THE enormous range and scope of a Greenslade Taylor Hunt collectors sale always ensures a wide ranging, ever changing crowd as different items come under the hammer, and so it proved at the final quarterly collectors sale at The Octagon Salerooms, East Reach, Taunton.

The specialist sales draw a different crowd from the regular monthly antiques sale and much of the action takes place on line as bidders join from throughout the country and around the world.

Proceedings kicked off with an excellent coins section, which resulted in every lot being snapped up. Most in demand was a Great Britain Queen Anne crown from 1703 which attracted on line and room interest. Eventually a determined on line bidder was successful with a bid of £1,200.

A room bidder paid above bullion £820 for a South African Krugerrand from 1983, while a George III four pence from 1765 was bought by an on line bidder for £500.

One of the most intriguing items in the sale was a white linen tablecloth, which seems to have functioned as a decorative autograph book for a widely travelled man.

Bearing over 42 embroidered autographs, presumably over hand-written base signatures, it included Arctic explorers and is believed to have belonged to Frank Wild. He assumed command of Shackleton’s ill-fated Polar expedition after Shackleton’s death. He has three Antarctic landmarks named after him – Cape Wild, Mount Wild and Point Wild. He was also awarded the Polar Medal with four bars for his valiant efforts following Shackleton’s demise.

The tablecloth, imbued with so much Polar history, sparked a good deal of interest and was bought by an internet bidder for £750.

The medals and militaria section also achieved some notable prices including £750 from a phone line for an Omani Kattara (sword), while another phone bidder paid £450 for a Schiavona style rapier.

A well-considered postcard section was popular in the room and on line. A selection of India, The Far East and South African interest cards sold online for £350, while an assortment of Far East and North African cards went for £300 to an online bidder. A room bid secured a large selection of railway postcards for £280.

An English pale gold mohair bear named Bertie proved a hit with online bidders and sold for £240 to the internet.

The book section served up a number of interesting tomes, but the most fevered interest was enjoyed by a first edition of Charles Dickens’ A Tale Of Two Cities. Two phone lines and internet interest insured the price climbed steadily. The original cloth copy was bought for £6,750 – the top price of the day.

The next specialist collectors’ sale takes place at the saleroom on Friday, March 3, but each monthly antiques sale includes a good range of collectors’ items. For more information or to consign items please contact Peter Rixon, who masterminds the collectors’ section. Call the saleroom on 01823-332525.