Tennants Auctioneers Coins and Banknotes Sale on 6th May includes a wide variety of high-quality lots. Of particular note is a very rare Death of Captain Cook Medal. The medal is believed to be among the earliest pieces issued to commemorate the death of the famed explorer James Cook, who was killed following a dispute with Native Hawaiians at Kealakekua Bay on 14 February 1779. Struck in bronze and featuring a prominent portrait of Cook, the medal is seldom offered at auction and is expected to fetch £3,000–£4,000 (all figures exclude buyer’s premium).
Also to be offered is an extremely rare Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Specimen Album, comprising a set of six specimen banknotes from 1980, each bearing the serial number 000055. The album is estimated at £3,000–£5,000. It was presented to Tony Latter, a former employee of the Bank of England, who later moved to Hong Kong to take up the role of Deputy Secretary for Monetary Affairs with the Hong Kong Government.
The modern proof section of the sale is particularly substantial, featuring an extensive range of issues from The Royal Mint, including silver proof coins, large-format fine silver pieces, and boxed commemorative sets. In addition, the sale includes a small but attractive selection of collectable high-grade farthings, an interesting group of commemorative medals, and a notable collection of shillings and sixpences spanning the Elizabethan era through to the twentieth century.
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