MARGOLIS LIBRARY BRINGS RECORD PRICES

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers sold highlights from the numismatic library of the late Richard Margolis at auction on Saturday, March 6, 2021. The sale attracted considerable attention from all over the world, with well over 250 bidders registering for the 539-lot sale. The sale realized more than twice its pre-sale estimate, with a number of lots bringing astonishing prices amidst heavy bidding. A handful of examples include:

Lot 236: an original copy of Schembri on Maltese coins, brought $4800 on a $300 estimate

Lot 255: a complete set of Milford Haven on the Medallic History of Navies, estimated at $2500, realized $6600

Lot 322: a partial set of Ars Classica sales in matching bindings, sold for $7800 against a $1500 estimate

Lot 352: a rare 1810 auction catalogue offering the collection of the French Director of Medals involved with the Libertas Americana, estimated at $500, brought spirited bidding and realized $3600

Lot 456: an exceptional group of priced and named British sale catalogues from the library of Leonard Forrer, brought $13,200 on a $1500 estimate; several related lots brought similarly high prices

Lot 482: a complete set of the rarely offered Counterfeit Reports published by the International Bureau for the Suppression of Counterfeit Coins brought exceptionally heavy bidding, selling for $16,800 on a $1000 estimate

Lot 492: a beautifully bound complete set of Scott's Coin Collectors Journal attracted a number of bidders, bringing $6000 on a $1200 estimate

Lot 498: a set of Spink's Numismatic Circular, estimated at $400, sold for a very strong $4800

Lot 507: an original sketch by Jean-Pierre Droz, prepared for the 1791 French monetary competition, estimated at $750, realized $6600

Lot 515: a remarkable ink rendition of Wedgwood's famous abolitionist design, sold for $5700 on a $500 estimate.

(The prices above include the 20% premium.)

We are proud to have been given the opportunity to catalogue the Margolis Library and are delighted that the books were so well received by such a wide audience. It is our intention to prepare bound copies of the catalogue, in cloth and in leather, in the near future. We plan to conduct at least three more auctions in 2021, including the offering of a very important library of strong international appeal in the autumn. Details to come. In the meantime, we thank all of you who participated in the Margolis sale and invite anyone interested in keeping in touch with us to subscribe to our email list through numislit.com.

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
KOLBE & FANNING RICHARD MARGOLIS LIBRARY SALE(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n06a02.html)
KOLBE & FANNING MARGOLIS LIBRARY HIGHLIGHTS(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n07a02.html)
MORE KOLBE & FANNING MARGOLIS HIGHLIGHTS(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n08a03.html)
KOLBE & FANNING MARGOLIS SALE CLOSES MARCH 6(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n09a02.html)