Baldwin & Sons
Auction 73 8 May 2012
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THE BENTLEY COLLECTION OF BRITISH MILLED GOLD SOVEREIGNS. Victoria, Sovereign, 1838, “narrow shield” variety, first young head left, with double fillet, ponytail terminates in single curved strand of hair, date below, 3 in date double struck, rev struck with inverted die axis, possibly engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen, narrow crowned quartered shield of arms within laurel wreath of different leaf arrangement tied with bow below shield, 21 leaves each side of wreath, top of each side terminates in three leaves, twelve pearls on each arch of crown, four pearls vertically arranged on central upright, nine pellets visible on ermine below jewel band, top of wreath each side terminates in three leaves, crown with more prominent acutely angled arches, six harp strings in Irish arms which emanate from back of female figure above the lower scroll, emblems below, die flaw to right to rim, small rosette either side, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:, 7.99g (Marsh 22A R3; MCE 499; S 3852A). Proof-like underlying brilliance, some light scuffing, extremely fine, reverse better and extremely rare, one of the finest extant of this great rarity.
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.
ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased 28 June 1993
This interesting variety of reverse was only discovered a few decades ago and is perhaps an unused proposal die that was too valuable not to use. The main differences are really the lesser amount of leaves in the wreath and their arrangement and the differently rendered crown on the narrower shield. This unusual reverse found its way onto the current Sovereign of 1838, it may well be the work of an apprentice engraver working under Merlen. The variety is of the highest rarity with most of the few examples only surviving in the lower grades. This piece is the best quality example we are aware of in private hands.
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: £10,000-12,000
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.
ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased 28 June 1993
This interesting variety of reverse was only discovered a few decades ago and is perhaps an unused proposal die that was too valuable not to use. The main differences are really the lesser amount of leaves in the wreath and their arrangement and the differently rendered crown on the narrower shield. This unusual reverse found its way onto the current Sovereign of 1838, it may well be the work of an apprentice engraver working under Merlen. The variety is of the highest rarity with most of the few examples only surviving in the lower grades. This piece is the best quality example we are aware of in private hands.
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: £10,000-12,000