Baldwin's of St. James's
Auction 34 12 Jun 2019
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
British Coins, George VI, proof penny, 1952, bare head l., rev. Britannia seated r. (dies 3+C; S.4117 [unique]; BMC-; F.-), carbon spot by second N of PENNY and another small one on obverse, otherwise brilliant, practically FDC, a beautiful and virtually As Struck proof, full proof impression of the dies, excellent square rims, the surfaces fully original in texture and in colour, which is a lovely blend of golden brown and delicate bluish gold iridescent hues, the only known example
*ex A. H. Baldwin 125th Anniversary Auction, 13th October 1997 and Rasmussen List 9 (C109)
First minted in the coronation year of 1937, the bronze pennies of George VI appeared at the end of the depression era, continued to be made throughout the second world war, and were a stalwart, basic piece of money used by millions of Britons during this reign until the last piece was coined in 1951. That final year of the penny coinage made for commerce is itself scarce, a testament to the smaller mintages which persisted, beginning in May 1949, when the minting of pennies decreased greatly because of a surfeit of the coins, until the coin made a resurgence in 1953 at the beginning of the next reign, that of Elizabeth II. From 1949 to 1952 pennies were accumulated by banks and returned to the mint for melting, as there was such a surplus. With the advent of decimalisation in 1971, the time-honoured Penny was replaced by a new, small coin of One New Penny, which was two and a half times the value of the old penny. In 1952, the final year of George's reign, the penny was made only in proof state – none for commercial circulation. The king died in February 1952. The Royal Mint's preoccupation was on preparing coinage dies for the new monarch's money. Out of this combination of events was born this great modern rarity, the penny of 1952 minted in proof state only, essentially for inclusion in the Royal Mint's collection. Until its appearance in the Baldwin sale, the existence of this piece was not known to the wider collecting community, with the exception of Baldwin's management. It now joins the ranks of the other great rarities, the pennies of 1933, 1937 (Edward VIII) and 1954. This lot offers one of the extremely rare opportunities to own a coin few have ever even seen.
(100000-125000 GBP)
*ex A. H. Baldwin 125th Anniversary Auction, 13th October 1997 and Rasmussen List 9 (C109)
First minted in the coronation year of 1937, the bronze pennies of George VI appeared at the end of the depression era, continued to be made throughout the second world war, and were a stalwart, basic piece of money used by millions of Britons during this reign until the last piece was coined in 1951. That final year of the penny coinage made for commerce is itself scarce, a testament to the smaller mintages which persisted, beginning in May 1949, when the minting of pennies decreased greatly because of a surfeit of the coins, until the coin made a resurgence in 1953 at the beginning of the next reign, that of Elizabeth II. From 1949 to 1952 pennies were accumulated by banks and returned to the mint for melting, as there was such a surplus. With the advent of decimalisation in 1971, the time-honoured Penny was replaced by a new, small coin of One New Penny, which was two and a half times the value of the old penny. In 1952, the final year of George's reign, the penny was made only in proof state – none for commercial circulation. The king died in February 1952. The Royal Mint's preoccupation was on preparing coinage dies for the new monarch's money. Out of this combination of events was born this great modern rarity, the penny of 1952 minted in proof state only, essentially for inclusion in the Royal Mint's collection. Until its appearance in the Baldwin sale, the existence of this piece was not known to the wider collecting community, with the exception of Baldwin's management. It now joins the ranks of the other great rarities, the pennies of 1933, 1937 (Edward VIII) and 1954. This lot offers one of the extremely rare opportunities to own a coin few have ever even seen.
(100000-125000 GBP)