Heritage World Coin Auctions
ANA Signature Sale 3066 17 Aug 2018
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Great Britain
George III silver Proof Pattern Shilling 1798 PR65 PCGS, ESC-2176 (R5). J. By Milton. Plain edge. An outstanding Pattern of the highest rarity produced at the end of the 18th century, a turbulent time for British coinage. By the beginning of George III's reign in 1760 the British standard values for gold and silver had become hugely outdated, overvaluing gold and undervaluing silver. Accordingly, much British silver was used to pay for imports from foreign nations and thus went overseas, whilst gold was used domestically to pay for exports. This imbalance led to a near-complete cessation of silver coinage production, hence why the majority of coins dating from 1760-1800 are Guineas or fractional Guineas. Only a handful of attempts were made to produce silver coinage besides the 'Maundy' issues issued nearly every year, the present specimen representing a proposal for the Shilling design. Dated 1798, the same year as the famed 'Dorriens-Magens' Shilling (also by Milton), this pattern displays extraordinary beauty not solely in its design and performance, but also in its remarkable preservation and tone. Cameo worthy, George's large laureate bust colored a deep frosted gray, fields behind oil-slick black with stark white luster; intriguingly, much of the legend appears overstruck over other letters. The reverse shield is wonderfully intricate, far more elegantly performed than on a circulation coin, all the more accentuated through its remarkable lack of wear or contact marks commensurate with its Gem-level grade. A pattern which impresses at every turn, excessively rare and one which every serious pattern or George III collector should examine in-hand and deign to make their own.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 12000-15000 USD
George III silver Proof Pattern Shilling 1798 PR65 PCGS, ESC-2176 (R5). J. By Milton. Plain edge. An outstanding Pattern of the highest rarity produced at the end of the 18th century, a turbulent time for British coinage. By the beginning of George III's reign in 1760 the British standard values for gold and silver had become hugely outdated, overvaluing gold and undervaluing silver. Accordingly, much British silver was used to pay for imports from foreign nations and thus went overseas, whilst gold was used domestically to pay for exports. This imbalance led to a near-complete cessation of silver coinage production, hence why the majority of coins dating from 1760-1800 are Guineas or fractional Guineas. Only a handful of attempts were made to produce silver coinage besides the 'Maundy' issues issued nearly every year, the present specimen representing a proposal for the Shilling design. Dated 1798, the same year as the famed 'Dorriens-Magens' Shilling (also by Milton), this pattern displays extraordinary beauty not solely in its design and performance, but also in its remarkable preservation and tone. Cameo worthy, George's large laureate bust colored a deep frosted gray, fields behind oil-slick black with stark white luster; intriguingly, much of the legend appears overstruck over other letters. The reverse shield is wonderfully intricate, far more elegantly performed than on a circulation coin, all the more accentuated through its remarkable lack of wear or contact marks commensurate with its Gem-level grade. A pattern which impresses at every turn, excessively rare and one which every serious pattern or George III collector should examine in-hand and deign to make their own.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 12000-15000 USD