A Plated Cleneay Sale

Chapman, S.H. & H. CATALOGUE OF THE LARGE AND VALUABLE COLLECTION OF ANCIENT, FOREIGN, ENGLISH AND AMERICAN COINS AND MEDALS OF THE LATE THOMAS CLENEAY, ESQ., OF CINCINNATI. Philadelphia: Davis & Harvey, December 9–13, 1890. 4to, later tan cloth; original gilt-printed white paper front cover trimmed and mounted. 104 pages; 2777 lots; 12 fine tinted photographic plates with tissue guards. Photocopy prices realized list bound in. Fine. Adams 32. An important sale, rated A+ overall: “Gold proof sets 1859–1888. 1842–1880 silver proof sets. 1825–1834 $5. MS 1797 50¢, 1804 25¢. Superb in all mint series.” One of this country’s pioneer numismatists, Cleneay commenced collecting in the 1840s and formed one of the most important early collections of colonials and United states coins, uniformly in top condition and nearly complete in all series. In the preface the Chapmans praised Cleneay as “an ardent lover of the science of Numismatics, and a highly-esteemed citizen,” noting that “His aim was to secure specimens of all the United States series (in) either proof or uncirculated condition” and concluding that Cleneay’s was “the most nearly complete collection of United States coins ever offered.” The plates, tinted in colors to approximate their metallic content, depict the following coins: I–ancient Greek, Roman and foreign gold coins; II–American colonial silver and copper coins; III–United States and pioneer gold; IV–United States silver dollars; V–Gobrecht and later dollars and United States half dollars; VI–United States quarter dollars; VII–United States dimes and half dimes; VIII & IX–large cents; X–large cents and half cents; XI–silver historical medals; XII–copper colonials and foreign coins. Clain-Stefanelli 11940. Davis 185. Fanning, Ancient Coins in Early American Auctions, 9. Ex Charles Davis’s July 14, 2007 auction, lot 77, with the lot ticket affixed to the front pastedown.