Abacus Auctions

A four-day auction covering stamps, postal history and notes, and sporting memorabilia by Melbourne-based Abacus Auctions will begin at 11am on December 1 and end on December 4 at 29 Hardner Road, Mount Waverley.

Australian stamps, of which the ‘Artemis’ Kangaroo and Map Rarities contained in a special deluxe hard bound catalogue is the highlight, leads auction items that number almost 2470 lots.

This catalogue contains an impressive array of spectacular Kangaroo stamps ever offered at one auction – many never before available for purchase in Australia.

As a leg spin bowler and lower order batsman, the late Terry Jenner played nine Tests for Australia and one One Day International match between 1970 and 1975.

Despite reasonable performances with both bat and ball (his best figures were 5/90 and 74 runs in different Tests), he was never a regular member of the Australian team.

However, in latter years Jenner was a leg-spin coach to many international players and a great influence on Australian leg-spin legend and record holder Shane Warne.

As the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic continues to throw employment prospects and business practices in Australia into chaos, the country’s traditional Australian Football League season has become a sputtering stop-start competition with all 18 teams now forced to play in what has been termed coronavirus “hubs” (where the virus is virtually non-existent) to complete the home-and-away draw in time for finals.

Nothing like the onset of Australia’s spring racing season to remember a true champion of the Australian turf – none other than the iconic Phar Lap who not only won the 1930 Melbourne Cup but every other major race of his day.

Tragically, Phar Lap died shortly after winning the 1932 Agua Caliente Handicap – one of America’s greatest races – in record time.

Australian turf legend Phar Lap is again in the headlines with the auction of a collection of his memorabilia through Abacus Auctions latest Melbourne sporting memorabilia sale from 11am Sunday May 19 at 19A Hampshire Road, Glen Waverley.

The Phar Lap auction collection, comprising 56 lots, belongs to avid stamp, antique toy and horse racing collector Dario Dicarla – who was kicked out of school aged 15 when he was caught at the TAB.

When Australian golfer Peter Thomson bought a set of Dunlop Maxfli clubs in 1957, he had already won the British Open Championship the previous three years running – and went on to win two more afterwards in 1958 and 1965.

In a note accompanying the clubs and golf bag – which will be one of the most interesting lots (if not the most expensive) at Abacus Auctions forthcoming Coins, Banknotes & Sporting Memorabilia sale from noon Sunday November 25 at 19A Hampshire Road, Glen Waverley – he says “They were the best one could acquire at the time!”

An 1888 New South Wales centennial stamp issue featured on the catalogue front cover is the highlight of Abacus Auctions forthcoming Stamp, Postal History & Picture Postcards auction from noon Saturday September 1 at 19A Hampshire Road, Glen Waverley.

The issue is part of the Nova Castrian (the nom-de-plume for a low-profile collector collecting for almost 60 years who has now decided to sell) stamp collection – covering New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland examples – that comprises about half the auction items.

The newly created Australian auction house Abacus Auctions has launched its second sale with a Coins, Banknotes, Sporting Memorabilia & Collectable flavour from 10am Sunday July 22 at 19A Hampshire Road, Glen Waverley, Victoria.  

For sporting lovers, the auction will commence with sporting memorabilia and collectable items including cricket, football, boxing, horse racing, motor racing before devoting the afternoon to coins and banknotes.