioned Officer of his generation. After a fierce battle in the saleroom between a New Zealand collector and a collector of SAS medal and awards, it sold for £27,280 against an estimate of £12,000-15,000 to the SAS collector [lot 25]. Mr. Mellor-Hill noted: “This very rare gallantry award, second to the…
Auction ResultCoin collection of the late Richard Plant is 100% sold at Dix Noonan Webb
An extremely rare penny from the reign of Alfred the Great (871-899) which sold for £3,720 against an estimate of £800-1,000 to UK private buyer. LONDON.- A collection comprising 450 lots of British, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic Coins from the Collection of the late Richard Plant fetched a combined total of £202,895 – double its pre-sale estimate - in a sale of Coins and Historical Medals on Tuesday February 9, 2021 at International coins, medals, banknotes and jewellery specialists Dix Noonan Webb. Comprising thousands of individual coins, which made up half of the entire 900-lot sale, all the coins were sold. The Reverend Richard J. Plant (1928-2020), who died peacefully at his home in Bawtry, South Yorkshire, on 2 August 2020, had a distinctive approach to writing about coins which arose from a life-long quest to make them accessible to collectors who lacked his own classical education. His articles and books, typically illustrated by his own meticulous hand-drawn illustrations brought coins to life - he focused on making connections to the history, myths, places, objects and people on them. Among the highlights of the Plant Collection was an extremely rare penny from the reign of Alfred the Great (871-899) which sold for £3,720 against an estimate of £800-1,000 to UK private buyer [lot 10], while a very fine penny from the reign of Eadwig (955-959) sold for £3,224 against an estimate of £600-800 – it was also bought by a UK private buyer [lot 11]. A group of 300 Ancient coins from the 4th Century sold for £2,976 to buyer in the USA. They had a pre-sale estimate of £200-300 [lot 678]. Also in the sale were 38 lots of Irish Historical Medals from the Collection of the late Barry Woodside. This was also 100% sold and saw a group of seven agricultural medals ranging from Fermanagh Farming Society to Callan Union Farming Society sell for £744 against an estimate of £200-300 [lot 748], while two copper medals of the Order of the Friendly Brothers of St Patrick, dating from 1763, fetched £570 against an estimate of £80-100 [lot 741]. Another…
Auction ResultImportant Second War S.O.E. D.C.M. group of eight fetches £95,000 at Dix Noonan Webb
It had been estimated at £60,000-80,000 and was bought by a Private Collector. LONDON.- The exceptional and important Second War S.O.E. ‘Force 133’ Balkan Operations D.C.M. group of eight awarded to Sergeant K. A. J. B. Scott, Royal Signals and Special Operations Executive, late King’s Royal Rifle Corps, who was ‘dropped’ into Eastern Serbia in April 1944, linking up with Major Frank Thompson’s ill-fated Operation Claridges in support of Bulgarian Communist Partisans, sold for a hammer price of £95,000 at Dix Noonan Webb in their auction of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria today (Wednesday, January 13, 2021). It had been estimated at £60,000-80,000 and was bought by a Private Collector. It was being sold together with an important associated archive of material, elements of which include the recipient’s unpublished autobiography of his war years [lot 205]. Following the sale, Christopher Mellor-Hill, Head of Client Liaison (Associate Director) of Dix, Noonan, Webb, commented: “We are very pleased with the price that Scott’s medals sold for, and I know that his two daughters will be delighted that their father’s story is being told and that his bravery is being so fully recognised.” As anti-partisan reprisal operations closed in, Thompson took the fateful decision to lead his private army ‘T. E. Lawrence Style’ into Bulgaria, where, with Scott continuing to serve as wireless operator, they were repeatedly ambushed and fought running battles with the Bulgarian Army and Gendarmerie before being ultimately broken up. Starving and exhausted, Scott and Thompson were encircled and captured before being subjected to brutal beatings and threats under Gestapo interrogation. Learning of Thompson’s execution, Scott was then compelled to extract intelligence from S.O.E. Cairo via his wireless set but, cleverly ensuring that Cairo were not deceived, at great danger to himself he disclosed nothing, surviving fourteen nerve-wracking weeks under Gestapo orders until finally, with the Red Army closing on Sofia, he was released, finding his way to London via Istanbul and Cairo as the only British survivor of the mission. Also in the sale was the Women’s Social and Political Union Medal awarded to Miss Nellie Godfrey, who was arrested and imprisoned…
Auction ResultImportant Falklands medals fetch £130,000 at Dix Noonan Webb
Falklands War D.C.M. group of six medals. LONDON.- An important Falklands War D.C.M. group of six medals awarded to Sergeant, later Captain, J. S. Pettinger, of the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, who distinguished himself on countless occasions, whilst serving as Patrol Commander D (Patrol) Company during 11 days of operations in and around the Mount Longdon area were sold at Dix Noonan Webb for £130,000 today (Thursday, September 17, 2020) in their live online auction of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. It was purchased by a UK buyer [lot 25]. John Stuart Pettinger was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, and joined the Army in September 1968 at the age of 15 as a junior soldier of The Parachute Regiment. During the Falkland’s Conflict, Pettinger’s D Company were the ‘eyes and ears’ of 3 Para, and carried out extensive close target reconnaissance in and amongst enemy lines - in order to provide accurate descriptions of routes onto the objective, and detailed information on enemy strengths and locations prior to the assault on Mount Longdon. Following the sale, John Pettinger said: “I'm pleased to know that my medals and the story of how I won them are now safely in the hands of a collector. The money that they have raised will be put to good use in my retirement.” Mark Quayle, Associate Director, Dix Noonan Webb commented: “We were delighted to be able to assist Captain Pettinger achieve such a commanding price, for what is one of the iconic Falklands War gallantry medal groups.” Elsewhere in the sale, the Maclaine Family Medals made a combined total of £104,780 against a pre-sale high estimate of £58,000. The family had links with Scotland – most importantly the Isle of Mull as well as Thornbury and Berkeley in Gloucestershire. Nimrod Dix, Deputy Chairman of Dix Noonan Webb, commented: “This is a remarkable record of four brothers who all served during the Napoleonic wars against the French and we are very pleased with the prices achieved but in no way surprised. Historic groups of this quality and rarity are few and far between. With the exception of one…
Auction ResultMagnificent Napoleonic Eagle fetches almost £50,000 at Dix Noonan Webb
The single owner collection, comprising 922 lots, was a great success – with all lots selling - and made £939,554 – far exceeding the pre-sale estimate. LONDON.- A magnificent Napoleonic Eagle fetched £49,600 in the sale of Medals and Militaria from the Collection of the late Jack Webb (1923-2019) on Thursday, August 20, 2020 at Dix Noonan Webb. The single owner collection, comprising 922 lots, was a great success – with all lots selling - and made £939,554 – far exceeding the pre-sale estimate. John Vernon ‘Jack’ Webb was always destined to be a collector of medals and militaria. On 5 June 1944 he was on a troop ship preparing to take part in the D-Day landings. As the soldiers around him were ordered to remove their regimental badges Jack hurried around picking up one of each regiment. Even on the eve of the greatest military invasion of Europe, Jack was not going to miss a chance to add to his collection. After the Second War Jack followed his dream of becoming an antiques dealer, setting up his first shop in Hornsey, before moving on to Camden Passage. During a long and successful career Jack always bought antiques that intrigued or delighted him. He never specialised and always had an eye for the unusual or exquisitely made. The Napoleonic Eagle fetched the highest price of the sale and was bought by a Private Collector. Following its sale, Nimrod Dix, Deputy Chairman of Dix Noonan Webb, commented: “It is very rare to see a ship’s Eagle, and extremely rare to possess one as the Navy had been ordered never to let them be captured! All known French Eagles are in museums or public institutions therefore making this one even more special.” He continued: “What is so fascinating and so important about this particular Eagle is that Napoleon would have touched it. He laid his hands on it to wish the ship luck from both the French Nation and the Emperor himself” [lot 801]. The two highest prices for medals were for a Zulu War Medal to Captain G V Wardell, 1/24th Foot, who…
Auction IndustryDix Noonan Webb to sell the late Jeffrey Gardiner’s collection of British tokens
The collection that was amassed by the late Jeffery Gardiner has been sold by DNW in four parts over the past four to five years. LONDON.- More than 720 local tokens and tickets issued in the 19th and 20th centuries from Co. Durham, Teesside and Northumberland will be offered by International coins, medals, banknotes and jewellery specialists Dix Noonan Webb in a live/online auction of British Tokens, Tickets and Passes on Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 10am on their website. The collection, that was amassed by the late Jeffery Gardiner, has been sold by DNW in four parts over the past four to five years, however this section focuses on the North East of England. Comprising 36 lots including many scarce examples, estimates range from £600 to £30. A comprehensive group of tokens relating to Newcastle is expected to fetch £400-600, while a group devoted to Northumberland carries an estimate of £300-400, and one for Bishop Auckland is estimated at £120-150. Jeffrey Gardiner was born in 1940 and he and his twin brother Clive were educated at Fencehouses school, near Houghton-le-Spring, co Durham. At the age of 15 Jeff left to become an apprentice electrician in a nearby coal mine, but mining was not his scene and, apprenticeship completed, he joined the Royal Signals as an electrician, a trade he was to follow all his life, both in the north-east and in France and Germany. Jeff’s interest in numismatics began when he was a teenager. A collector throughout his working life, it was not until after retirement that the hobby became his passion. A gifted and enthusiastic speaker, Jeff lectured to local numismatic societies and was a keen participant in the annual Token Congress, to the extent that he attracted 59 delegates to Darlington’s Blackwell Grange Moat Hotel in 1984 for the third such gathering. In 2010 he joined forces with Mike Roberts to hold that year’s congress at Collingwood College in the city of Durham. With an encyclopaedic knowledge and a vast numismatic library covering everything from ancient Greece to modern banknotes, it was no surprise that Jeff was in demand.…
Auction ResultPenny from the reign of Æthelred II fetches £13,640 at Dix Noonan Webb
The penny which was being sold by a British Collector, was bought by a European collector and had been expected to fetch £3,000-4,000 [lot 90]. LONDON.- A very fine and rare penny from the reign of Æthelred II (978-1016), that was produced in Canterbury sold for £13,640 in International coins, medals, banknotes and jewellery specialists Dix Noonan Webb’s live /online auction of Coins, Tokens & Historical Medals on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. The penny which was being sold by a British Collector, was bought by a European collector and had been expected to fetch £3,000-4,000 [lot 90]. Christopher Webb, Head of the Coin Department, Dix Noonan Webb, commented: “The coin was of such quality, we expected it to sell well; the seller and the buyer are both very happy.” Also of note in the sale was a very fine and extremely rare shilling from the reign of Charles I (1625-49), which was part of a Collection of English Coins of the Late Dr John Hulett and produced in Bristol, which sold for £12,400 against an estimate of £3,000-£4,000. It was bought by a British collector who specialises in the Coinage of Charles I [lot 49]. Among the Tokens and Checks was a group of Convicts Tokens and a very fine Georgian Halfpenny dating from pre-1776 sold for £1,736 to an Australian collector. Depicting a male figure in long-coat, wielding a paint-brush(?) on the window frame of a bricked wall of a house, the token bears the inscription t. woolf bn oc 23 1766 and on the reverse when this you see remember me tho maney miles we distant be in seven lines. Estimated to fetch £150-£200, the owner’s ticket stated that Woolf had been transported on one of the vessels named Asia. ‘He was in N.S.W. in the 1828 Census when he was in ‘No.10 Iron Gang’ on the Northern Road’ [lot 596].
Auction ResultRare coin linked discovered in Colchester 50 years ago fetches £4,216 at Dix Noonan Webb
The bronze coin, known as an antoninianus, was struck by Carausius in 291 in order to pay his army. LONDON.- An extremely rare coin was minted by the Emperor Carausius, the first ever Brexiteer, who rebelled against the Roman Empire and led a breakaway British Empire between 286-293 was sold by International coins, medals, banknotes and jewellery specialists Dix Noonan Webb for £4,216 in a live online auction of Ancient and Islamic Coins yesterday (Wednesday, June 3, 2020). It had been expected to fetch £800-1,000 and was bought by a collector in the USA. The bronze coin, known as an antoninianus, was struck by Carausius in 291 in order to pay his army. It was discovered by Kevin Scillitoe in Colchester and is one of only two known examples with this reverse. Kevin found the coin in the mid 1970s when he was just a 10 year-old boy (see photo above). At the time, the river in Colchester was being dredged and the resulting spoil heaps were deposited along the roads leading out of the town. These mounds attracted the attention of Colchester’s schoolchildren who sifted through the dirt using kitchen sieves in the hope of finding lost Roman treasures. Kevin found several Roman coins while searching which he has kept ever since and he only realised the importance of this coin when he saw the only other known example prominently exhibited in the British Museum. Following the sale, Kevin said: “I watched the auction live with family, and was amazed with the price. It still hasn't sunk in yet! But well worth the 47 year wait.” As Bradley Hopper, Coin Expert at Dix Noonan Webb explains: “The hammer price is a reflection of how rare and historically significant this coin is. We were expecting a lot of interest from collectors, and it was fantastic to see such competitive bidding on the day. I am delighted for both Kevin and the successful bidder.”
Auction IndustryDix Noonan Webb to sell rare 1 million Treasury Bill
This is one of the last bills to be produced, it is on fully watermarked paper, bearing the signature of Andrew Turnbull and is stamped cancelled. It is estimated to fetch £5,000-7,000. LONDON.- A very rare £1,000,000 Treasury Bill dating from September 2003 that was never issued will be offered for sale in an online/ live auction of British, Irish and World Banknotes at Dix Noonan Webb, the international coins, medals, banknotes and jewellery specialists, on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 on their website. This is one of the last bills to be produced, it is on fully watermarked paper, bearing the signature of Andrew Turnbull and is stamped cancelled. It is estimated to fetch £5,000-7,000. As Andrew Pattison Head of Department, Banknotes at Dix Noonan Webb, explains: “Until just over a decade ago notes such as these two were issued every week in the City under a secretive system which enabled the British Government to manage its short term borrowing policy and make sure that sufficient funds were always available to meet any net daily cash shortfall. Financial institutions tendered for Treasury Bills every Friday, specifying that they wanted the Bills on a particular day the following week. The Bills could have maturities of one month, three months, six months or a year (although no 12 months tenders were actually issued). The financial institutions bought them discounted for less than their face value, lending the money to the Government until the maturity date. They were then able to claim the full amount of the Bills from the Bank of England, so making a profit. He continues: “The Bills were often traded on to other financial institutions so the Bank did not know who held them. Bills were collected from the Bank of England by messengers on the day specified by the financial institutions and could be cashed in by whoever was physically in possession of them. It was this prospect that led to John Goddard, a 58 year-old messenger with the money brokers Sheppards, being mugged at knifepoint in a quiet side street in the City on 2 May 1990. The robber…
