Heritage World Coin Auctions
Long Beach Signature Sale 3042 17-18 Sep 2015
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Great Britain
William IV Proof 1/2 Crown 1831 PR65 NGC, Royal mint, KM714.1, S3834A, plain edge, block "WW" signature (of William Wyon). Gem Proof with rich blue, mauve and amber-gold iridescence atop reflective surfaces, sparkling mirror fields, and a premium portrait -- the king's bust undisturbed by handling or any kind of flaw in the mint frost. This is an elegantly designed coin, made for the proof sets of the coronation of Victoria's uncle, "the sailor king" as he was known to his subjects, for he spent years at sea and is remembered for having modernized the Royal Navy. He lived, however, during a fairly peaceful era, following years of European military engagements by his predecessors, and he passed away peacefully some decades before the nation engaged in what later became known as Victoria's Little Wars -- as the Empire expanded through the subcontinent, Asia, the Pacific and in fact anywhere the Royal Navy went, so superior were her arms and her seamen. The ultimate success of Britain's navy in those later years depended upon this king's efforts to update its ships and its statutes long before such actions were in fact needed. The man possessed foresight! This coin was born therefore in a time of transition; the coming might and forceful aggression around the world are not even hinted at artistically on this most "civilized" of coins, bearing a simple portrait, mated to an elegantly caped, or veiled, royal crest on the opposite side. The word "majestic" comes to mind when viewing it. Almost never found in this superlative state of preservation, a truly glorious coin worthy of a strong winning bid.
Estimate: 4000-5000 USD
William IV Proof 1/2 Crown 1831 PR65 NGC, Royal mint, KM714.1, S3834A, plain edge, block "WW" signature (of William Wyon). Gem Proof with rich blue, mauve and amber-gold iridescence atop reflective surfaces, sparkling mirror fields, and a premium portrait -- the king's bust undisturbed by handling or any kind of flaw in the mint frost. This is an elegantly designed coin, made for the proof sets of the coronation of Victoria's uncle, "the sailor king" as he was known to his subjects, for he spent years at sea and is remembered for having modernized the Royal Navy. He lived, however, during a fairly peaceful era, following years of European military engagements by his predecessors, and he passed away peacefully some decades before the nation engaged in what later became known as Victoria's Little Wars -- as the Empire expanded through the subcontinent, Asia, the Pacific and in fact anywhere the Royal Navy went, so superior were her arms and her seamen. The ultimate success of Britain's navy in those later years depended upon this king's efforts to update its ships and its statutes long before such actions were in fact needed. The man possessed foresight! This coin was born therefore in a time of transition; the coming might and forceful aggression around the world are not even hinted at artistically on this most "civilized" of coins, bearing a simple portrait, mated to an elegantly caped, or veiled, royal crest on the opposite side. The word "majestic" comes to mind when viewing it. Almost never found in this superlative state of preservation, a truly glorious coin worthy of a strong winning bid.
Estimate: 4000-5000 USD