Swedish Medals from the Collection formed by the late Sven Gahlin

Sven Gahlin (1934 - 2017)
Sven Gahlin, the world-renowned art historian, was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 24 May 1934 but when he was six months old his parents moved to England, where Sven lived for the rest of his life. Returning to Sweden for holidays after 1945, the collection of Rembrandt and Durer prints owned by his grandather sowed the seeds for an interest in art, and especially drawings, that was nurtured by Sir Kyffin Williams, RA (1918-2006), his art master at Highgate School, where Sven became Head Boy.
On leaving school, Sven spent two years studying Old Master drawings in the British Museum and a further two years in the department of drawings at the Louvre. While at the latter he spent time with the great self-taught Dutch connoisseur, Frits Lugt (1884-1970), studying the art which now forms the Fondation Custodia. But it was Williams, a lifelong friend, who encouraged Sven to pursue his interest in art on a professional basis. At the time, good Italian and French drawings of the 16th to 18th centuries could be bought for under £10. In 1956 Sven started his working career as an assistant to Francis Matthiesen (1897- 1963), whose gallery, specialising in such works, was opposite Sotheby’s. Lent £200 by a friendly client, Sven was encouraged to start dealing in Old Master drawings on his own account but, by his admission, Sven could not help collecting. He set up his own company in 1963.
It was in the 1960s, while living in Harley Street, London, that Sven first developed an interest in Indian miniatures. A liking for animal drawings saw him acquire what turned out to be a 17th century Mughal miniature of an elephant for £4 10s, which excited Bill Archer (1907-79) and Robert Skelton (b. 1929), then the Keeper and Deputy Keeper of the V & A’s Indian Department, to such an extent that Sven decided to switch from dealing in Old Master drawings to Indian miniatures. He also built up a private collection which was sold by Sotheby’s on 6 October 2015, where it met with international acclaim.
But Indian miniatures were not the only items being collected by Sven. He had begun a collection of Greek and Roman coins by 1967, since dispersed. In March 1983 he started a collection of British 18th (and later 19th) century tokens, initially acquiring pieces from Baldwin, Richard Jeffery (the Melksham dealer situated close to where Sven was then living, in Bath), and several miscellaneous lots from the Spink auction in April 1983. At that sale he introduced himself to the writer of this note as “Mr Rogers” which, together with a second pseudonym, “Mr A. Lincoln”, he often used in those days when it came to numismatic acquisitions. I quickly got to know and appreciate Sven’s eye for an attractive token, as did others – a casual glance through this catalogue will demonstrate the tremendous breadth of quality which graced his cabinets. Moving back to London from Bath in 1990 enabled him to attend all the important auctions of tokens and remain in contact with a coterie of friendly dealers, most of whom will be familiar as provenances in the catalogue with the possible exception of Niall Hobhouse, the Somerset art dealer and a personal friend. Sven’s interest in tokens remained right up to his death, on 7 June 2017.
Collection Information
This collection was sold on 24 April 2019.
Other Collections Sold in 2019
- Tokens from the Late David Griffiths Collection
- London 17th Century Tokens from the Collection of Quentin Archer
- English Coins from the Collection of the late Dr John Hulett
- Coins of France from the Collection of the late Tony Merson
- The North Yorkshire Moors Collection of British Coins
- English Coins from the Collection of the late John Atkinson
- British Copper and Bronze Coins from the Collection formed by the late Hiram Brown
- The Collection of British Coins Formed by the Late Ray Inder
- The Paul Shimmin Collection of Isle of Man Banknotes
- 19th Century Tokens from the Collection of the Late Francis Cokayne
- A Collection of Tokens, the Property of a Gentleman
- A Collection of Medals Relating to Aviation, the Property of a Gentleman
- Scottish Educational Award Medals from the Collection formed by the late T.H. Watts
- A Collection of Medals for the Russian Intervention 1918-20
- A Collection of Medals to Casualties from the Battle of Imjin River, 22-25 April 1951
- Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers
- A Collection of Medals to the 23rd Foot Royal Welsh Fusiliers
- A Collection of Medals to the South Wales Borderers
- A Collection of Medals to the 21st (Yeoman Rifles) Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps
- A Collection of Fire Brigade Medals
- The Collection of Halfcrowns formed by Brian Dawson
- A Collection of Watches and Rings by the Award Winning French Designer Jean Muller
- Louis Osman Interest
- A Collection of Memorabilia relating to family of Thomas Percy, Bishop of Dromore, and Edward Whalley
- A Private Collection of Jewels by de Grisogono
- The David Kirch Collection of Jersey Paper Money
- Banknotes from the Brian Dawson Collection
- A Collection of Maundy Sets
- A Collection of Jetons, the Property of a Gentleman
- The ‘Merchant of the Islands’ Collection of Admiral Vernon Medals
- Swedish Medals from the Collection formed by the late Sven Gahlin
- A Small Collection of Ancient Coins, the Property of a Gentleman
- A Collection of Medals for the Second Afghan War 1878-80
- A Collection of Queen’s South Africa Medals to Town Guard Units
- A Collection of Egypt and Sudan Medals for the Nile Campaign 1884-85
- The Collection of Medals to Yeomen of the Guard formed by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Denny
- A Small Collection of Great War Medals to the Royal Sussex Regiment
- A Collection of Medals for the Russian Intervention 1918-20
- A Collection of German Militaria
- The Colonel Farnes Collection
- Books from the Library of Peter Duckers
- The Terence Maudlin Collection of English Hammered Pennies
- Coins and Medals by David Ramage, from the Collection of the late Robert Thompson
- A Collection of Shillings, the Property of a Gentleman
- A Collection of Maundy Sets
- Tickets and Passes of London from the David Young Collection
- A Collection of Bois Durci Medals
- Roman Coins from the Collection of Keith Cullum
- British Coins from the Collection formed by J.D.D. Brown
- The Private Collection of a Gentleman
- The David Livingstone Collection
- A private collection of Regimental and Royal Memorabilia relating to Corporal Ernest G Moffatt
- A Collection of Gallantry Awards to the Lincolnshire Regiment
- The Robin Scott-Smith Collection of Medals to Casualties
- A Collection of Medals to Second World War Royal Air Force Casualties
- A Collection of Medals for the Boxer Rebellion 1900
- A Collection of Russian Historical Medals, the Property of a Gentleman
- British Coins from the Collection of Dr John Tooze
- Gold Coins of Elizabeth I from the Collection formed by Walter Wilkinson
- A Collection of Elizabeth II Coins and Proof Sets in precious metals
- A Small Collection of European Thalers and their Fractions
- A Collection of Great War Military Medals to the Lincolnshire Regiment
- The John Nicholson Collection of medals to men who fought in the Kaffir Wars of 1834-53
- A Collection of General Service Medals for Northern Ireland
- World Tokens, the Property of a North Country Collector
- The Collection of London 17th Century Tokens Formed by the Late Cole Danehower
- The Collection of Worcestershire Tokens Formed by the Late Michael Paterson
- 18th Century Tokens from the Collection of the Late David McDonald
- The Collection of Scottish Tokens Formed by the Late Michael Paterson
- Tickets and Checks from the Collection of Bob Lyall
- English Coins from the Collection of the late Keith Cullum
- Coins of the Carlisle Mint from the John Mattinson Collection
- A Collection of Edward IV Groats
- Coin Weights from two Private Collections
- A Collection of Coins of the Indian Sultanates
- A Collection of Historical Medals, the Property of a Gentleman
- The ‘Millennium’ Hoard of Æthelred II Pennies and cut Halfpence from Suffolk
- The Gordon Freestone Collection of 20th Century British Coins
- An Important Group of Ephemera relating to Thomas Graham, Master of the Mint
- A Private Collection of Sovereign Cases
- A Collection of Medals Relating to the 1st Anglo-Boer War 1880-81
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