Stanley Gibbons Baldwin's
Auction 79 8 May 2013
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G BRITISH COINS
The Bentley Collection of British Milled Gold Sovereigns
Victoria, Sovereign, 1853, 3 struck over a 5, second larger young head left, W.W. raised on truncation, obverse slightly double struck, raised die flaw from tip of truncation to rim, rev crowned quartered shield of arms within laurel wreath, emblems below, 7.96g (cf Marsh 36; MCE 514; S 3852C). With a clear overstrike, heavily surface marked and scuffed, otherwise about very fine and unusual, very rare. ex St James's Auction 13, 6 May 2010, lot 979, erroneously catalogued as 5 over 3
Calendar year mintage 10,597,993
The product of an engraver's error, the date figure 3 was punched in at first as an 5 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 3 punch for an 5, or perhaps working under candle-light or the poorer light of a dark day such a mistake could occur. This variety remains quite elusive.
For further reading on varieties of 1853 Sovereigns see part one of the Bentley Collection, footnotes to lots 65 to 69
Estimate: £400-600
The Bentley Collection of British Milled Gold Sovereigns
Victoria, Sovereign, 1853, 3 struck over a 5, second larger young head left, W.W. raised on truncation, obverse slightly double struck, raised die flaw from tip of truncation to rim, rev crowned quartered shield of arms within laurel wreath, emblems below, 7.96g (cf Marsh 36; MCE 514; S 3852C). With a clear overstrike, heavily surface marked and scuffed, otherwise about very fine and unusual, very rare. ex St James's Auction 13, 6 May 2010, lot 979, erroneously catalogued as 5 over 3
Calendar year mintage 10,597,993
The product of an engraver's error, the date figure 3 was punched in at first as an 5 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 3 punch for an 5, or perhaps working under candle-light or the poorer light of a dark day such a mistake could occur. This variety remains quite elusive.
For further reading on varieties of 1853 Sovereigns see part one of the Bentley Collection, footnotes to lots 65 to 69
Estimate: £400-600