Sale: CNG 75, Lot: 2536. Estimate $30.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 23 May 2007.  Sold For $45. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Sotheby, S. Leigh. Roman First Brass, Italian Medals, English Coins, Ancient Greek & Roman (”Property of a Gentleman”, Major-General Charles Fox). (London). 1-2 May, 1848. 306 lots, no illustrations. Hand-written Prices Realized, with buyer’s names; the total for the sale came to £332/3/0. Half calfskin with marbled boards and edges, raised bands with gilt spine titles. Fine condition.

Sotheby’s credits its beginnings to Samuel Baker, who held an auction of “Polite Literature” on 11 March 1744. After Baker died in 1778 the business was continued by his nephew John Sotheby and his partner George Leigh, whose descendants managed it for the next several generations, with changing associates. Their early sales continued to be strong in books, but fine art, and coins, became a greater part of their activity. They were holding substantive coin auctions as early as 1795. Over the years Sotheby’s has presented the finest numismatic auctions in Britain, although coins remain a small portion of their art auction activity, which has reached sales of $2 billion a year.