Baldwin & Sons
Auction 73 8 May 2012
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THE BENTLEY COLLECTION OF BRITISH MILLED GOLD SOVEREIGNS. Victoria, Sovereign, 1901, old veiled bust left, rev St George slaying dragon with sword, only a trace of the top stand of the helmet streamer apparent, horse tail with no extra spur on curve, date in exergue, 7.99g (Marsh 152; MCE 560; S 3874). Some light digs at base of bust, other bagmarks and nicks, otherwise good extremely fine.
The Last Coinage of Queen Victoria
It was decided by a Royal Mint committee in February 1891 that the unpopular Jubilee portrait was no longer appropriate and something new was required. Fellows of the Royal Academy were called upon to submit ideas and designs, and the following made submissions:- Edward Onslow Ford ARA sculptor, Edward J Poynter RA painter, Henry N Armstead RA sculptor, Charles A Birch ARA sculptor, Thomas Brock RA sculptor, W Hamo Thornycroft RA sculptor. Interestingly Poynter had been one of the harsh critics of the Jubilee design, so now had a chance to literally prove how good a coin designer he himself was.
However, Thomas Brock’s design won the day and the new older “widow” bust with heavy veil appeared for currency in 1893 to great acclaim. The design was engraved in metal from the designs by the Chief Engraver, George W De Saulles, who later went on to design the obverse for the King Edward VII coinage. Brock’s initials appear below the bust and the titles now significantly include the Empress of India and read thus VICTORIA D:G: BRITT: REG: F: D: IND: IMP: again the coins are struck en médaille with an upright die axis and the St George reverse continues effectively unchanged except in the smallest details, which can vary from die to die. The edges are of course milled.
ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased 19 October 1992
Calendar year mintage 1,578,948
The year that Queen Victoria died, 22 January 1901, represents the lowest mintage of Sovereigns no doubt as work would have transferred to preparing new coinage of Edward VII for 1902. Even though the mintage is lower, the 1901 Sovereigns do survive, as many more well to do people would have kept such coins as keepsakes of the late Queen.
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: £300-350
The Last Coinage of Queen Victoria
It was decided by a Royal Mint committee in February 1891 that the unpopular Jubilee portrait was no longer appropriate and something new was required. Fellows of the Royal Academy were called upon to submit ideas and designs, and the following made submissions:- Edward Onslow Ford ARA sculptor, Edward J Poynter RA painter, Henry N Armstead RA sculptor, Charles A Birch ARA sculptor, Thomas Brock RA sculptor, W Hamo Thornycroft RA sculptor. Interestingly Poynter had been one of the harsh critics of the Jubilee design, so now had a chance to literally prove how good a coin designer he himself was.
However, Thomas Brock’s design won the day and the new older “widow” bust with heavy veil appeared for currency in 1893 to great acclaim. The design was engraved in metal from the designs by the Chief Engraver, George W De Saulles, who later went on to design the obverse for the King Edward VII coinage. Brock’s initials appear below the bust and the titles now significantly include the Empress of India and read thus VICTORIA D:G: BRITT: REG: F: D: IND: IMP: again the coins are struck en médaille with an upright die axis and the St George reverse continues effectively unchanged except in the smallest details, which can vary from die to die. The edges are of course milled.
ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased 19 October 1992
Calendar year mintage 1,578,948
The year that Queen Victoria died, 22 January 1901, represents the lowest mintage of Sovereigns no doubt as work would have transferred to preparing new coinage of Edward VII for 1902. Even though the mintage is lower, the 1901 Sovereigns do survive, as many more well to do people would have kept such coins as keepsakes of the late Queen.
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: £300-350