Canessa, C. & E. COLLECTION DU COMTE FERRUCCIO BRANDIS. MONNAIES GRECQUES. Napoli, 22 mai 1922 et jours suivants. 4to, later black cloth; spine lettered in gilt; original printed front card cover trimmed and mounted. (4), 30 pages, interleaved with graph paper, onto which have been recorded the prices realized and the names of buyers; 466 lots; 21 fine plates of coins with later tissue guards. Title page with “Omaggio” ink stamp. Front card cover foxed; else a fine example. A scarce and important catalogue, rarely encountered with buyers’ names recorded. An intriguing sale. The Préface of the catalogue introduces the collection, saying that “Le Comte Ferruccio Brandis en formant sa collection n’a pas cherché a en faire un très nombreux choix d’exemplaires, mais au contraire il s’est limité à mettre ensemble un petit nombre de belles monnaies, au point de vue artistique et de conservation, ne manquant pas d’y ajouter quelque pièce très rare.” However, while the cataloguers state that “chacune de ces pièces forment l’ensemble de la collection du Comte Ferruccio Brandis,” most of the coins were in fact not from that collection. A letter from Ambrogio Canessa to Count Brandis has been discovered that reveals the terms of contract for the sale. In this letter, it is explicitly stated that 126 of the coins in the sale belong to Count Brandis, while the rest belong to the Canessa firm. Clain-Stefanelli 1948. Grierson 280. Spring 95 [also listed under “Most important sales of ancient Greek coins”]. Ex L.D. & I.P. Library.