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 Bronzed Copper Proof Sovereign of 1825, Second Type
George IV, Proof Sovereign, 1825, struck in bronzed copper, engraved by William Wyon after Francis Chantrey's model, second bare head left, date below, rosette either side, toothed border and raised rim both sides, GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA, lower left serifs absent in first four letters of King's name, rev struck with inverted die axis, by Jean Baptiste Merlen, crowned quartered shield of arms, with the arms of Hanover as an escutcheon, eight hearts in semée of Hanoverian lion, two upper lis of inner frame around Scottish lion incomplete and detached, Irish arms with nine harp strings, BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF:, edge milled, 4.78g, 22.1mm (cf WR 236; Montagu -; Murdoch -; Douglas-Morris 159; S 3801). One or two tiny digs, otherwise toned, practically as struck and extremely rare.
ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased 14 July 2003
This milled edge 1825 proof in bronzed copper carries eight hearts in the Hanoverian Arms like the currency pieces, as opposed to the seven heart semée Barton's metal piece in the previous lot, discovered in the Bentley Collection for the first time.
Perhaps such a copper striking was a final trial before committing to using more precious metal for the making of gold proofs of the Sovereign. Pistrucci would have had the right to strike special orders for coins, so it is even possible he acted upon a "VIP" commission to strike examples of certain coins in bronzed copper.
Estimate: £3000-4000
The Bentley Collection of British Milled Gold Sovereigns
Extremely Rare Bronzed Copper Proof Sovereign of 1825, Second Type
George IV, Proof Sovereign, 1825, struck in bronzed copper, engraved by William Wyon after Francis Chantrey's model, second bare head left, date below, rosette either side, toothed border and raised rim both sides, GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA, lower left serifs absent in first four letters of King's name, rev struck with inverted die axis, by Jean Baptiste Merlen, crowned quartered shield of arms, with the arms of Hanover as an escutcheon, eight hearts in semée of Hanoverian lion, two upper lis of inner frame around Scottish lion incomplete and detached, Irish arms with nine harp strings, BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF:, edge milled, 4.78g, 22.1mm (cf WR 236; Montagu -; Murdoch -; Douglas-Morris 159; S 3801). One or two tiny digs, otherwise toned, practically as struck and extremely rare.
ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased 14 July 2003
This milled edge 1825 proof in bronzed copper carries eight hearts in the Hanoverian Arms like the currency pieces, as opposed to the seven heart semée Barton's metal piece in the previous lot, discovered in the Bentley Collection for the first time.
Perhaps such a copper striking was a final trial before committing to using more precious metal for the making of gold proofs of the Sovereign. Pistrucci would have had the right to strike special orders for coins, so it is even possible he acted upon a "VIP" commission to strike examples of certain coins in bronzed copper.
Estimate: £3000-4000