The Michael Hall Collection New York based art collector and connoisseur, Michael Hall, will be selling his collection of Renaissance and later medals through London based coin dealer and numismatic auction house, Baldwin's.
contains significant rarities. The Renaissance section itself is very comprehensive but beyond that the scale of European medallic art (from later Italy, France, Germany, the Holy Roman Empire and the Netherlands) being offered is significant. Baldwin’s predicts a number of established collectors, and quite a few new ones, will take advantage of the opportunity to buy from this sale. Dealers across Europe and in the US will also compete to acquire pieces from this sort of high quality collection that simply isn’t expected to be seen at auction for many years.
Michael Hall has commented on this landmark sale ‘What a great gift it has been to learn about history, the passage of time depicted with legendary persons. Whether cast or struck, medals have augmented my interest in sculpture of all origins and periods. For this I am eternally grateful. It has been an education in the history of the western world. Now, at 83, I would like to share my wondrous works of art by disseminating them to passionate collectors at auction through the offices of A. H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd.’
The first part of the auction is scheduled for the 4th May 2010 and online bidding via www.the-saleroom.com will be available for those bidders who cannot attend the sale.
For more information about The Michael Hall Collection please contact Graham Byfield on +44 (0)20 7930 9450 or at graham@baldwin.co.uk
For press enquiries please contact Caroline Newton on +44 (0)20 7930 9808 or at carolinenewton@baldwin.co.uk
Notes to the Editor:
• The Kress Medal Collections was formed by Gustave Dreyfus and first appeared in the public conscious in 1931. It was purchased (and therefore, remarkably, kept intact) for the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and it is deemed the finest collection that has ever been in the hands of a private collector. It has always been housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington and is a phenomenal collection of medals that are of artistic importance and not just historical or archaeological interest. It is easy to see the appeal of this outstanding collection for the young Michael Hall, as Dreyfus had a keen appreciation of all things beautiful and only purchased medals of exceptional artistic superiority which can be seen in the precision of his choices. A German critic of the time described the medallic art as ‘the expression of the quintessence of the spirit of that age’.
• Established in 1872 A. H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd has over 100 years experience in servicing the numismatic industry.
• Baldwin’s auction department was established in 1993 and has grown to hold between ten and twelve sales annually in London, New York and Hong Kong and specialise in all areas of Numismatics.
