Baldwin & Sons
Auction 73 8 May 2012
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THE BENTLEY COLLECTION OF BRITISH MILLED GOLD SOVEREIGNS. George IV, Sovereign, 1829, second bare head left, date below, rev crowned shield of arms, quartered with the arms of Hanover as an escutcheon, 7.96g (Marsh 14; MCE 480; S 3801). Lightly hairlined, dig on neck, extremely fine, the reverse better.
ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased 2 March 1990
Calendar year mintage 2,444,652
Second Type
William Wyon
Jean Baptiste Merlen
The second standard design for the currency Sovereigns of King George IV from 1825-1830 inclusive had an obverse designed by William Wyon based upon the sculpted model bust by Francis Legatt Chantrey (1781-1841). A marble bust that the King was particularly pleased with, and which was first used as an inspirational model for the coinage on the gold Two Pound piece of 1823 engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen shown here.
The Second Type Obverse and Reverse of King George IV
The former abbreviated legend used on the first type obverse, now appears across both sides of the second type coins and in a fuller form, on obverse GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA and continuing on the reverse BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF: The lettering no longer has any decorative compartments. The reverse of the Sovereigns of this type, also engraved by Merlen, have a crowned quartered shield of arms, with an escutcheon of the Hanoverian Arms. It has been noted in the Bentley Collection catalogue for the first time that the semee of hearts in these Hanoverian Arms generally contains eight hearts. However it has been noted the 1825 plain edge proof only has seven, meaning it was an earlier pattern rendering of the reverse. Otherwise the reverse always depicts nine strings in the Irish harp, and some inner upper lis of the Scottish arms are detached from their frame. The straight grained milled edge continues.
The Reign of King George IV (1820-1830)
House of Hanover
Born: 12 August 1762
Accession: 29 January 1820
Married: Caroline of Brunswick 8 April 1795
later separated and banned from attending the Coronation
Coronation: Thursday, 19 July 1821
Child: one daughter Charlotte
who predeceased her Father 6 November 1817
Died: 26 June 1830, aged 67
Estimate: £1800-2200
ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased 2 March 1990
Calendar year mintage 2,444,652
Second Type
William Wyon
Jean Baptiste Merlen
The second standard design for the currency Sovereigns of King George IV from 1825-1830 inclusive had an obverse designed by William Wyon based upon the sculpted model bust by Francis Legatt Chantrey (1781-1841). A marble bust that the King was particularly pleased with, and which was first used as an inspirational model for the coinage on the gold Two Pound piece of 1823 engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen shown here.
The Second Type Obverse and Reverse of King George IV
The former abbreviated legend used on the first type obverse, now appears across both sides of the second type coins and in a fuller form, on obverse GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA and continuing on the reverse BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF: The lettering no longer has any decorative compartments. The reverse of the Sovereigns of this type, also engraved by Merlen, have a crowned quartered shield of arms, with an escutcheon of the Hanoverian Arms. It has been noted in the Bentley Collection catalogue for the first time that the semee of hearts in these Hanoverian Arms generally contains eight hearts. However it has been noted the 1825 plain edge proof only has seven, meaning it was an earlier pattern rendering of the reverse. Otherwise the reverse always depicts nine strings in the Irish harp, and some inner upper lis of the Scottish arms are detached from their frame. The straight grained milled edge continues.
The Reign of King George IV (1820-1830)
House of Hanover
Born: 12 August 1762
Accession: 29 January 1820
Married: Caroline of Brunswick 8 April 1795
later separated and banned from attending the Coronation
Coronation: Thursday, 19 July 1821
Child: one daughter Charlotte
who predeceased her Father 6 November 1817
Died: 26 June 1830, aged 67
Estimate: £1800-2200