DUANE, MATTHEW

[DUANE, MATTHEW (1707-1785). Coins of the kings of Macedonia, from Amyntas I to Alexander the great inclusive, collected by M. Duane, and engraved by F. Bartolozzi. London, (1798) -- Coins of the Seleucidæ, kings of Syria... Illustrated with... plates of coins from the cabinet of the late Matthew Duane... engraved by F. Bartolozzi. London: printed by J. Nichols and Son for T. Payne and J. White, 1803] -- 2 works in one volume, 4to (266 x 194mm.), plates only, no text but extra-illustrated with a total of 86 engraved plates (see footnote), some mounted, contemporary morocco-backed boards by C. Lewis, gilt cinquefoil at head of spine and cross patté at foot, spine lettered in gilt "Seleucidae medals / Medals of the Kings of Macedon", gilt edges (occasional browning)

William Beckford, sale in these rooms, part II, 11 December 1882, lot 301; John Gennadius, sale in these rooms, 28 March 1895, lot 1355; Henry J.B. Clements, of Killadoon, Ireland, bookplate, sale in these rooms 4 July 1966, lot 121, bought by A.G. Thomas; P.A. Milne-Henderson, bookplate

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Occasional browning.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

THE BECKFORD-GENNADIUS-CLEMENTS COPY. "Coins of the Seleucidæ" originally comprised 24 plates, but here all the plates are in 2 or 3 states, amounting to 61 in total. The text for the work (not present here) was written by Richard Gough. Likewise the plates to "Coins of the kings of Macedonia" are also mostly in multiple states and it appears to be very rare, COPAC recording just one copy.

Duane was a Fellow of the Royal Society and of the Society of Antiquaries, and a trustee of the British Museum. "Duane was called ‘the most skilful medallist in England’ and his medallic collection was said to be ‘famous over Europe’ (Butler, 4.460). He had a special knowledge of the coins of the Macedonian kings and of the successors of Alexander the Great in Syria. Lewis Dutens, the diplomatist, made Duane's collection known through a book published in 1774. In 1776 Duane sold his Syriac medals to William Hunter, who presented them to Glasgow University. Duane listed the duplicate coins in Sir Hans Sloane's collection at the British Museum, and he assisted in the arrangement of the coins given to the museum by Lord Maynard in 1780" (ODNB).