Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History, Stamps & Coins

Each with a cut base and polished internal face showcasing the internal gas chambers of the ammonite. 3.77 kg total, 23.5-24 cm



From Madagascar. From the private collection of a Devon, UK, lady.

Comprising two rectangular matrices, each with a fossil shrimp. 217 grams total, 78-88 mm



From Lebanon. From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

Comprising: a polished Goniatite from East Timor, Indonesia; a Perisphinctes ammonite. 502 grams total, 79-93 mm



From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent.

Comprising ten sections, each showing external detailing. 2.08 kg total, 6-11.7 cm



From Madagascar. Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's), Harwich, UK.

An oval pebble cut in half and polished to a high degree with a small crystal-lined cavity on one side. 315 grams total, 80-81 mm



From Beachy Head, Sussex, UK. From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent.

A complete half of a pyramidal geode, showing deep purple amethyst crystals with tan-coloured druzy quartz; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 38.6 kg, 84 x 38 x 17 cm, 112 cm including stand



From Artigas, Uruguay. Property of a London lady.

Restrung, using recently polished oblate Mammuthus primigenius spherical bone beads. 140 grams, 59 cm



From a UK collection formed in the early 2000s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.

The mammoth lineage branched from the Asian elephant around 6 million years ago, and later on the Woolly Mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius, evolved in eastern Siberia. Woolly mammoths, being slightly smaller than living African elephants, were foragers and ate grass, as well as small, nutritious flowering plants that flourished in the environment where they lived. They may also have used their curved tusks to dig through snow and eat plants that other foragers were unable to reach.

Comprising a life-size reproduction of a Tyrannosaurus rex foot claw. 312 grams, 20 cm



Property of a Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.

Comprising well-defined roots and light cream to grey enamel. 33.9 grams, 63 mm



Perma frost of Siberia. From a Netherlands collector in the 2020s. From a private collection.

Comprising five translucent, polished slices and ten cut and polished geode sections. 1.68 kg total, 5.3-14.2 cm



From Brazil. Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's), Harwich, UK.

Cut section of geode lined with dark grey to almost black druzy quartz crystals, creating a shimmering effect; two cut stalagmites with polished upper face showing attractive dark banding; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 4.13 kg, 26 x 22 x 10 cm, 32 cm including stand



From Artigas, Uruguay. Property of a London lady.

A group of forty-six pale green calcite mineral specimens. 510 grams total, 30-52 mm

Fine condition.

From the historic ‘Victorian Museum’ or later collection of Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's); formerly Gregory, Bottley & Co. (1932-1981) and previously J. R. Gregory & Co. (1898-1932); originally James Reynolds Gregory (1858-1898). From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent.

The firm Gregory, Bottley and Lloyd (Gregory's), was acquired by TimeLine Auctions in 2016. London-born James Reynolds Gregory (1832-1899) founded the company, which is the second longest-running gem and fossil dealership in the world. James was educated at Archbishop Tenison's School, and afterward found employment in a jewellery company on Regent Street. In 1858 he established his own business in King William Street. A few years later he moved to ‘very extensive premises’ in Golden Square, Covent Garden. He was one of the best known dealers in London, exhibiting at major commercial shows throughout the world and winning awards for excellence in Paris in 1867, Sydney in 1879 and London in 1862, 1883 and 1884. James primarily bought his stock at auction, from collectors and other dealers, and supplied many major collectors and scientists of his day. He built superb personal collections, a selection going to the British Museum. He wrote many papers and was a member of several learned societies including the Society of Arts. The business became known as J.R. Gregory & Company in 1896, still under James' management with the assistance of his son Albert Gregory (b.1864). When James died three years later, the business passed to Albert. At the end of the 19th century most London dealers had folded or retired, many selling out to J.R. Gregory & Co. Albert continued by acquiring Russell and Shaw (Est. 1848) in 1925 and Francis H. Butler (Est. 1884) in 1927. Percy Bottley (1904-1980) took over the company in 1931, renaming it Gregory, Bottley & Company with respect to his predecessors. Percy’s company survived the 2nd World War by buying out all of its competitors, including the supplier to Pitt-Rivers, Samuel Henson (Est. 1840) and G.H. Richards (Est. 1897) in 1936. Percy also added many important collections to his stock including those of Rev. F. Holmes in 1940, and the Graves collection in 1943. Following Percy's death in 1981, the business was sold to Brian Lloyd, whereupon it became Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd. Brian had been Sotheby’s main Natural History expert in the 1960s and 1970s, and subsequently traded from Pall Mall. The business continued to thrive, and Brian purchased the Joseph Neeld (1789-1856) collection in 1974 and the historic gold collection of H.S. Gordon, first exhibited at the Empire Exhibition, South Africa in 1936. Brian moved the business to 12-13 Rickett Street in 1982, and to 13 Seagrave Road in 1993. He carried on the company's specialization in historic collections, most recently acquiring that of Robert Ferguson (1767-1840) in 2000. The business moved to Walmer in Kent in 2008, and was acquired by TimeLine in April 2016. Trading History Est. 1858 (59 Frith Street, Soho) 1859 - 1861 (3 King William Street, Strand) 1862 - 1866 (25 Golden Square, Covent Garden) 1866 - 1874 (15 Russell Street, Covent Garden) 1874 - 1895 (88 Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square) 1896 - 1906 (1 Kelso Place, Kensington) 1907 - 1926 (139 Fulham Road, Chelsea) 1926 - 1981 (30 (Old) Church Street, Chelsea) 1982 - 1993 (12-13 Rickett Street, Fulham) 1993 - 2007 (13 Seagrave Road, Fulham) 2008 - 2016 (59 Liverpool Road, Walmer, Kent) 2016 - (363 Main Road, Harwich, Essex)