Baldwin & Sons
Auction 73 8 May 2012
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THE BENTLEY COLLECTION OF BRITISH MILLED GOLD SOVEREIGNS. Victoria, Pattern Sovereign, 1838, very small young head left, hair bound with double fillet, rear fillet plain, top of front and rear fillets defined with a double incuse line, W.W. incuse on truncation, date below, date lightly double struck, rosette either side, fine toothed border and raised rim both sides, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA more widely spaced, from 8 to 4 o’clock, rev struck with inverted die axis, crowned quartered narrow shield of arms within laurel wreath tied with bow below shield, laurel wreath each side consists of 30 leaves per side and terminates in three leaves at top, six strings in Irish arms, left string emanates from back of female figure, emblems below, rose at centre, thistle to left, shamrock to right, small rosette either side, small rosette either side, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:, legend lightly doubled, edge plain, 7.84g, 21.9mm (WR 299 R5; Montagu 1567; Murdoch 501; Nobleman 263; DM 201). Hairline raised flaw on bust from cheek to truncation, tiny dig by mouth, hairlines in fields, otherwise lightly toned mint state and extremely rare
ex Reginald Huth collection, Sothebys, 5 April 1927, lot 264
ex S A H Whetmore collection, Glendinings, 24 March 1943, lot 114
ex Spink Auction 157, 18 November 2001, lot 575, illustrated on front cover.
The proposals for the new coinage took some time to effect and the new currency did not come to fruition until at least 1838 for most denominations. This further proposal for the Sovereign dated 1838 carries the smaller head, the fillets in the hair are now rendered with incuse outlines, and the engraver’s initials W.W. appear raised on the truncation. The legend is more widely spaced surrounding the head more effectively. Note the light weight too, so that such a piece would not go very far should it escape into circulation.
Victoria First Small Young Head Type Currency Sovereign
The currency Sovereigns of Queen Victoria begin with a standard Young head design engraved by William Wyon with date below. The head does not quite fill the field as a later depiction does from 1848, and has the hair bound with a double fillet. It also has a large bun at the rear of the head that drops down into a “ponytail,” which on this earlier issue terminates at the bottom in a single strand ring-like curl. The engraver’s initial’s W.W. appear raised on the truncation. The legend reads VICTORIA DEI GRATIA. The border is finely toothed with a linear circle around the raised border which features both sides with a milled edge. The young head obverse design in basic from runs from 1838 till 1887. There are no Sovereigns dated 1840. However, this first young head is of a smaller design and only lasts for ten years inclusive from 1838-1848.
The reverse engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen features a new crowned shield design with a laurel wreath surrounding to left and right of 24 leaves per side, the top of each wreath each side terminates in two leaves. The bottom stalks are tied together with a ribbon and emblematic plants are depicted below. A central rose with a thistle to the left and a shamrock to the right. A small rosette appears either side. The majority of currency reverses of Victoria carry seven strings in the Irish harp with a faint diagonal line running through them depicting the rear of the bottom harp body. The shorter left string generally emanates at the top from the scroll on the back of the female figure on the harp body. The inner arches of the crown above have eleven pearls on each side, and five more run up the central upright. There are nine varied jewels on the crown band. The legend reads BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:. The reverse is struck with an inverted die axis in relation to the obverse.
The shield type reverse design endures in the London series from 1838 till 1874 with just a few varieties. In the Colonial Australian series this reverse lasted until 1887 as it proved popular and acceptable in trade with Asia, a narrative to be continued in part two of the Bentley Collection.
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: £15,000-20,000
ex Reginald Huth collection, Sothebys, 5 April 1927, lot 264
ex S A H Whetmore collection, Glendinings, 24 March 1943, lot 114
ex Spink Auction 157, 18 November 2001, lot 575, illustrated on front cover.
The proposals for the new coinage took some time to effect and the new currency did not come to fruition until at least 1838 for most denominations. This further proposal for the Sovereign dated 1838 carries the smaller head, the fillets in the hair are now rendered with incuse outlines, and the engraver’s initials W.W. appear raised on the truncation. The legend is more widely spaced surrounding the head more effectively. Note the light weight too, so that such a piece would not go very far should it escape into circulation.
Victoria First Small Young Head Type Currency Sovereign
The currency Sovereigns of Queen Victoria begin with a standard Young head design engraved by William Wyon with date below. The head does not quite fill the field as a later depiction does from 1848, and has the hair bound with a double fillet. It also has a large bun at the rear of the head that drops down into a “ponytail,” which on this earlier issue terminates at the bottom in a single strand ring-like curl. The engraver’s initial’s W.W. appear raised on the truncation. The legend reads VICTORIA DEI GRATIA. The border is finely toothed with a linear circle around the raised border which features both sides with a milled edge. The young head obverse design in basic from runs from 1838 till 1887. There are no Sovereigns dated 1840. However, this first young head is of a smaller design and only lasts for ten years inclusive from 1838-1848.
The reverse engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen features a new crowned shield design with a laurel wreath surrounding to left and right of 24 leaves per side, the top of each wreath each side terminates in two leaves. The bottom stalks are tied together with a ribbon and emblematic plants are depicted below. A central rose with a thistle to the left and a shamrock to the right. A small rosette appears either side. The majority of currency reverses of Victoria carry seven strings in the Irish harp with a faint diagonal line running through them depicting the rear of the bottom harp body. The shorter left string generally emanates at the top from the scroll on the back of the female figure on the harp body. The inner arches of the crown above have eleven pearls on each side, and five more run up the central upright. There are nine varied jewels on the crown band. The legend reads BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:. The reverse is struck with an inverted die axis in relation to the obverse.
The shield type reverse design endures in the London series from 1838 till 1874 with just a few varieties. In the Colonial Australian series this reverse lasted until 1887 as it proved popular and acceptable in trade with Asia, a narrative to be continued in part two of the Bentley Collection.
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: £15,000-20,000