Heritage World Coin Auctions
ANA Signature Sale 3075 15 Aug 2019
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George V gold Sovereign 1916-C MS66 PCGS, Ottawa mint, KM20, S-3997. A masterful gem, surfaces gleaming with original mint luster, and designs that have received a definitive strike. Light chatter in the fields is noted for the sake of accuracy, though no individual mark deserves singular mention.
The mystery surrounding the rarity of this issue begins with its mintage. The emission for the 1916-C sovereign is listed at 6,111 pieces-nearly twice as many pieces as the 1913-C (3,715). The only difference between these two dates is that less than 50 pieces are known of the 1916-C, yet the 1913-C, despite being rare, has a few hundred known. No theory seems to adequately address or confirm what happened to all of the 1916-C sovereigns, though speculation exists. One hypothesis is that the whole of the mintage was melted, save for a few pieces; another theory postulates that the majority of the mintage was lost at sea during World War I, on the way to England as an international payment between Canada and England. Both of these theories remain unconfirmed, and the second thesis seems rather unlikely, as the gold could have just been transferred to the account of Great Britain with the New York Federal Reserve Bank, and no sea voyage would have been required. Regardless as to what happened to the remaining coins, the importance of this issue is an absolute. Currently, this specimen is tied for finest-certified with the Eric Beckman example we offered in 2015, which realized $88,125.
Ex. Parrino Collection
https://coins.ha.com/itm/canada/canada-george-v-gold-sovereign-1916-c-ms66-pcgs-/a/3075-31390.s?type=CoinArchives3075
HID02906262019
© 2019 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 40000-60000 USD
George V gold Sovereign 1916-C MS66 PCGS, Ottawa mint, KM20, S-3997. A masterful gem, surfaces gleaming with original mint luster, and designs that have received a definitive strike. Light chatter in the fields is noted for the sake of accuracy, though no individual mark deserves singular mention.
The mystery surrounding the rarity of this issue begins with its mintage. The emission for the 1916-C sovereign is listed at 6,111 pieces-nearly twice as many pieces as the 1913-C (3,715). The only difference between these two dates is that less than 50 pieces are known of the 1916-C, yet the 1913-C, despite being rare, has a few hundred known. No theory seems to adequately address or confirm what happened to all of the 1916-C sovereigns, though speculation exists. One hypothesis is that the whole of the mintage was melted, save for a few pieces; another theory postulates that the majority of the mintage was lost at sea during World War I, on the way to England as an international payment between Canada and England. Both of these theories remain unconfirmed, and the second thesis seems rather unlikely, as the gold could have just been transferred to the account of Great Britain with the New York Federal Reserve Bank, and no sea voyage would have been required. Regardless as to what happened to the remaining coins, the importance of this issue is an absolute. Currently, this specimen is tied for finest-certified with the Eric Beckman example we offered in 2015, which realized $88,125.
Ex. Parrino Collection
https://coins.ha.com/itm/canada/canada-george-v-gold-sovereign-1916-c-ms66-pcgs-/a/3075-31390.s?type=CoinArchives3075
HID02906262019
© 2019 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 40000-60000 USD