Geoffrey Bell Auctions is presenting their auction in conjunction with the Paris Coin & Collectibles show with live bidding on Saturday February 2nd, 2019. Just over 500 lots are up on the auction block featuring coins, banknotes, medals, tokens and more. Plenty of great buys are up for grabs from one of Canada’s premier auction houses. Bidding is available through iCollector.com with absentee bidding right up until each lot faces the auction block and all items have photos in the online catalog for inspection.
Joseph Leroux was one of the pioneers of Canadian numismatics. On the cover of his 1888 book, The Canadian Coin Cabinet, he stated that, “This work has been honoured with a subscription from the French government,” and he also put that statement on the reverse of his promotional medals, so it seems only fitting that many of the tokens and medals referenced in this work come to market in the Geoffrey Bell Auctions Ltd. Paris in February Sale, even if it’s Paris, Ontario.
There will be well over 100 Leroux-identified pieces in this auction, with the majority grouped into lots allowing for the possibility that collectors will find some bargains in this arguably under-appreciated field.
Quebec’s Joseph Leroux, who became a medical doctor in 1883, completed his important reference book in 1888 when numismatics in relation to Canadian material was still in its infancy. The book was ambitious; it included coins, tokens, medals, religious medals, and communion tokens. Think of the number of references we use today to cover these topics. More than 130 years later, his work is still valuable and his numbering system utilized.
Cities especially well-represented in our Paris in February Sale are Montreal, of course, as well as Ottawa, and Toronto and they include some medals rated high on the rarity scale, including a nice VF Leroux-1503 1880 Dominion Exhibition Montreal by Lymburner.
This field still attracts new collectors. The affordability of most of the material combined with its history make it very attractive to beginners and veterans alike. The auctioneer is expecting this Leroux material to perform well.
Absentee bidding is currently open in the online catalog. The session opens on Saturday February 2nd at 5PM Eastern Time. Geoffrey Bell Auctions and iCollector.com are excited to bring this auction to a worldwide audience, and will answer any questions from bidders about the pieces up for auction or how to get involved.