The Herman Selig Collection

Herman Selig

Herman Selig, an enthusiastic collector of English coins since the early 1960s which were dispersed in four auctions (Spink 70, 31 May 1989; Spink 131, 2 March 1999; DNW 58, 24-5 June 2003), also had an interest in the pre-1870 coins of Japan.

The pieces in the following lots, catalogued in chronological order and principally acquired in the early 1980s, represent a cross-section of denominations from different eras, the province of Koshu and the city of Akita. Some coins derive from the collection formed by Baltimore banker Thomas Harrison Garrett (1848-88) and his eldest son, the diplomat John Work Garrett II (1872-1942); one such is the impressive Tempo gold oban (Lot 23).