It’s the conman’s collection – a combination of unusual artefacts and rare coins traced back to alleged serial fraudster Ric Blum.
A Roman bronze-plated phallus and a bronze “fibula” or brooch, circa 75BC, along with ancient coins, are among numerous items Mr Blum has sold via a leading Australian auction house.
Some of the objects sold for less than $100, while other sales were worth thousands of dollars for the disability pensioner.
“I never sold coins in the thousands of dollars, never,” he said.
However, Mr Blum was a regular client of online auction house Noble Numismatics, The Australian can reveal.
His coins and antiquities were sold under the name of his family, Coppenolle.
At one auction alone in 2010, he is believed to have put up for sale tens of thousands of dollars worth of coins, antiquities and “didactic” material.
The items were discovered by volunteer researcher Joni Condos, a key supporter of Barter’s daughter Sally Leydon in her search for answers.
Ms Condos said she set out to see whether coin trading was a hobby or profession for Mr Blum.
“I found he was dealing with some of the most recognised coin dealers in the world,” she said.
