Spectacular start to the New Year at Smiths of Newent

Smiths Auction Rooms in Newent had a spectacular start to the New Year when their auction on January 2 -3 made a record gross total of just under £150,000.

Prices throughout the sale were consistently high with most items selling way above their pre-sale expectations. The coin section provided a huge boost to the overall sale total with current gold and silver prices forcing bidders to pay the highest prices to secure their lots.

The top price of the day was £7,700 paid for a £10 solid gold commemorative coin for the Dam Busters 70th Anniversary. This was closely followed by £7,600 paid for a similar £10 ‘Less We Forget’ Poppy coin.

A large selection of other gold coins also sold for four figure sums including two rare 1937 George VI gold sovereigns which made £2,700 and £2,600. Due to the abdication of Edward VIII the first George VI gold sovereigns were produced in a hurry in lower numbers than usual, making them a very scarce and desirable coin for collectors. Entries for Smiths June coin sale are invited from February onwards by appointment with the coin specialist Chris Budding.

The jewellery and silver sections also saw considerable excitement with £5,000 paid for a beautiful Art Deco diamond set bracelet thought to have been bought at Asprey’s and two heavy 18ct gold watch straps selling for over £3,000 – just for the value of the gold!

A pretty Edwardian style diamond set necklace made £1,400 whilst a diamond Art Deco brooch made £1,300 and a diamond set star form brooch made £1,000. Prices remained very strong throughout the entire jewellery section with most items selling well overestimate. For example a silver Arts & Crafts necklace set with moonstones made £290 against a £100/£150 estimate whilst a diamond and sapphire set bee brooch made £260 against a similar estimate, despite the fact that one of the diamonds was missing.

The silver section met with similar success with a Victorian novelty silver gondola form pin cushion making £210 and a silver mounted cut glass ice bucket in the form of a bucket selling for £200 – both against £60/£80 estimates.

A very handsome silver fox head stirrup cup performed exceptionally well – selling for £640 against it’s £200/£300 estimate, and a silver egg form needle case made £130 against a £40/£60 – proving over and over that small silver collectables are exceptionally popular at the moment.

Even the less popular sections of the sale, such as furniture and ceramics sold very successfully with a selection of Border Fine Arts animal groups making a very pleasing total result of £2,750 for the vendor. The most sought after item here was a very large sized cart horse figure which made £560 despite being extremely damaged – apparently it’s rarity overcoming the poor condition.

A set of iconic vintage Beswick wall ducks made £170 whilst a comb back country chair experienced a surge of private interest and made £180 against an £80/£120 estimate. The furniture section included a range of light elm Ercol furniture which also sold strongly – leaving most of the traditional antique items far behind. A ‘trendy’ Ercol studio couch made £420, whilst a set of eight dining chairs in worn condition made £320 and a television cabinet sold for £210.

The collectables section always manages to provide a stimulating time on the rostrum as buyers from around the world seek out items which they can easily track down using the online bidding platforms. A fun Sony Aibo Robot dog made £320 against a £150/£200 estimate whilst a collection of Action men and accessories sold for £210 against a £60/£80. Militaria sold predictably well with a Queen Victoria Boer War medal making £170 whilst a Japanese military sword made £660 against a £300/£500 estimate. Other collectables which also performed strongly included a selection of postcards, antique wooden jigsaw puzzles, antiquarian books and a good range of Victorian treen and copper items.

Smiths are now inviting entries for their February Antiques sale which includes a full range of Antiques and Collectables such as silver, gold, jewellery, watches, ceramics, glass, toys, furniture, paintings etc. The sale also includes a specialist section for Medals and Militaria. Entries are invited by appointment. Please telephone 01531 821776 or visit www.smithsnewentauctions.co.uk for further information.