Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3071 6-7 Jan 2019
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Great Britain
George IV 11-Piece Certified gold, silver & copper Proof Set 1826 PCGS,
1) Farthing - PR64 (Bronzed), KM697a, S-3825
2) 1/2 Penny - PR63 (Bronzed), KM692a, S-3824
3) Penny - PR64 (Bronzed), KM693a, S-3823
4) 6 Pence - PR64, KM698, S-3815
5) Shilling - PR64, KM694, S-3812
6) 1/2 Crown - PR63, KM695, S-3809
7) Crown - PR63, KM699, S-3806
8) 1/2 Sovereign - PR63 Cameo, KM700, S-3804
9) Sovereign - PR65 Deep Cameo, KM696, S-3801
10) 2 Pounds - PR64 Cameo, KM701, S-3799
11) 5 Pounds - PR63 Deep Cameo, KM702, S-3797
S-PS1. By William Wyon. From a mintage of just 150 pieces, this outstanding offering represents one of the most popular British Proof Sets ever issued, utterly unprecedented in its scope and production quality.
Only two Proof Sets preceded that of 1826; the 4-piece 1746 and the 6-piece from 1821, both struck in extremely small numbers and both novelties for the time, produced solely for collectors as interest in numismatics began to grow within the 18th-19th century antiquarian mind set. Even within the 85-year period between these two sets, everything had changed; whereas the 1746 set showed careful production but unimaginative dies derivative of previous issues, the 1821 set displayed sensitive, elegant engraving at the hands of Benedetto Pistrucci, reflective of the numismatic 'renaissance' in Britain brought about by the Great Recoinage of 1816. It was the 1826 set, however, which would set the stage for every subsequent British Proof Set. By 1822 George IV had lost patience with Pistrucci, as the Italian had a short temper and refused to emulate a marble bust that the King favored of himself on the coinage. Accordingly, attentions turned to the 27-year old engraver Wyon who had already demonstrated his skill with such medallic masterpieces as the 'Incorrupta' and 'Three Graces' pattern Crowns produced for George III in 1817. Within four short years, Wyon unveiled his first Proof Set, the first of four he would ultimately produce--the 1826 'bare head' set, representing George IV in his own preferred style on each of the 11 coins included, each executed to a extraordinarily high standard. It is this ground-breaking set which we are delighted to offer here.
As the first tri-metal set, we will begin with the copper. The Farthing, Halfpenny and Penny are all luxuriously bronzed, a then-newfangled process only recently developed and executed in exceedingly high quality, each a deep gleaming mahogany in color with sharp detail. The peripheries are toned to a slight red, intensifying the eye appeal. The silver impresses even further, argent in centers expanding outwards to marbleized sapphire hues playing in their glassy fields, subtly frosty portraits of George approaching 'cameo' quality. Finally, the gold needs to be seen to be properly appreciated, struck in an elite metal and to an elite standard; the Sovereign is an exceptional PR65 Deep Cameo, a veritable gem and scarcely encountered in this quality, whilst the 5 Pounds (arguably the most popular British denomination ever produced) takes the viewer's breath away with its quality of strike and deep aged-gold color. Hairlines are present in its fields as one would expect from the grade, but in all other respects appears immaculate for the type.
The last set of this year we handled included an array of similar grades (many in fact lower than the present offering), included in our April 2017 Chicago auction where it realized an incredible $282,000. Considering the extent to which the market has grown for superlative British Proofs in just two years and the overwhelming eye appeal of this set, we have no doubts that its quality, rarity and numismatic significance will find it a new home in the highest tier collection of British Proofs and patterns. Offered with a later-fitted red leather case.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 150000-200000 USD
George IV 11-Piece Certified gold, silver & copper Proof Set 1826 PCGS,
1) Farthing - PR64 (Bronzed), KM697a, S-3825
2) 1/2 Penny - PR63 (Bronzed), KM692a, S-3824
3) Penny - PR64 (Bronzed), KM693a, S-3823
4) 6 Pence - PR64, KM698, S-3815
5) Shilling - PR64, KM694, S-3812
6) 1/2 Crown - PR63, KM695, S-3809
7) Crown - PR63, KM699, S-3806
8) 1/2 Sovereign - PR63 Cameo, KM700, S-3804
9) Sovereign - PR65 Deep Cameo, KM696, S-3801
10) 2 Pounds - PR64 Cameo, KM701, S-3799
11) 5 Pounds - PR63 Deep Cameo, KM702, S-3797
S-PS1. By William Wyon. From a mintage of just 150 pieces, this outstanding offering represents one of the most popular British Proof Sets ever issued, utterly unprecedented in its scope and production quality.
Only two Proof Sets preceded that of 1826; the 4-piece 1746 and the 6-piece from 1821, both struck in extremely small numbers and both novelties for the time, produced solely for collectors as interest in numismatics began to grow within the 18th-19th century antiquarian mind set. Even within the 85-year period between these two sets, everything had changed; whereas the 1746 set showed careful production but unimaginative dies derivative of previous issues, the 1821 set displayed sensitive, elegant engraving at the hands of Benedetto Pistrucci, reflective of the numismatic 'renaissance' in Britain brought about by the Great Recoinage of 1816. It was the 1826 set, however, which would set the stage for every subsequent British Proof Set. By 1822 George IV had lost patience with Pistrucci, as the Italian had a short temper and refused to emulate a marble bust that the King favored of himself on the coinage. Accordingly, attentions turned to the 27-year old engraver Wyon who had already demonstrated his skill with such medallic masterpieces as the 'Incorrupta' and 'Three Graces' pattern Crowns produced for George III in 1817. Within four short years, Wyon unveiled his first Proof Set, the first of four he would ultimately produce--the 1826 'bare head' set, representing George IV in his own preferred style on each of the 11 coins included, each executed to a extraordinarily high standard. It is this ground-breaking set which we are delighted to offer here.
As the first tri-metal set, we will begin with the copper. The Farthing, Halfpenny and Penny are all luxuriously bronzed, a then-newfangled process only recently developed and executed in exceedingly high quality, each a deep gleaming mahogany in color with sharp detail. The peripheries are toned to a slight red, intensifying the eye appeal. The silver impresses even further, argent in centers expanding outwards to marbleized sapphire hues playing in their glassy fields, subtly frosty portraits of George approaching 'cameo' quality. Finally, the gold needs to be seen to be properly appreciated, struck in an elite metal and to an elite standard; the Sovereign is an exceptional PR65 Deep Cameo, a veritable gem and scarcely encountered in this quality, whilst the 5 Pounds (arguably the most popular British denomination ever produced) takes the viewer's breath away with its quality of strike and deep aged-gold color. Hairlines are present in its fields as one would expect from the grade, but in all other respects appears immaculate for the type.
The last set of this year we handled included an array of similar grades (many in fact lower than the present offering), included in our April 2017 Chicago auction where it realized an incredible $282,000. Considering the extent to which the market has grown for superlative British Proofs in just two years and the overwhelming eye appeal of this set, we have no doubts that its quality, rarity and numismatic significance will find it a new home in the highest tier collection of British Proofs and patterns. Offered with a later-fitted red leather case.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 150000-200000 USD