Australia: Victoria gold Proof Pattern 1/2 Sovereign 1853-SYDNEY PR62 Ultra Cameo NGC,...

Description

The Sole Specimen Available to Commerce - Ex. Hewitt and Quartermaster

Victoria gold Proof Pattern 1/2 Sovereign 1853-SYDNEY PR62 Ultra Cameo NGC, London mint, KM-Pn1, McDonald-001 (this coin), Rennik-pg. 24 (this coin cited), Marsh-378 (R7), QM-227 (R7; this coin). 3.84gm. By James Wyon. In a word: splendid. The original companion piece to a subsequent lot in this sale, even to call the present specimen a supreme rarity would hardly do justice to just how singular an offering this coin is. A clear embodiment of the power of native gold to change the fortunes of a nation, the Pattern 1/2 Sovereigns and Sovereigns engraved by James Wyon were situated at the pinnacle of the question of how to transform the abundant natural gold deposits discovered in southern Australia into a monetary and economic resource for the British Empire. Deemed too costly to ship all the way back to England to use for the Crown's coinage, the Legislative Council of New South Wales had petitioned Queen Victoria as early as December 1851 to establish a local mint near the port at Sydney for the coining of this gold, a petition that was followed in subsequent years by further appeals, particularly after the closure of the Government Assay Office at Adelaide in February 1853. While James Wyon's trademark fillet head design would only see use in circulation for less than a year after the Sydney branch mint opened in 1855, the monetary revolution it heralded in Australia would endure for decades to come.

As is the case with the Pattern Sovereigns of this date, just 4 Proof 1/2 Sovereigns were originally produced--one of which is held by the British Museum (1854,1223.21), with two others in the possession of the Royal Mint Museum in Wales (William Hocking's The Catalogue of the Coins, Tokens, Medals, Dies and Seals in the Museum of the Royal Mint, Vol I - Coins and Tokens, pg. 325 as entries 4263-4264). Though a few light scuffs exist on Victoria's truncation, these do next to nothing to hinder the coin's overt visual allure or an appreciation of its exquisite striking quality, both clearly recognized by its practically Choice Proof designation from NGC. A trophy by all measures, and one which will demand bidders place their best bids.

Ex. Quartermaster Collection (Monetarium, Australia June 2009, Lot 227) [cover lot]; Monetarium, Australia to Tom Hadley (Quartermaster) in 1992; Spink Noble Numismatics Auction 39 (July 1992, Lot 1043) [part]; Spink Australia Auction 6 (November 1981, Lot 982) [part]; Sold by private treaty to A. H. F. Baldwin; Sold by private treaty to John Ahbe; Captain Vivian Hewitt Collection

From the Regent Collection

Metal: Gold
Diameter: 19mm

More information about Australian Coins. See also: Australia World Coin Nationality.



Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

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