Canada: George V gold Sovereign 1916-C,...

Description

Fantastic MS65 1916-C Sovereign

George V gold Sovereign 1916-C, KM20, MS65 PCGS, bust left/St. George slaying the dragon, date in exergue below. Among Canadian sovereigns, while the Specimen-only 1908-C and regular-issue 1913-C have smaller mintages than the 1916-C, the 1916-C is assuredly the most valuable. Only a tiny fraction of the 6,111 pieces in the stated mintage have ever turned up, and the vast majority must be considered lost. The following appears in Charlton's Catalogue:

"The 1916-C issue is rare, with about fifty or so pieces known. Most of the small mintage may have been melted, accounting for the rarity, although this is by no means an established fact. ... Another tale told about the 1916-C sovereign is that the mintage was lost at sea on its way to England during World War I, as part of an international settlement. This is not established fact, only rumor."

The passage goes on to note dryly, "If there was to be a gold exchange between Canada and England in 1916, the gold needed only to be deposited with the New York Federal Reserve for the account of Great Britain, and not subjected to a perilous sea voyage during a time of war."

This elegant example has a rich, original "skin" on it, with ample patina over warm butter-yellow surfaces. The luster is soft but pleasing, and the strike is above-average. Most remarkable about this coin is its surface quality; there are no individually mentionable abrasions, and the best pedigree marker is a tiny dot of alloy just to the right of the horse's head. A wonderful Gem, tied with just one other example for finest certified by PCGS (7/09).
From the Canadiana Collection

More information about Canadian Coins. See also: Canada World Coin Nationality.

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