Ancient, British and World Coins and Banknotes

Lundy Island, Martin Harman, Puffin and Half-Puffin, both 1929 (Prid. 1, 2; S 7850-1; Bruce X1, X3); Proof set, 1965, comprising Puffins (2), Half-Puffins (2), different metals (Bruce X101) [6]. Mostly brilliant; set with no case (£20-30)

Provenance:
‘Norwich’ Collection [first two from S. Eyer October 1979, set from D. Gill August 1975].

Martin Coles Harman (1884-1954), from Caterham, Surrey, acquired Lundy, the birdwatcher’s paradise located in the Bristol Channel, from Augustus Christie in 1925. A 'character' who firmly believed that Lundy was 'a self-governing dominion of the British Empire recognising King George as its head', Harman printed Lundy stamps and had the Birmingham mint strike Lundy coins with his own head on them. It is said that the idea of the coins was a direct result of Harman listening to Col Morrieson’s paper on what was then believed to be the Civil War coinage of Lundy, 1645-7, read to the British Numismatic Society on 27 February 1929. The coins led to a court case in January 1931 which Harman lost and was subsequently fined £5 and 15 guineas costs. Harman’s eldest son, John Pennington Harman, VC, was fatally wounded while serving as a Lance Cpl in the 4th Bn Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regt at Kohima in April 1944, so after the death of Martin on 6 December 1954 the island passed to another son, Albion P. Harman, a former mining engineer in Rhodesia and the Black Sea area. On the death of Albion Harman in 1969 the family offered the island for sale and it was bought by the National Trust with a subvention from the millionaire philanthropist Jack Hayward.
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