Baldwin & Sons
Auction 73 8 May 2012
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THE BENTLEY COLLECTION OF BRITISH MILLED GOLD SOVEREIGNS. Victoria, Pattern Sovereign, 1863, struck in copper, engraved by Charles Wiener, young head left with wreath of shamrocks, rose and thistle in hair, long ribbon ties at rear, C.W below truncation, date below, 63 double struck, raised die flaw runs through 8 then up to ear, gap between 18 and 63, curvy rounded 6 with bulbous top, VICTORIA REGINA, coarse toothed border, rev struck with slightly off-centre inverted die axis, engraved after Jean Baptiste Merlen, crowned quartered shield of arms within laurel wreath tied with bow below shield, 24 leaves in wreath, crown with eleven pearls upon each arch, five pearl on central upright, seven harp strings in Irish arms, left string emanates from scroll, emblems below, small rosette either side, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:, fine border teeth, edge plain, 4.15g, 21.8mm, thickness 1.9mm (Nobleman 282, this coin illustrated; see Forrer, volume VI, page 480). Patchy tone on the reverse, toned, good extremely fine and of the highest rarity
ex H Montagu collection, Spink and Son Ltd, sales list 1891, lot 1744
ex Nobleman collection, Sothebys, 27 March 1922, lot 282 (part)
ex Sothebys, 19 November 1969, lot 255
ex Baldwin’s Auction 13, 28 May 1997, lot 2044
This unusual pattern is struck in copper and was engraved by the Belgian Charles Wiener (25 March 1832- 15 August 1888). In 1863 he proposed a number of new designs to the Mint of Shilling and Sovereign size, all of which are unadopted for currency and are at least rare and many are described in English Silver Coinage. This piece however is not listed in English Silver Coinage and seems firmly aimed at the Sovereign in that it carries Merlen’s design on the reverse as used on currency sovereigns. A printed note in the cataloguing of it in the Montagu sales list reveals that “this portrait was rejected by the Queen at once.” This piece is also mentioned in the Biographical Dictionary of Medallists on page 480. It should perhaps be considered as some kind of mule as the border teeth between obverse and reverse do not even match. There is one other similar pattern piece in the Bentley Collection struck in gilt copper, a uniface obverse that will be offered for sale in part three.
The Second Larger Young Head type Sovereign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
Victoria Second Small Young Head Type Currency Sovereign
From 1848 the size of Victoria’s young head bust increases to fill more of the available field and is therefore rendered closer to the legend lettering. This may have been an attempt to prolong the life of the dies, which are subjected to multiple tons of pressure in use, and as conjectured in the footnote for the previous lot after a Royal Mint Commission in this year investigated the die and matrix production. The Chief Engraver, William Wyon was called to give evidence on die production to this commission.
This second larger young head type sovereign was in use from 1848-1855 inclusive and is of the same general design as the previous smaller bust with the engravers initials W.W. raised with stops on the bust. The easiest way to tell the sizes of the bust, particularly when looking at the changeover year of 1848, is too look how close the front hair band fillet is to the legend as it is this point that differs most in the sizing of the busts.
In 1853 there was a slight change on some dies produced and the engravers initials WW are incuse on the truncation without stops and this runs concurrently from 1853-1855 with the first type and then alone from 1856-1870 inclusive. Strangely the 1853 proof has one stop between the letter W’s only on the truncation.
From 1863 until 1874 the reverses of the shield type feature an additional “die” number below the shield. These will be discussed at the relevant point in the cataloguing as they form quite an extensive series.
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: £1500-2000
ex H Montagu collection, Spink and Son Ltd, sales list 1891, lot 1744
ex Nobleman collection, Sothebys, 27 March 1922, lot 282 (part)
ex Sothebys, 19 November 1969, lot 255
ex Baldwin’s Auction 13, 28 May 1997, lot 2044
This unusual pattern is struck in copper and was engraved by the Belgian Charles Wiener (25 March 1832- 15 August 1888). In 1863 he proposed a number of new designs to the Mint of Shilling and Sovereign size, all of which are unadopted for currency and are at least rare and many are described in English Silver Coinage. This piece however is not listed in English Silver Coinage and seems firmly aimed at the Sovereign in that it carries Merlen’s design on the reverse as used on currency sovereigns. A printed note in the cataloguing of it in the Montagu sales list reveals that “this portrait was rejected by the Queen at once.” This piece is also mentioned in the Biographical Dictionary of Medallists on page 480. It should perhaps be considered as some kind of mule as the border teeth between obverse and reverse do not even match. There is one other similar pattern piece in the Bentley Collection struck in gilt copper, a uniface obverse that will be offered for sale in part three.
The Second Larger Young Head type Sovereign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
Victoria Second Small Young Head Type Currency Sovereign
From 1848 the size of Victoria’s young head bust increases to fill more of the available field and is therefore rendered closer to the legend lettering. This may have been an attempt to prolong the life of the dies, which are subjected to multiple tons of pressure in use, and as conjectured in the footnote for the previous lot after a Royal Mint Commission in this year investigated the die and matrix production. The Chief Engraver, William Wyon was called to give evidence on die production to this commission.
This second larger young head type sovereign was in use from 1848-1855 inclusive and is of the same general design as the previous smaller bust with the engravers initials W.W. raised with stops on the bust. The easiest way to tell the sizes of the bust, particularly when looking at the changeover year of 1848, is too look how close the front hair band fillet is to the legend as it is this point that differs most in the sizing of the busts.
In 1853 there was a slight change on some dies produced and the engravers initials WW are incuse on the truncation without stops and this runs concurrently from 1853-1855 with the first type and then alone from 1856-1870 inclusive. Strangely the 1853 proof has one stop between the letter W’s only on the truncation.
From 1863 until 1874 the reverses of the shield type feature an additional “die” number below the shield. These will be discussed at the relevant point in the cataloguing as they form quite an extensive series.
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: £1500-2000