St. James's Auctions
Auction 86 28 Feb 2024
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George III, proof or pattern halfcrown, 1817, small laureate head right, rev. crowned shield within Garter, reeded edge (S.3789; ESC.2109), certified and graded by NGC as Proof-65, a gem specimen having delightful grey surfaces, very rare proof of record
The only one graded as Proof-65 by NGC, one higher.
Whilst the date 1816 appears on the major commercial coins, the 'New Coinage' was really little more than an unfulfilled wish in that year. No coins were released during 1816. The Royal Mint's Benedetto Pistrucci created several effigies of the king for use on the coinage, all of them based on the portrait he had fashioned for use on the gold sovereign. The engraving work required some six months to be completed. The Italian artist made these effigies as models, not dies. He had never yet engraved in steel for dies. The mint's Thomas Wyon Jr used the models to engrave dies for the sixpence and shilling as well as a more florid, larger bust for the first new halfcrown, known today as the Bull Head. The mint's officials all praised the dual work and proceeded to produce the coinage beginning in mid-1816. When the public responded with wide acceptance of the two smaller coins, but criticised the new halfcrown, within three months of its first release the 'Bull Head' was replaced by a neater design known today as the Small Head. It was the first coin whose dies were personally engraved by the master, Pistrucci, in steel.
Estimate: 5000 - 5500 GBP
The only one graded as Proof-65 by NGC, one higher.
Whilst the date 1816 appears on the major commercial coins, the 'New Coinage' was really little more than an unfulfilled wish in that year. No coins were released during 1816. The Royal Mint's Benedetto Pistrucci created several effigies of the king for use on the coinage, all of them based on the portrait he had fashioned for use on the gold sovereign. The engraving work required some six months to be completed. The Italian artist made these effigies as models, not dies. He had never yet engraved in steel for dies. The mint's Thomas Wyon Jr used the models to engrave dies for the sixpence and shilling as well as a more florid, larger bust for the first new halfcrown, known today as the Bull Head. The mint's officials all praised the dual work and proceeded to produce the coinage beginning in mid-1816. When the public responded with wide acceptance of the two smaller coins, but criticised the new halfcrown, within three months of its first release the 'Bull Head' was replaced by a neater design known today as the Small Head. It was the first coin whose dies were personally engraved by the master, Pistrucci, in steel.
Estimate: 5000 - 5500 GBP