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| Item | # 0004307229 | | Family | Cypraeidae | | Name | Cypraea castanea - HIGHLY IMPORTANT SP. , Higgins, 1868 |
| Size | 35.6 mm |
| Locality | South Africa |
| Note | SPECIAL SALE – MASTERPIECES OF THE JES COLLECTION: One of the most ICONIC cowrie specimens on the planet, and the most FAMOUS castanea (verhoefi) in the world, this MAGNIFICENT LIVE-COLLECTED specimen, collected by LILTVELD himself, was chosen by the author to grace the COVER of his book ‘Cowries and their Relatives of Southern Africa’. The specimen is also comprehensively featured in the aforementioned volume: p.16, fig.12; p.75, fig.107; p.76, fig.108. I quote the following from Liltveld: ‘Cypraea verhoefi is so elusive that to procure the SINGLE LIVING SPECIMEN and several empty shells depicted in this work, Cape Town diver Graham Tugwell and I spent months diving in areas with poor visibility, large swell, and had the attention of large inquisitive sharks’. The specimen is also the subject of an article by Liltveld, published in the June 1986 edition of Hawai’ian Shell News, entitled ‘The First Live Cypraea verhoefi’, in which he recounts this remarkable discovery. The specimen is also featured upon the COVER of Raybaudi’s periodical ‘The Connoisseur of Seashells’, No.24; September 1990, where Raybaudi describes it as ‘RARISSIMA’. The specimen then passed to renowned collector and dealer Cid Derry, who sold it, in the 1990s, into the pretigious Diebold collection, for $6,900 USD, as recorded upon both the Derry and Diebold original labels accompanying the specimen. One of the greatest treasures of the JES Collection, now to begin a new chapter in its long story with another fortunate extremely advanced Cypraeidae connoisseur. A UNIQUE opportunity to acquire one of the most iconic and famous cowrie specimens in the world, with illustrious provenance. Data: Jeffreys Bay region, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa; upon high-profile reef substrate, upon sponge, amongst hydrocorals, soft corals, bryozoans, tunicates, and sponges; 50 m; dived; April 1986. Size: 35.6 mm. Grading: Gem. Provenance: 1) William Rune Liltved, Cape Town; 2) Luigi Raybaudi Massilia, Rome; 3) Cid Derry, Fullerton; 4) Dr. Richard Diebold, Tucson; 5) JES Collection; London / Melbourne. |
| Seller | JES (1515) - Register to view Feedback | | Seller Country | AUSTRALIA |
| Shipment / PaymentShip. / Paym. | Available for registered users... |
| Curr. of this item |  EURO |
| Start Price | 1,00 € |
| Current Price | 1625,00 € - offered by cyp378 - You must be registered to make your offer -
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| | Bid IncrementsBid Incr. |
| Range | Bid Increment |
| under 100 € | 1 € |
| from 100 to 200 € | 2 € |
| from 200 to 500 € | 5 € |
| from 500 to 1000 € | 10 € |
| over 1000 € | 25 € |
| | End | 28-10-2026 > 21:30:00 | | shellauction.net timeServer time | 27-10-2026 > 05:52:27 | | Time left | 1 days, 15 hours, 37 min | |
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