An important bound catalogue of the Valuable Collection of C...

Hammer

£200

An important bound catalogue of the Valuable Collection of Coins and Medals, The Property of the Late John G. Murdoch esq. The catalogue is annotated throughout listing every price achieved for each lot, totals for each day and totals for each 'portion', the title page is stamped in the top left corner in puce with 'Spink & Son Ltd., 17 & 18 Piccadilly, London W.',  Murdoch's collection was described by Sotheby's in a preface to the catalogue as being 'second only to the late Mr Montagu's. The two collections are probably the most important, valuable and extensive ever formed in England. Mr Murdoch did not collect Greek and Roman coins. If these series are eliminated from the Montagu Collection, we think Mr Murdoch's will be found to be the most important numismatic collection ever sold in this country'. Unlike Montagu, Murdoch did not publish anything on coins, but the extent and richness of his collection mean that he must have devoted a considerable part of his time to his numismaticninterests in his later years. He had joined the Numismatic Society of London (as it then was) in 1885, and he does not appear to have been collecting much earlier than that since most of the sales from which his coins were obtained took place after that date. In relatively few years, therefore, he
managed to compile a collection of coins and medals numbering well into five figures, which was dispersed in 5,386 lots over thirty-nine days in 1903-4.

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Although the pages are in good condition with no foxing, they are discoloured to the outer edges, the two flyleafs are sun damaged and have been embossed stamped with 'Frank Hillock Deepcar' ' and been signed in pen, older sellotape has been applied to the first flyleaf and cover, the leather corners are scuffed and worn as is the marbled cover, the spine although readable is in poor condition please see images