Stanley Gibbons Baldwin's
Auction 79 8 May 2013
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BRITISH COINS
The Bentley Collection of British Milled Gold Sovereigns
Extremely Rare George IV Barton's Metal Pattern Reverse Sovereign
George IV, Uniface Pattern Reverse Striking for a Sovereign, 1825, struck in Barton's Metal (gold electrolysed copper), engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen, crowned quartered shield of arms, with the arms of Hanover as an escutcheon, seven hearts in semée of Hanoverian lion, upper left lis of frame around Scottish lion detached only, Irish arms with nine harp strings, BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF:, edge, plain showing copper with gold borders, 4.08g, 21.8mm (Murdoch 417; Nobleman 129; cf S 3801). Speckling of black tone both sides, otherwise as struck and very rare.
Experimental patterns struck in Barton's metal exist in most denominations usually of gold and silver dated 1825. Bartons Metal is gold electrolysed copper where a thin sheet of gold has been laid over a copper core and struck as method to show how a token coinage could be produced. The Deputy Comptroller of the mint at this time was John Barton (1771-1834) who was an engineer and responsible for inventing new more efficient machinery at the Royal Mint. Many of the new methods and machines were written up in detail in the Mechanic's Magazine, volume III – 1824 in issues 63-67. The Bartons Metal patterns of 1825 are all uniface obverse and reverse designs and are extremely rare.
The companion uniface obverse of equal rarity was sold in part two of the Bentley Collection, lot 390, in September 2012 for £1400 hammer.
Estimate: £1500-2000
The Bentley Collection of British Milled Gold Sovereigns
Extremely Rare George IV Barton's Metal Pattern Reverse Sovereign
George IV, Uniface Pattern Reverse Striking for a Sovereign, 1825, struck in Barton's Metal (gold electrolysed copper), engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen, crowned quartered shield of arms, with the arms of Hanover as an escutcheon, seven hearts in semée of Hanoverian lion, upper left lis of frame around Scottish lion detached only, Irish arms with nine harp strings, BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF:, edge, plain showing copper with gold borders, 4.08g, 21.8mm (Murdoch 417; Nobleman 129; cf S 3801). Speckling of black tone both sides, otherwise as struck and very rare.
Experimental patterns struck in Barton's metal exist in most denominations usually of gold and silver dated 1825. Bartons Metal is gold electrolysed copper where a thin sheet of gold has been laid over a copper core and struck as method to show how a token coinage could be produced. The Deputy Comptroller of the mint at this time was John Barton (1771-1834) who was an engineer and responsible for inventing new more efficient machinery at the Royal Mint. Many of the new methods and machines were written up in detail in the Mechanic's Magazine, volume III – 1824 in issues 63-67. The Bartons Metal patterns of 1825 are all uniface obverse and reverse designs and are extremely rare.
The companion uniface obverse of equal rarity was sold in part two of the Bentley Collection, lot 390, in September 2012 for £1400 hammer.
Estimate: £1500-2000