Auction Houses

Leaving aside what opinion one may have of the antiques trade, auction catalogues are a veritable mine of information for the scholar of antiquity. Numismatics especially is concerned, but only now are scholars becoming fully aware of the importance of this source of information - despite that fact that numismatists have long used important sales catalogues as sources for information.

Even most merchants are not fully aware of the importance of their publications to the scholar, which is why the sometimes omit valuable information. Apart for the original provenance which is almost never cited, sometimes the weight and die axis of the coin are also omitted, while often the coins are published with their scale changed without reference of the original size.

In the last years some important on-line tools have been added to the repertoire of numismatists namely the searchable databases CoinArchives and ACSearch. These, while not exhaustive, cover the last decade of activity of the most important coin Auction Houses. Sixbid is also a useful asset as it regroups the auctions of a number of Auction Houses.

It is indicative of the importance that is being paid to this resource lately by scholars that the libraries of important institutions have started to collect Auction catalogues in a much more systematic manner, trying to cover at least the largest auction houses. The Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique-Cabinet des Médailles in Bruxelles, Belgium have published a list of their holdings in Auction Catalogues (here) as has the Library of the Fitwilliam Museum in Cambridge (here), while the American Numismatic Society in New York has a good collection of auction catalogues which can be found through an on-line Library Search and the Cabinet des Médailles in Paris, France has in recent years greatly augmented their holdings. The most complete collection of auction catalogues remains, however, a private library in Athens, Greece, which is generously laid at the disposal of serious numismatic scholars.

The following list is an alphabetical list of Auction Houses that have on-line sites. I decided not to separate them by country, as the coin trade is multinational, as far as both the sellers and the buyers are concerned. I have added the host country for statistical reasons...

Note that the generally accepted system is that when an official auction house name does not exist, catalogues are classed by expert or, if no expert is mentioned, by town. This is frequent in France especially, where the system of Comissaires-Priseurs working with various Experts complicates matters.  As anyone having worked with Auction catalogues knows this whole (French) system makes life complicated, as it requires multiple cross-referencing of Commisaire(s) and Expert(s).

However lately French Comissaires-Priseurs have set up internet sites, which are listed below (see for example Millon, Tajan). Thus the classification system used might need some revision, namely by considering these Comissaires as Auction Houses, and limiting the classification by Expert/Town to older French catalogues...

As the following list aims at regrouping the Internet Sites of Auctions, I have included the site of French Comissaires the same as any other Auction House.

NOTES: 
a. Most of the listed auction houses deal exclusively in coins. When this is not the case a note shall be added to the listing.
b. I have started to construct an Online Auction Archive for Auction Houses that do not offer an Archive of their own. By clicking on "Auction Archive" that follows certain listings, you shall be directed to a page with a list of specific auctions and their links.
c. If there is any information you would like to see added or corrected, please leave a message or fill in this form.

Key to list:
- An asterisk (*) marks dealers that do not publish printed catalogues.
- Rom+: Deals in coins dating from the Roman period and more recent.
- M. Age+: Deals in coins dating from the middle ages and more recent.
- Mod.: Deals in Modern coins only.
- O.A.: Offers an on-line archive of past sales.
- O.A.*:  Offers an on-line archive of past sales, but access requires subscription.
- PDF: The dealer publishes his catalogues in PDF format, available on-line.

Country statistics:
Australia: 6
Austria: 1
Belgium: 1
Canada: 1 
Denmark: 2
France: 24
Germany: 11
India: 1
Italy: 3
Monaco: 3
The Netherlands: 3
Norway: 1
Spain: 3
Switzerland: 8
U.K.: 12
USA: 40
TOTAL: 119

Akropolis Ancient Coins* (USA) 
Album, Stephen (USA) [Coins;O.A. Auctions; O.A. Lists] 
Ancient Art* (U.K.) [Antiquities & Coins]
Ancient Artifacts and Treasures* (USA) [Coins, Objects, Fossils]
Antiqua Inc. (USA) [Coins & Objects]. For past catalogues see here.
Archives International Auctions. Auction archive here.
Ars Classica, see Naville.
Artcurial (France) [Objects; O.A.]
Artemide Aste (Italy) [O.A.]. Archive Here. Some past issues here.
Artemission* (U.K.) [Coins & Objects] 
Astarte (Switzerland) [Coins; O.A. Auctions] For past catalogues see here. 
Auctiones, (Switzerland). Auction archive here.
Aureo & Calicó (Spain) [PDF]
Baldwin's (U.K.). [O.A. PDF]. Auction Archive Here. Unified past auctions here.
Barry & Darling Ancient Coins* (USA) [Coins & Objects]
Beaussant Lefèvre (France) [Coins & Objects; PDF]
Harlan J. Berk (USA) [Coins & Objects]. For some past catalogues see here.
Bolaffi Aste Ambassador (Italy) [PDF]. For past catalogues see here.
Bonham's (U.K.) [Objects]
Boule (Monaco) [Rom+]
Bourse du Collectioneur* (France)
Bruun-Rasmussen (Denmark) [Objects & Coins]
Cayon Jano (Spain). For past catalogues see here.
Champonière & Hess, Geneva. For past [unified] catalogues see here.
Tom Cederlind (USA) [PDF]. For past catalogues see here.
cgb.fr Numismatique see Compagnie Générale de Bourse
Chi Rho Coins* (USA) 
Christie's (USA) [Antiquities]
Civitas Galleries* (USA) 
Classical Coins* (USA) 
Classical Numismatic Gallery (India). Auctions in PDF see here.
Classical Numismatic Group-CNG (USA-U.K.). Auction Archive. For past Auctions, MBS, Triton & eAuctions see Here.
Compagnie Générale de Bourse (France) [OA]
Compressore* (Germany) [Objects & Coins]
Copper Penny* (USA) [Objects & Coins]
Dea Moneta (Italy)
Delorme & Collin du Bocage (France) [Objects]
Delta Numismatique* (France) [Mod]
Thierry de Maigret (France) [Objects & Coins; PDF; O.A.]
Dijon Numismatique* (France)
Kenneth W. Dorney* (USA) [Coins & Objects] 
Downie's (Australia) [PDF; O.A.]
Thierry Dumez* (France)
Elsen Jean (Belgium)
Forvm Ancient Coins* (USA) 
Freeman & Sear (USA) [O.A.]. Past autions here.
Gallerie Antique* (France) [Objects & Coins]
La Gallerie Numismatique (Switzerland) [O.A.]
Gatewest Coin LTD* (USA) [Mod.] 
Gemini Auctions (USA). Auction Archive.
A. G. and S. Gillis* (USA) [Objects & Coins]
Goldberg, Ira & Larry (USA) [Coins & Objects; O.A.]. Auction Archive (PDF).
Gorny & Mosch (Germany) [Coins & Objects. O.A.]. Some past Catalogues here.
Helios Numismatik (Germany)
Munthandel G. Henzen (The Netherlands)
Heritage Auction Galleries (USA) [Coins - Objects]
José A. Herrero (Spain). Some past Catalogues here.
Hess-Divo (Switzerland) [PDF; O.A.]. Some past [unified] catalogues here.
Gerhard Hirsch (Germany) [Coins & Objects]
iNumis (France)
John Jencek* (USA) [Coins & Objects]
Kricheldorf (Germany)
Künker  (Germany) [PDF; O.A.]
Numismatik Lanz (Germany) 
Lauritz (Denmark) [Coins & Objects]
LHS Numismatik (Switzerland). Closed in 2009. Dr Alan Walker took over Nomos AG.
London Coin Galleries* (U.K.) 
Maigret (see de Maigret)
Malter Galleries (USA) [Objects & Coins; PDF]
Dmitry Markov (USA) [PDF]
Meister & Sonntag (Germany) [PDF]
Melqart Coins* (USA) [Coins & Objects]
Millon (France) [Objects, Coins; O.A.*]
Monnaies Medailles 17* (France)
Morton and Eden (U.K.) [PDF; O.A.]
Münzgalerie München (MGM) (Germany) 
Barry P. Murphy () [Past auctions here]
Museumsbygningen (Denmark)
Museum Surplus* (USA) [Coins & Objects] 
Naville, Ars Classica (1921-1934?). Past Auctions here. 
Naville Numismatics. Auction archive here. 
Néret-Minet & Tessier (France) [Objects; PDF, O.A.]
New York Sale. For past cataloges see here.
Noble Numismatics (Australia) [PDF. For past [unified] catalogues see here.
Nomos AG (Switzerland). Auction Archive.
Numisaisne* (France)
Numismatemania* (France) [Euro coins]
Numismatica Ars Classica-NAC (U.K.-Switzerland-Italy) - For some past auctions, see here.
OGN-Numismatique (Or-Gestion-Numismatique) (France)
Oslo Mynthandel (Norway)
Edgar L. Owen* (USA) [Coins & Objects]
La Parpaïole (France)
Pegasi Numismatics (USA) [Coins & Objects. O.A.]
PIASA* (France) [Objects]
Priviet* (France) [Russian Coins] 
The Rare Coin Company* (Australia) [Mod.]
Rasmussen Mark* (UK)
Rauch H.D (Austria)
Romanorum* (Australia) 
Roma Numismatics LTD, London (U.K.). Past auctions here.
Royal-Athena Galleries (U.K.-USA) [Objects]
Rusty Pennies* (USA)
Schulman b.v. (The Netherlands)
Sogefinumis (France) 
Sotheby's (UK) [Objects; PDF] (Past Auctions here)
Spink (U.K.) publishes The Numismatic Circular (old issues here)
Spink Smythe (USA) [Mod. O.A.]
Steinberg's* (USA) 
Sterling and Currency* (Australia) 
Timeline Auctions, London (U.K.) [O.A. Coins & Ants]. For a collection of catalogues in PDF see here.
Tajan (France) [Objects & Coins]
Tkalec (Switzerland) [O.A. Coins]. Some past auctions here.
Vinchon Jean (France)
Würz Antiques* (Monaco)
Wolf and Twins* (USA) [Coins (Rom+) & Objects]
Mieke Zilverberg* (The Netherlands) [Coins & Objects]

[UNDER CONSTRUCTION! If you know of any Auction Sites (Coins and/or antiquities) that are not listed, please let me know!]


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