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

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)

Restrung, using recently polished Mammuthus primigenius spherical bone beads. 150 grams total, 58 cm



Ex Ancient Art Shop, Windsor, UK, 1990s. Ex private West County, UK, collection.

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.

From Carcharodontosaurus saharicus, displaying some serrations. 15.4 grams, 47 mm



From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

The Carcharodontosaurus saharicus was one of the largest predators (larger than its distant North American T-Rex cousin) of all time and is also related to Allosaurus and the South American Giganotosaurus.

Comprising mainly twinned and intergrown prismatic crystals. 1.27 kg total, 28-42 mm



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

An unusual rounded geode section with stalagmite-like formations of calcite and quartz rising from the base, polished borders revealing the celadonite shell with some exterior basalt visible; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 17.5 kg total, 29.5 cm high including stand



From Artigas, Uruguay. Property of a London lady.

Comprising two Elrathia kingii specimens on matrices. 470 grams total, 10.5-11.3 cm



From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

With thick agate borders and an interior window revealing pink druzy coating over nascent stalactites; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 2.88 kg, 17.5 x 17 x 8 cm, 24 cm including stand



From Artigas, Uruguay. Property of a London lady.

Polished section of a geode lined with large, deep purple amethyst crystals in flower-like formations; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 10.65 kg, 26 x 22 x 10 cm, 32 cm including stand



From Artigas, Uruguay. Property of a London lady.

Euomphaloceras cunningtoni with prominent protrusions on all outer ribs, old inked collector's notes '209' and 'Euomphaloceras Cunningtoni ?'. 830 grams, 13 cm



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.

On a rectangular matrix, showing good spine and tail detail. 469 grams, 18 cm



From Green River formation, Wyoming, USA. 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.

Large jaw fragment set with two teeth, with another two showing within the jaw. 582 grams, 16.1 cm



From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

The Mosasaur is an extinct, large marine reptile dinosaur with an elongated body, long snout and paddle-like limbs. Found worldwide, they competed with other well-known sea predators of the Late Cretaceous, such as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, for food, existing primarily on a diet of ammonoids, cuttlefish and fish.