Stanley Gibbons Baldwin's
Auction 79 8 May 2013
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G BRITISH COINS
The Bentley Collection of British Milled Gold Sovereigns
Dramatic 1850 Sovereign with 5 Clearly Over the 8 of the Date
Victoria, Sovereign, 1850, 5 struck over 8, second larger young head left, date below, rev crowned quartered shield of arms within laurel wreath, emblems below, 7.97g (cf Marsh 33 R; MCE 511; S 3852C). Cleaned, good very fine and of the highest rarity, the cataloguer has only heard of one other specimen extant, extremely rare.
ex Clark Smith collection, San Rafael, California, July 2010
Calendar year mintage 1,402,039
This is one of the most recent discoveries in the Sovereign series, first noted about 8 years ago. The Bentley collector had to wait some five years before finally acquiring this piece nearly three years ago.
The product of an engraver's error, the date figure 5 was punched in at first as an 8 and had to be corrected. In the numismatic trade such errors and corrections are fondly referred to as "after lunch" coins, in that it is assumed the engraver made such an error when working after a hearty lunch and maybe having imbibed too much ale. More likely though was that it was perhaps easy to mistake the 5 punch for an 8, or perhaps working under candle-light or the poorer light of a dark day such a mistake could occur. This variety remains most elusive.
For further reading on varieties of 1850 Sovereigns see part one of the Bentley Collection, footnotes to lots 59 to 61
Estimate: £1000-1500
The Bentley Collection of British Milled Gold Sovereigns
Dramatic 1850 Sovereign with 5 Clearly Over the 8 of the Date
Victoria, Sovereign, 1850, 5 struck over 8, second larger young head left, date below, rev crowned quartered shield of arms within laurel wreath, emblems below, 7.97g (cf Marsh 33 R; MCE 511; S 3852C). Cleaned, good very fine and of the highest rarity, the cataloguer has only heard of one other specimen extant, extremely rare.
ex Clark Smith collection, San Rafael, California, July 2010
Calendar year mintage 1,402,039
This is one of the most recent discoveries in the Sovereign series, first noted about 8 years ago. The Bentley collector had to wait some five years before finally acquiring this piece nearly three years ago.
The product of an engraver's error, the date figure 5 was punched in at first as an 8 and had to be corrected. In the numismatic trade such errors and corrections are fondly referred to as "after lunch" coins, in that it is assumed the engraver made such an error when working after a hearty lunch and maybe having imbibed too much ale. More likely though was that it was perhaps easy to mistake the 5 punch for an 8, or perhaps working under candle-light or the poorer light of a dark day such a mistake could occur. This variety remains most elusive.
For further reading on varieties of 1850 Sovereigns see part one of the Bentley Collection, footnotes to lots 59 to 61
Estimate: £1000-1500