Cricket lovers will have a chance next week to own a rare set of sporting medals awarded to legendary Australian cricketer, MA Noble, in whose honour the SCG Noble Stand is named.
The Sheffield Shield medals issued in 1897, 1903-4 and 1904- 5 were awarded to Montague Alfred Noble, considered one of the greatest Australian all-rounders
The medals will be auctioned in Sydney next week and Montague’s namesake, auctioneer Jim Noble of Noble Numismatics, expects the set of medals will bring bids of several thousand dollars from keen cricket historians and collectors.
Noble represented Australia in 42 tests, 39 against England and 3 against South Africa, and captained the team on 15 occasions.
In 2006, Cricket Australia inducted him into the Cricket Hall of Fame, and in 2021, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame as one of the special inductees.
The auction will be held Tuesday 18 – Friday 21 March 2025. The sale is conducted live at the Dixson Room of the State Library in Macquarie Street, Sydney, and also through live online bidding.
Viewing to be held at Noble Numismatics Macquarie Street office on Wednesday 12 – Friday 14 and Monday 17 March 2025.
Some of the interesting items of the 3,439 lots include Australian pre-decimal and decimal coins and banknotes, world coins and banknotes,
stamps, documents, memorabilia, antiquities, Asian pottery and statues, model cars, orders decorations and medals, militaria, ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins and other items, including many rarities, spread throughout the four-day sale. Some of these include;
∙ A Russian Imperial Crown Jewel in its original case with inscribed silver plaque issued by Tsar Nicholas I to a British medical surgeon who was the Tsar’s personal medical officer and surgeon to the Imperial Russian Navy and who later migrated to Australia (lot 326; est. $75,000).
∙ Three of Australia’s rarest circulating pennies, 1930 including one of the top 25 known (lots 576, 577 and 578; est. $25,000, $18,000 and $18,000).
∙ New South Wales’ first coinage, the five shillings or holey dollar issued in 1813 (lot 617; est. $150,000) and three of the centrepiece or dump dated 1813 (lots 618, 619 and 620; est. $20,000, $20,000 and $12,000).
∙ Two of Australia’s first gold coins, the Adelaide pound, 1852 (lots 621 and 622; est. $16,000 and $14,000).
∙ A debenture for one hundred pounds issued by The Anglo-Australian Investment Finance & Land Company Limited (of Sydney) to Mrs Helen Potter at 2 Bolton Gardens S.W. , the mother of famous children’s books author, Helen Beatrix Potter, who was born at 2 Bolton Gardens, West Brompton, London and grew up there (lot 732; est $200).
∙ A variety of Asian pottery and statues including from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, India, Tibet, and Burma (lots 736 – 848; est. $50 – $2,000), an interesting assortment.
∙ An Order of the British Empire, Military Cross, and Mentioned-in Despatches group of eight to a British Officer who served in WWI and then had a distinguished service career (lot 921; est. $7,000).
∙ A Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross group of eight, including a USA Distinguished Flying Cross, to a Royal Air Force pilot (lot 931; est. $17,500).
∙ A Volunteer Force Long Service Medal to an Australian officer who was secretary of the Melbourne Cricket Club and twice represented Victoria in cricket and was later secretary of the Melbourne Baseball Club (lot 936; est. $800).
∙ A Distinguished Flying Cross group of seven to an Australian pilot (lot 946; est. $7,000).
∙ A large collection of Chinese coins and charms, ancient to 2the 0th century (lots 1132 to 1202; est. $50 – $6,000).
∙ Hong Kong, one cent of 1941, a rarity as the mintage was lost at sea during WWII (lot 1226; est. $5,000).
∙ A China, Shantung Province, pattern gold ten dollars of 1926 in uncirculated condition and very rare (lot 1380; est. $10,000).
∙ A German East Africa fifteen rupien of 1916T in gold, nearly extremely fine and very scarce (lot 1415; est. $4,000).
∙ India, British East India Company, gold mohur of 1841 in top condition and rare (lot 1432; est. $8,000).
∙ Great Britain, Charles II gold two guineas, 1664 in nearly uncirculated condition, one of the finest known (lot 1600; est. $15,000).
∙ Great Britain, Queen Anne, gold two guineas, 1709 in nearly extremely fine condition and thus rare (lot 1601; est. $15,000).
∙ Type set of 30 gold sovereigns struck at seven mints around the world, 1864 – 1958 (lot 1642; est. $30,000).
∙ Bank of New Zealand, ten pounds, rare banknotes from 1916 and 1921 (lots 2669 and 2670; est. $6,000 and $10,000).
∙ Australian five pounds banknote from 1918 with normal handling and in very fine condition (lot 2758; est. $6,000).
∙ Australian ten pounds banknote from 1927 in nearly uncirculated condition (lot 2766; est. $8,000).
∙ Ancient Greek Island of Epeiros, Korkyra silver stater c400BC, extremely fine and rare (lot 2862; est. $11,000).
∙ East Africa, five florins banknote issued at Mombasa in 1920 (lot 3175; est. $4,000).
∙ Rhodesia, specimen set of five banknotes from 1896, nearly uncirculated and very rare (lot 3199; est. $10,000).
∙ British West Africa, specimen one thousand pounds banknote, 1953-54 issue in uncirculated condition and rare (lot 3254; est. $5,000).
∙ Bahamas, one hundred dollars banknote, 1965 issue, virtually uncirculated and rare (lot 3325; est. $7,500).
∙ Bermuda five pounds banknote from 1947 with folds and very fine and rare (lot 3349; est. $4,000).
