Baldwin & Sons
Auction 73 8 May 2012
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THE BENTLEY COLLECTION OF BRITISH MILLED GOLD SOVEREIGNS. Victoria, Pattern Sovereign, 1887, engraved after William Wyon, third young head left, with double fillet, W.W. in relief on truncation, date below, toothed border and raised rim both sides, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA, rev struck with inverted die axis, engraved after Jean Baptiste Merlen, crowned shield of arms within laurel wreath tied with bow below shield, seven harp strings in Irish arms, left string emanates from scroll, emblems below, small rosette either side, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:, legend lightly doubled, edge milled, 8.05g, 22mm (WR 331 R5, this coin illustrated; DM 217). Brilliant mint state and of the highest rarity
ex Property of a Nobleman, Spink Auction 120, 9 July 1997, lot 634 – this coin illustrated in Wilson Rasmussen.
1887 is the final year for the young head design upon the coinage, so it seems natural that some young head Sovereigns of proof quality from highly polished dies would be struck as a matter of record for the Mint and probably for presentation to highly important persons, or as suggested in the Douglas Morris catalogue that it could be a trial for a Colonial Sovereign.
The Third Young Head type of Queen Victoria
It has always been known that the truncation again differs from 1870 onward for the young head shield reverse design Sovereigns, and they are so referenced in the Spink Standard Catalogue as S.3853B. Marsh mentions the difference in his narrative as point number 3, but did not go as so far to tabulate or study it further. The raised W.W. actually runs to the very edge of the truncation and meets the field. Strangely for 1870 only, for five of the higher die number reverses from 112 upwards this new bust variation exists coupled with the WW initials incuse without stops, before a swift return for 1871 to the W.W. raised rendering.
However, most significantly, in the years of study by this cataloguer of the Bentley Collection, he noted that the bust is actually slightly different. There is a change to the rendering of the hair which is very evident when comparing coins of the previous type and this “new” third head. The rendering of the hair in the large bun and the strands of hair nearest the letter G are of a different arrangement and the treatment of the ponytail below also differs. Coupled with the change of the WW initials on the neck, back to being punctuated and in relief on this truncation, it makes for a more significant variety than has previously been credited. The reason for this change in engraving is open to further research, but this cataloguer feels it must be something to do with a significant Act of Coinage passed and proclaimed in 1870, where all coinage in circulation dating to before the reign of Queen Victoria was deemed to be no longer legal tender. This is coupled with the fact that change was afoot at the Sydney branch Mint in Australia with the design of the Sovereign there about to be changed to fit in with the London issues. The only difference to denote them as Sydney being the mere addition of a small letter S for Sydney where the die number appears on the London issued pieces. The Melbourne Mint was already planned and being built and that coinage too would fit in with this design with a small letter M below the shield and wreath.
Looking at further physical evidence of the Sovereigns from now onward, it will be seen with coins of this new production that the instance of “doubling” of letters on the dies striking (dual-hubbing) the coins begins to diminish through successive years and the hairline raised die flaws are all but quenched by the new strikings. Quality control is gradually climbing to a new high it seems. See a note on varieties in the introduction for further information. Cross referencing and chronology with any surviving records at the Mint would be most welcomed and prudent research to further prove these theories.
The Reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
House of Hanover
Born: 24 May 1819
Accession: 20 June 1837
Married: Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 10 February 1840
Coronation: Thursday 28 June 1838
Children: four sons, five daughters
Died: 22 January 1901, aged 81
Estimate: £12,000-15,000
ex Property of a Nobleman, Spink Auction 120, 9 July 1997, lot 634 – this coin illustrated in Wilson Rasmussen.
1887 is the final year for the young head design upon the coinage, so it seems natural that some young head Sovereigns of proof quality from highly polished dies would be struck as a matter of record for the Mint and probably for presentation to highly important persons, or as suggested in the Douglas Morris catalogue that it could be a trial for a Colonial Sovereign.
The Third Young Head type of Queen Victoria
It has always been known that the truncation again differs from 1870 onward for the young head shield reverse design Sovereigns, and they are so referenced in the Spink Standard Catalogue as S.3853B. Marsh mentions the difference in his narrative as point number 3, but did not go as so far to tabulate or study it further. The raised W.W. actually runs to the very edge of the truncation and meets the field. Strangely for 1870 only, for five of the higher die number reverses from 112 upwards this new bust variation exists coupled with the WW initials incuse without stops, before a swift return for 1871 to the W.W. raised rendering.
However, most significantly, in the years of study by this cataloguer of the Bentley Collection, he noted that the bust is actually slightly different. There is a change to the rendering of the hair which is very evident when comparing coins of the previous type and this “new” third head. The rendering of the hair in the large bun and the strands of hair nearest the letter G are of a different arrangement and the treatment of the ponytail below also differs. Coupled with the change of the WW initials on the neck, back to being punctuated and in relief on this truncation, it makes for a more significant variety than has previously been credited. The reason for this change in engraving is open to further research, but this cataloguer feels it must be something to do with a significant Act of Coinage passed and proclaimed in 1870, where all coinage in circulation dating to before the reign of Queen Victoria was deemed to be no longer legal tender. This is coupled with the fact that change was afoot at the Sydney branch Mint in Australia with the design of the Sovereign there about to be changed to fit in with the London issues. The only difference to denote them as Sydney being the mere addition of a small letter S for Sydney where the die number appears on the London issued pieces. The Melbourne Mint was already planned and being built and that coinage too would fit in with this design with a small letter M below the shield and wreath.
Looking at further physical evidence of the Sovereigns from now onward, it will be seen with coins of this new production that the instance of “doubling” of letters on the dies striking (dual-hubbing) the coins begins to diminish through successive years and the hairline raised die flaws are all but quenched by the new strikings. Quality control is gradually climbing to a new high it seems. See a note on varieties in the introduction for further information. Cross referencing and chronology with any surviving records at the Mint would be most welcomed and prudent research to further prove these theories.
The Reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
House of Hanover
Born: 24 May 1819
Accession: 20 June 1837
Married: Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 10 February 1840
Coronation: Thursday 28 June 1838
Children: four sons, five daughters
Died: 22 January 1901, aged 81
Estimate: £12,000-15,000