Mhcoins
THE BRIDGEWATER HOUSE COLLECTION - SOTHEBYS 15TH JUNE 1972
THE BRIDGEWATER HOUSE COLLECTION OF COINS - Sothebys 15th June 1972
Formed in the Eighteenth Century by the Earls of Bridgwater and previously at Bridgewater House
The Bridgewater House collection must certainly rank as one of the most important private collections of British Coins to be sold at auction since that formed by the late R.C.Lockett dispersed between the years 1955 and 1961. The Bridgewater House collection has been seen by only a few privileged scholars and although it was placed in the British Museum for safekeeping by the first earl of Elsmore (1800- 1857) whilst his house was being rebuilt, and remained there until about 1900, the cabinet was not exhibited and has never been available for public examination since its inception. A precise date for the formation of the collection cannot be positively be ascertained for whilstit is known that Scrope, fourth Eaarl of Bridgwater continued adding to a collection left to him by his Father, John, third Earl (1646-1701), it appears that the family interest in numismatics began even earlier with John, second Earl (1622-1686)
The collection contains a wide range of pieces from Stephen to George III, but it is the coinage of the Tudor and Stuart kings that is particularly full.
Provenance