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Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including an ancient Chinese bronze vessel stolen 40 years ago being recovered after emerging at Sotheby’s.

Total sales across London coin and medals auctions were £61.6m in 2023, just a fraction down on 2022’s record aggregate

Daniel Eccleston, a retired well-to-do West Indian and American merchant based in Queen Street, Lancaster, planned to issue this halfpenny token in 1794.

A remarkable Canadian single-owner collection of coins of the East India Company was offered by Noonans on February 8-9, 2023.

The first part of a sale offering the contents of a house on Belgrave Square went under the hammer at Bellmans (25% buyer’s premium).

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

The organiser of The London Antique Arms Fair had been searching for a new venue in which to hold the event throughout 2023.

A successful run at NEC Birmingham last year for Classic Antique Fairs has encouraged it to expand this year.

Mithradates IV was ruler of the Hellenistic kingdom of Pontus in northern Anatolia from 169-150BC. He ushered in a period of relative friendship with the Roman republic that would continue until his grandson Mithradates VI (the Great) became its most formidable and determined opponent. Mithradates IV’s coinage draws attention to his Persian and Greek origins.

Joan Root, who has died aged 96 was born two days after Christmas in 1926 and given Elizabeth as her middle name as Princess Elizabeth had been born a few months earlier.

ATG’s pick of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com, featuring both the highest prices over-estimate and the top prices paid online.

Spink posted a house record for a classical coin when it sold this Julius Caesar and Octavian gold aureus on April 3 for £220,000 plus 20% buyer’s premium against an estimate of £60,000-100,000.

A Swiss gold coin that only appears at auction once every few years is the 1740 Basel triple ducat. To one face is a grand winged basilisk and to the other a view of the city from the east above eight coats of arms.

Extensive array offered by Lyon & Turnbull concentrates on the first Scottish period of production

The Distinguished Flying Cross group of five given to Flt Lt Edward ‘Johnnie’ Johnson, who flew during Operation Chastise – the Dambusters – was sold for £105,000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) at Spink on November 29.

New York auctioneer remembers Ann and Gordon Getty as the latest lots come to market

Young businessman who opened antiques centre and salvage yard launches a second venture