Baldwin & Sons
Auction 73 8 May 2012
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THE BENTLEY COLLECTION OF BRITISH MILLED GOLD SOVEREIGNS. Victoria, Proof Sovereign, 1839, first young head left, finely engraved hair bound with double fillet, ponytail terminates in single curved strand of hair, date below, date and legend lightly double struck as well as fine border teeth, rev struck with inverted die axis, crowned quartered shield of arms within laurel wreath, wreath of 24 leaves each side, each terminate with two leaves at top, eleven pearls on each arch of crown, five pearls vertically arranged on central upright, top of wreath each side terminates in two leaves, seven harp strings in Irish Arms, first left string from scroll at back of female figure, emblems below, absent serif on upper left of second I of BRITANNIARUM, edge plain, 7.90g, 21.9mm (WR 303; DM 203; S 3852). Previously encapsulated by PCGS as a PR63, very light contemporary hairlines, otherwise very pleasing mint state.
ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased December 1995, NYINC, Sheraton Hotel, New York.
The 1839 Proof Sovereign was produced for presentation to very important persons, and William Wyon himself would have been able to supply proofs to whomever he pleased, or to those who would commission him to do so. These proof Sovereigns were produced with either an inverted or upright die axis, whether this was intentional or not is uncertain. The 1839 proofs were included as part of the “Coronation” Proof Sets showing proof quality coins struck from highly polished dies of all the denominations to be issued for currency if they had not done so already. Some of the proof denominations occur in these sets with either one die axis or the other, but to be a true set, all coins should feature the same die axis. As the Crown and Five Pounds always occur with the same upright die axis this would seem to dictate that all the proofs in the set from the Sovereign to Farthing of 1839 should also be upright. The Bentley Collection upright (en médaille – struck like a medal) die axis 1839 Proof Sovereign will be featured in part two. Note the light weight of this proof, so that such a piece would not go very far should it escape into circulation.
As mentioned above the impressive Proof Set also included the magnificent Five Pounds with the impressive depiction of the Queen as Una leading the British Lion. The set also included a Crown and both of these coins featured the full signature of William Wyon, as W WYON R.A. the letters showing his membership of admission to the Royal Academy. This was the first time an artist’s surname had appeared in full since Pistrucci’s full name on the George III Crowns and gold Five Pounds and Two Pounds patterns of 1820.
Wyon had attempted this previously with the pattern Crown for William IV in 1831, but this did not make it to production for the 1831 Proof Set, having been abbreviated to WW as usually seen on the currency coinage. It seems by 1839 the advisory committee to the Royal Mint had relented.
The 1839 Proof Set is generally accepted as the third Proof Set available from the Royal Mint and deluxe fitted cases could be supplied to house the coins.
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: £4000-4500
ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased December 1995, NYINC, Sheraton Hotel, New York.
The 1839 Proof Sovereign was produced for presentation to very important persons, and William Wyon himself would have been able to supply proofs to whomever he pleased, or to those who would commission him to do so. These proof Sovereigns were produced with either an inverted or upright die axis, whether this was intentional or not is uncertain. The 1839 proofs were included as part of the “Coronation” Proof Sets showing proof quality coins struck from highly polished dies of all the denominations to be issued for currency if they had not done so already. Some of the proof denominations occur in these sets with either one die axis or the other, but to be a true set, all coins should feature the same die axis. As the Crown and Five Pounds always occur with the same upright die axis this would seem to dictate that all the proofs in the set from the Sovereign to Farthing of 1839 should also be upright. The Bentley Collection upright (en médaille – struck like a medal) die axis 1839 Proof Sovereign will be featured in part two. Note the light weight of this proof, so that such a piece would not go very far should it escape into circulation.
As mentioned above the impressive Proof Set also included the magnificent Five Pounds with the impressive depiction of the Queen as Una leading the British Lion. The set also included a Crown and both of these coins featured the full signature of William Wyon, as W WYON R.A. the letters showing his membership of admission to the Royal Academy. This was the first time an artist’s surname had appeared in full since Pistrucci’s full name on the George III Crowns and gold Five Pounds and Two Pounds patterns of 1820.
Wyon had attempted this previously with the pattern Crown for William IV in 1831, but this did not make it to production for the 1831 Proof Set, having been abbreviated to WW as usually seen on the currency coinage. It seems by 1839 the advisory committee to the Royal Mint had relented.
The 1839 Proof Set is generally accepted as the third Proof Set available from the Royal Mint and deluxe fitted cases could be supplied to house the coins.
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: £4000-4500