COINS, TOKENS AND MEDALS OF THE WEST INDIES FROM THE ISAAC RUDMAN COLLECTION FETCH A HAMMER PRICE OF £93,760 AT NOONANS

274 lots of Coins, tokens and medals of the West Indies from the Isaac Rudman Collection were sold for a hammer price of £93,760 at Noonans Mayfair on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

The sale was divided into three parts: coins, including a virtually complete collection of the coinage of Jamaica from Victoria to the beginning of decimalisation under Elizabeth II plus tokens and medals. The catalogue foreword said: “Isaac Rudman could be considered the ultimate collector. His passion and enthusiasm is second to none and the breath and scope of his collecting interests are simply amazing.”

87% of the collection sold with notable pieces were two countermarked coins. A Dollar from Jamaica that was valued at Six Shillings and Eightpence and created from a Peruvian 8 reales coin from 1758 sold for £1,100 against an estimate of £800-1,000 and was bought by a UK collector [lot 1]. While another example: a rarer Jamaican Half-Dollar (valued at Three Shillings and Fourpence) and created from Mexican 4 Reales also realised £1,100 and was purchased by a UK collector [lot 2].

Tim Wilkes, Head of the Coin Department at Noonans explained: “West Indian countermarked coins have always been a popular series, especially larger pieces such as these.”

Among the examples of proofs was a Jamaican proof penny from the reign of Queen Victoria dating from 1869 which was estimated at £1,000-1,200 sold for £1,500 and was bought by another UK collector [lot 5], while a Jamaican Proof Farthing from 1884 sold for its top estimate of £800 [lot 62].

As Mr Wilkes notes: “Proof examples of this coinage are all very rare and these were particularly nice examples.”