Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3071 6-7 Jan 2019
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Guernsey
Bank of Guernsey. Bishop de Jersey & Co. silver 5 Shillings Token 1809 AU58 NGC, KM-Tn1, Prid-91. An absolutely fascinating piece of numismatic history, it is thought that perhaps only six or seven examples of this fleeting type remain in existence today. The issue was struck by a joint venture between Abraham Bishop and Henry de Jersey, two traders who combined forces to form a private bank, Bishop de Jersey & Co., which only very briefly issued coinage. Assigned a value of 5 Shillings, the type was struck over Spanish 8 Reales at the Soho mint, a fact that is fully evident when one examines the example at hand, which exhibits large portions of the undertype still visible, including the name of Charles IV and the year of original issue (1794). This undertype, being faint yet uniform, is easy to read, yet still mild enough that it does not obscure the intended overstruck design.
The dearth of examples today can be explained by the fact that Guernsey, in the same year of this coin's production, passed a legal measure to prevent the circulation of privately produced coinage, with the outcome that most were subsequently destroyed, their primarily purpose as an instrument of trade and commerce now voided. The issue's spectacular place in numismatic history is complemented by the strong eye appeal that this example demonstrates. Being virtually uncirculated, the fields retain a glassy shimmering luster with a dominating presence of honeyed tone on the obverse, the reverse characterized by a deep argent tone accenting the legends and devices. An altogether rare intersection of beauty and intrigue, one which NGC appropriately deemed in a 2016 press release to be "one of the rarest crowns in the world".
HID02901242017
Estimate: 20000-30000 USD
Bank of Guernsey. Bishop de Jersey & Co. silver 5 Shillings Token 1809 AU58 NGC, KM-Tn1, Prid-91. An absolutely fascinating piece of numismatic history, it is thought that perhaps only six or seven examples of this fleeting type remain in existence today. The issue was struck by a joint venture between Abraham Bishop and Henry de Jersey, two traders who combined forces to form a private bank, Bishop de Jersey & Co., which only very briefly issued coinage. Assigned a value of 5 Shillings, the type was struck over Spanish 8 Reales at the Soho mint, a fact that is fully evident when one examines the example at hand, which exhibits large portions of the undertype still visible, including the name of Charles IV and the year of original issue (1794). This undertype, being faint yet uniform, is easy to read, yet still mild enough that it does not obscure the intended overstruck design.
The dearth of examples today can be explained by the fact that Guernsey, in the same year of this coin's production, passed a legal measure to prevent the circulation of privately produced coinage, with the outcome that most were subsequently destroyed, their primarily purpose as an instrument of trade and commerce now voided. The issue's spectacular place in numismatic history is complemented by the strong eye appeal that this example demonstrates. Being virtually uncirculated, the fields retain a glassy shimmering luster with a dominating presence of honeyed tone on the obverse, the reverse characterized by a deep argent tone accenting the legends and devices. An altogether rare intersection of beauty and intrigue, one which NGC appropriately deemed in a 2016 press release to be "one of the rarest crowns in the world".
HID02901242017
Estimate: 20000-30000 USD