Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3030 5-6 January 2014
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Great Britain
George II Proof Crown 1746, S-3690, ESC-126, Old Laureate Head, rare, PR65 PCGS, an exceptionally fine specimen, the images fully impressed by the proof dies, on a perfect flan, the portrait exquisite, the fields reflective, and -- most important of all, when added to these qualities -- beautifully toned in many shades of golden blue iridescence. One of the finest proofs extant of this type, and 1746 was a signal year for the Royal Mint. Situated inside of the walls of the Tower of London, the old mint first struck proof coins purposely intended for sale to able buyers in this year. One hundred sets were reputedly made, consisting of the four silver coins of the day -- the crown, halfcrown, shilling, and sixpence. Maundy coins were excluded from the sets thus produced. Clearly these coins were cherished by wealthy collectors in 1746, but over the past 268 years most of the coins from these sets have not survived in the pristine state seen on this crown. Old King George was not terribly popular, as his Germanic origins offended many English aristocrats, and this may well account for the paltry mintage. Over time, too, the sets have been broken apart. Only occasionally is an intact, original set encountered (the Terner Collection, sold a decade ago, contained such a set). As the individual coins traveled from hand to hand, and sat in coin trays, most of the proofs picked up tiny nicks, hairlines, finger smudges, etc. The wonderful crown here offered somehow escaped all such mistreatment. Its fine image of the king remains essentially as it did in 1746, and both it and the royal shield are enclosed, as if in a picture frame, by the jumbo rim denticles which are hallmarks of this single-year issue. A treasure for any collector of crowns!From The Formosa Collection
Estimate: 9000-12000 USD
George II Proof Crown 1746, S-3690, ESC-126, Old Laureate Head, rare, PR65 PCGS, an exceptionally fine specimen, the images fully impressed by the proof dies, on a perfect flan, the portrait exquisite, the fields reflective, and -- most important of all, when added to these qualities -- beautifully toned in many shades of golden blue iridescence. One of the finest proofs extant of this type, and 1746 was a signal year for the Royal Mint. Situated inside of the walls of the Tower of London, the old mint first struck proof coins purposely intended for sale to able buyers in this year. One hundred sets were reputedly made, consisting of the four silver coins of the day -- the crown, halfcrown, shilling, and sixpence. Maundy coins were excluded from the sets thus produced. Clearly these coins were cherished by wealthy collectors in 1746, but over the past 268 years most of the coins from these sets have not survived in the pristine state seen on this crown. Old King George was not terribly popular, as his Germanic origins offended many English aristocrats, and this may well account for the paltry mintage. Over time, too, the sets have been broken apart. Only occasionally is an intact, original set encountered (the Terner Collection, sold a decade ago, contained such a set). As the individual coins traveled from hand to hand, and sat in coin trays, most of the proofs picked up tiny nicks, hairlines, finger smudges, etc. The wonderful crown here offered somehow escaped all such mistreatment. Its fine image of the king remains essentially as it did in 1746, and both it and the royal shield are enclosed, as if in a picture frame, by the jumbo rim denticles which are hallmarks of this single-year issue. A treasure for any collector of crowns!From The Formosa Collection
Estimate: 9000-12000 USD