Summers Place Auctions offers rare chance to buy Natural History Museum Items including Harpocrasaurus stibengi this June

It is often said that Summers Place Auctions' gallery looks a bit like a Natural History Museum, and for the June sale it will be more true than ever. On Tuesday, 7th June 2016, Summers Place Auctions will sell the museum collection of the Emmen Zoo, an internationally acclaimed zoo in northern Holland. The museum collection was formed during the 1980’s and early 1990’s and has some remarkable specimens, some of which can no longer be bought outside their country of origin. There will be 180 lots on offer with estimates ranging from £30 to £80,000.

Rupert van der Werff, Summers Place Auctions specialist says “Owing to the relocation of the zoo this collection will be offered on a no reserve basis so there may be a chance to secure something truly significant for a bargain price! You will be able to buy individual pieces or why not try and bid for all the lots and have your very own Museum?”

One of the highlights is undoubtedly a duck-billed dinosaur, Harpocrasaurus stibengi, called “Freya”. It is almost as big as a T-Rex and lived 75 to 67 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous. Remains were discovered in North America, but not until the 1990s. It is around 7.5m long and 3 m high and would have weighed about 4 tonnes. It was a bipedal/quadrupedal herbivore and is virtually complete. Freya is estimated to sell in the region of £50,000 – 80,000.

There is also a Hoplophoneus, a sabre-toothed cat, included – part of an extinct group of predatory mammals that were characterized by their long, curved sabre-shaped canine teeth. These large teeth extended from the mouth even when it was closed and the animals were found worldwide from the Eocene epoch to the end of the Pleistocene epoch 11,000 years ago. This example is estimated at £6,000 – 10,000.

The progenitor of today's horses the Eohippus lived during the Early Eocene epoch as well and remains have been found in North America. It is much smaller than a horse and carries an estimate of £ 5,000 – 8,000. Of particular interest are some extremely rare bird fossils showing the transition between reptiles and modern birds from various locations around the world including the well know Green River formation. The example of the latter is estimated at £2,000 - 3,000.

Errol Fuller, Summers Place Auctions' Natural History curator, says “A comprehensive selection of other fossils complete a quite remarkable collection which covers a pretty wide area of the fossil record. Included in the collection are many specimens which could be purchased then, but which now are not available such as South American pine cones.”

An exceptionally rare fossil Orthacanthus shark (est £2,000 – 3,000) is included as well as a fossil Cycad from Wyoming (est. £1,000 – 1,500). The collection also includes a selection of mineral specimens.

Additionally the sale also includes several hundred watercolour and pen and ink illustrations of the zoo’s animals and displays, mainly the work of Colin Newman. Estimates start at £40 - 60.

The zoo was originally founded in 1935 and as its needs evolved it has gone through several expansion programmes, notably in the 1970’s and most recently with the move to the new Wildlands centre which opened this March. Sadly the museum no longer fitted in with the new aims of the centre, which as well as being a major visitor attraction has had considerable success in its breeding programmes of Indian elephants amongst others. The sale will be on view from Sunday, 5th June until the morning of the auction or by arrangement.

For further information on the auction, please visit the website or call 01403 331331.

About Summers Place Auctions
Summers Place Auctions are the world's leading auctioneers of Garden Statuary and Natural History. The sales are held in the award winning 5000sq ft gallery nestling within 6 acres of walled gardens and the arboretum of the Victorian mansion, Summers Place, outside Billingshurst in West Sussex. 2016 Sales: 20th & 21st September 22nd & 23rd November