FAULKNER PART 1: SHIPS, COLONIES & COMMERCE

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V29 2026 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 34, 2026, Article 11

Jacob Lipson is selling the Christopher Faulkner Collection, Part 1, showing Ships, Colonies & Commerce tokens. Select items are discussed below. -Garrett

Imperial Designs Ships, Colonies Commerce tokens book cover

Welcome to the first installment of the Christopher Faulkner Collection. It is my great honour to present this exceptional selection of Ships, Colonies & Commerce tokens — the opening chapter in what will be a multi-part offering from this historic collection.

Christopher Faulkner is the author of the seminal works not only on this series, but also on the Prince Edward Island Holey Dollars, the Upper Canada tokens, and the Bouquet Sou series. His scholarship has set a new standard in Canadian numismatics, and his collections in these areas — and others — will be remembered for their quality, completeness, and intellectual rigour.

Each lot in this catalogue is offered at a fixed price and includes a high-resolution image, a physical description (including grades provided by Faulkner), commentary, and provenance. The commentary is drawn primarily from Faulkner's Imperial Designs (2019), the definitive study of the Ships series. In select cases, I have added my own observations, either summarizing Chris's analysis or reflecting on recent auction results and comparative material.

My hope is that this catalogue serves not only as an exciting opportunity to acquire remarkable tokens, but also as a text that will stand the test of time — demonstrating to future generations of collectors that Faulkner's holdings rank among the finest ever assembled.

All lots are offered with a seven-day return policy. A flat shipping rate of $20 will be added to each order, and we are happy to combine shipping. Taxes will be applied to the total according to the buyer's location.

Jacob Lipson Rare Coins
451 Daly Ave., Suite 104
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 6H6
jacob@jlrc.ca
(613) 777-2115

Breton-997. Ships, Colonies & Commerce. 3.67g. Lees-1, R.8. PE-10-1. This condition rarity features full strike definition from rim to rim with the sole exception being the reverse border between 1 and 3 o'clock. Glossy brown. Faulkner AU.

Commentary: "This token was struck in New York, by the firm of Wright & Bale, as the initials W & B N.Y. below the exergue lines attest (without periods after the W and the B)."

Breton-997. Ships, Colonies & Commerce. 6.95g. Lees-3.2, R.7. BL-24A. Obverse Uniface. Only the outline of the ship remains on this smooth, well-circulated Blacksmith token. One of only two known. Faulkner VG.

Commentary: "When the Barton-Wood collection was dispersed in the early 1980s, all of the Blacksmiths, including those in the Ships series, were purchased by Warren Baker. This coin was sold with his Blacksmith collection in 1987, at which time it was acquired by Michael Oppenheim of Montreal. Oppenheim then sold it to Len Buth, who had already purchased the reverse uniface coin, 997.3.2."

Provenance: Edward W. Barton; John A. Wood; Warren Baker Collection (Bowers and Merena, 3/1987), lot 1033; Michael Oppenheim; Len Buth (4/2010).

Breton-997. Ships, Colonies & Commerce. 3.65g. Lees-3.5a, R.7. BL-24A. Described in Imperial Designs as follows: "This specimen, in very high grade, is a spectacular double error, inasmuch as it is 20% off-centre." The reverse features a full mirror brockage with the vast majority of ship detail apparent. Faulkner EF.

Commentary: This is one of three such brockage of Lees-3.5a in the Faulkner Collection. Apparently, others exist but, of course, they are highly sought-after by collectors and seldom appear.

Breton-997. Ships, Colonies & Commerce. 5.16g. Lees-13, R.10. PE-10-13. This is an exceptionally well-preserved representative. Each side presents strong strike detail with light high-point rub. Glossy. Appeaers to have oiled long ago by a collector. Faulkner VF/EF.

Commentary: Lees-13 is about as difficult to locate as Lees-4 and Lees-5. Chris Faulkner writes: "It is certainly extremely rare and most examples come in fairly low grade." His collection includes four pieces, this being the finest by a healthy margin. Perhaps only the Robins example is finer.

Breton-999. Ships, Colonies & Commerce. 5.01g. Lees-5A, R.10. BL-24C1. Die axis off upset by 60 degrees clockwise. As the saying goes, beggars can't be choosers when it comes to this ultra-rare Blacksmith issue. Most collectors would be delighted with a low-grade, problematic example. Thankfully, this exceptional offering requires no such compromise. It survives in pleasing mid-grade condition without any problems or defects. The obverse ship and reverse legend are both clear and relatively strong with minor rub. Golden-brown surfaces display areas of darker patina. Faulkner VF.

Commentary: Only eight examples of Breton-999 are known, of which three are permanently housed in institutional collections. That leaves just five specimens in private hands. Writing in Imperial Designs, Chris Faulkner notes that the variety "has become the Holy Grail for collectors of the Ships series" as a result of both its ultimate rarity and its separate listing in Breton. The mystery that surrounds the production and issuance of the type has only added to its popularity and appeal.

To be sure, the present example, which can be traced back to the 1903 Murdoch sale, takes its place on the podium of signature rarities in the Faulkner Collection. Many collectors would call it the pinnacle of the set. Of course, there are so many wonderful gems that any such claim is entirely subjective. Regardless of how one decides to rank this token in the broader context of the collection, it will surely be remembered as a marquee offering that has everything going for it -- rarity, condition, and pedigree.

Provenance: John G. Murdoch Collection (Sotheby's, 7/1903), lot 510; Spink & Son, Ltd; W.W.C. Wilson Collection, Part II (Wayte Raymond, 11/1926), lot 129, realized $105; purchased by L.A. Renaud for Ludger Gravel; unknown intermediaries; Warren Baker (1/1971); Roy Hughes Collection (Jeffrey Hoare Auctions, 2/1995), lot 1858, realized $2900; purchased by Warren Baker for Len Buth; Buth Collection (4/2010).