Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 20

Pre-Long Beach Coin Auction

British Gold Coins

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 311		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1841. Victoria Young Head. S-3859; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. The early half sovereigns of Victoria are extremely elusive in or even near Uncirculated, and to find an 1841 in this splendid condition can be a major challenge requiring lots of patience. Dr. Terner purchased this specimen in 1981, near the beginning of his gold collecting, and another equal piece has not passed our way in all the intervening years. Very rare! PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $750 - 1,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,466
Lot 312		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1842. Victoria Young Head. S-3852; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. Splendid surfaces, strike and luster! In fact, this marvelous Gem BU is, simply said, one of the best sovereigns of any kind we ever saw! Throw away the catalogues; we paid some ten times "book" for this great coin back in the 1980s. PCGS graded MS-65. Estimated Value $500 - 700. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,335
Lot 313		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1842. Victoria Young Head. S-3859; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. Noted in the Spink standard reference as worth less than an 1841, but this is puzzling because all the half sovereigns of the 1840s and 1850s are truly rare in Uncirculated grades - in any MS grade at all. This wonderful coin goes beyond that, however, and is surely among the finest known. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $400 - 500. Ex Sharps Pixley sale, which was the collection of a London bank. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 314		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1843. Victoria Young Head. S-3852; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. A really choice coin with excellent luster. The cataloguer suggests, based on long experience, that the book price of 275 Pounds for most of these early Victorian sovereigns in "Unc." is meaningless; constant communication with collectors in the UK tells us that such a price gets you (once in a while) a nice slider, nothing more. Yet most of these dates have the same price notation in the Spink reference, while the equally rare dates of the 1850s book for slightly less! The situation reminds the cataloguer of Red Book prices for "Unc." U.S. gold back in the 1960s and early 1970s: an 1856-S quarter eagle might have had a Red Book value of $65, but nobody ever had one! PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,208
Lot 315		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1844. Victoria Young Head. S-3859; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. A beautiful example with satiny luster. How rare is this date in this grade? It took Dr. Terner 20 years to locate this coin, one of the last added to the collection. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,668
Lot 316		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1844. Victoria Young Head. S-3852; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. Another beautiful and rare coin, this one blessed by satiny luster and only a few abrasions. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,323
Lot 317		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1845. Victoria Young Head. S-3852; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. Virtually no abrasions and satiny luster in abundance. Rare so fine! PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,725
Lot 318		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1846. Victoria Young Head. S-3852; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. Nice and choice. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,409
Lot 319		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1847. Victoria Young Head. S-3859; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. Another lovely example, a rare grade, also semi-prooflike. Purchased only recently, it took 20 years to find an 1847 this nice. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,320
Lot 320		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1847. Victoria Young Head. S-3852; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. A marvelous Gem coin! Everything you could want in an early Victorian sovereign. PCGS graded MS-65. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,990
Lot 321		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1848. Victoria Young Head. S-3852C; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. A lovely, choice coin having a good strike and mellow gold toning. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,438
Lot 322		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1851. Victoria Young Head. S-3859; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. Just a beautiful example of this rare date, having satiny luster. Also purchased near the end of "the chase" for these elusive early dates. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $500 - 600. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 323		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1851. Victoria Young Head. S-3852C; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. A satiny Gem which cost the Doctor ten times catalogue when he finally found this grade in 1992. PCGS graded MS-65. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $4,025
Lot 324		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1852. Victoria Young Head. S-3859; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. Slightly rarer than the last, but also with satiny luster. Mellow gold toning. Rare. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $776
Lot 325		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1852. Victoria Young Head. S-3852C; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. Highly lustrous and having almost no abrasions. Rare so fine! PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,380
Lot 326		Great Britain. Pattern ¼ Sovereign, 1853. By William Wyon. Victoria Young Head. Plain edge. WR-365. R4: Extremely Rare, 11-20 known. DM-186 (his specimen was only VF-EF!); KM-PN-113. According to the research article, "Quarter-Sovereigns and Other Small Gold Patterns of the Mid-Victorian Period" by G. P. Dyer (curator of the Royal Mint), in the British Numismatic Journal for 1997, page 77: all of these have plain edges; mintage not certain, but only 12 were known by 1854. As is true of quite a few of the important rarities in the Terner Collection, the given rarity ratings belie two facts, notably: the known numbers include coins impounded in museums, which will never be available to collectors, and most of the known specimens are inferior in quality to the pieces offered here in this auction. As that pertains to this extremely rare pattern, it's worth pointing out that the Douglas-Morris specimen was only VF-EF in quality, while the piece in the British Museum's collection (also the WR plate coin) shows obvious friction in the fields. Therefore, of the 12 known, this specimen is possibly the finest. This denomination was never struck for commerce, of course, and therefore the only known pieces are these patterns. Here is an extraordinary opportunity. This is a lovely coin, both sides being heavily frosted, and the brilliant mirror surfaces are very flashy. PCGS graded Proof 64 Cameo. Estimated Value $6,000 - 8,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $7,763
Lot 327		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1853. Victoria Young Head. S-3852D; Fr-387f; KM-736.1; WR-305. Reeded edge. See comments about rarity and origins under the 1853 half sovereign. "Only a few struck" was the perennial comment in the old Seaby catalogues. R3 "Extremely Rare" according to the WR reference. This is a most pleasing example, with a lovely cameo to the portrait. PCGS graded Proof 63 Deep Cameo. Estimated Value $5,000 - 7,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $12,075
Lot 328		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1853. Victoria Young Head. S-3859; Fr-389c; KM-735.1. Reeded edge. WR-346. The Proofs of 1853 are all very rare, and all can be traced to the special sets made up this year, evidently for or on behalf of the royal family. No one has ever been able to authoritatively attribute the reason these sets were ordered to be made, but the original plush cases for the full sets (sovereign down, no larger gold included) were heart-shaped. The cases are now even rarer than the Proof coins that were housed in them. The sets could have been made to mark Victoria's 15th year as sovereign (her coronation having been in 1838). Possibly the sets were made for Prince Albert to distribute as some sort of gift for those close to the family. Whatever was the case, the 1853 gold Proofs are today extremely difficult to find - and the specimen in Dr. Terner's collection is, bar none, the finest ever encountered. Whatever its technical grade may be, it fast became one of the favorites in the collection after it was purchased in 1984. Its gleaming surfaces are set off by sensational cameo contrast and other frosted devices. Superb! PCGS graded Proof 64 Deep Cameo. Estimated Value $3,500 - 4,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $7,044
Lot 329		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1854. Victoria Young Head. S-3852D; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. "Just BU," yet the best we could ever locate. Says a lot. PCGS graded MS-61. Estimated Value $350 - 450. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $480
Lot 330		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1855. Victoria Young Head. S-3852D; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. A wonderful coin, conservatively graded by PCGS, and distinguished by prooflike surfaces, which set off the devices particularly well. Is this just one point better than the next coin? You decide, and bid accordingly. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,185
Lot 331		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1856. Victoria Young Head. S-3859; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. Another beautiful example of this early portrait style in gold. Almost no gold of this period survived in nice enough condition to merit the "64" grade. Rare thus. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $350 - 450. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 332		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1856. Victoria Young Head. S-3852D; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. A very pleasing coin, the best we could find. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $350 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,265
Lot 333		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1857. Victoria Young Head. S-3852D; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. Prooflike and pretty. PCGS graded MS-62. Estimated Value $350 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $460
Lot 334		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1857. Victoria Young Head. S-3859; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. A beautiful example, having prooflike fields, which is most unusual. This coin was obtained in 1981, and no finer 1857 was ever found. Its Spink catalogue value is most misleading, as this date is extremely rare in this condition! Probably as appealing an example as can be found in Mint State of the so-called "first head," the earlier style of this royal portrait, which is slightly more compact and, some might say, more finely engraved than later issues. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 335		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1858. Victoria Young Head. S-3852D; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. The cataloguer and Dr. Terner feel this coin is conservatively graded by PCGS, for we were excited when we located this coin back in 1984. It was purchased from the son of long-time London dealer Reginald Lubbock, who had kept it for decades as the very best Victorian sovereign he ever saw. Imagine how many coins that man saw in his career, and you get an idea of what the quality of this beautiful sovereign really means. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,990
Lot 336		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1858. Victoria Young Head. S-3859A; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. It might become tedious to say again and again how difficult it is to find these early Victorian half sovereigns in true Mint State, but you could contact every British dealer, every week for a year of more, probably a lot more, and not one of them could duplicate this coin in this lofty grade. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $400 - 500. Ex Sharps Pixley private bank collection, 1989. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 337		Great Britain. "Ansell" Sovereign, 1859. Victoria Young Head. S-3852E; Fr-387g; KM-736.3. This variety was reputedly struck from "brittle" Australian gold as an experiment, the distinguishing feature being an added ribbon line in the queen's hair band. 1859 is the only date known of this very rare variety. We looked at Ansells for years before coming across what was represented to us as the finest one known, and the PCGS grade verifies how nice it is. We never saw another Uncirculated example. Ever. Unpriced in this grade by Spink, which gives an EF coin a valuation of 1,500 Pounds ($2,400). PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $3,000 - 4,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $7,475
Lot 338		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1859. Victoria Young Head. S-3859A; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. A marvelous coin! The extraordinary technical grade is married to gleaming gold luster and prooflike fields. Extremely rare in this splendid condition! Purchased in 1985, and since then no other 1859 half sovereign has been seen that could begin to approach the beauty of this coin. PCGS graded MS-65. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,725
Lot 339		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1860. Victoria Young Head. S-3852D; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. Flashy luster, but some light hairlines keep this out of the Gem category. Still, it's the nicest 1860 sovereign we could ever locate. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,093
Lot 340		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1860. Victoria Young Head. S-3859A; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. Another elusive date; in fact it took 20 years of looking to find an 1860 this nice. Delightful satiny luster, and a real beauty! PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $350 - 450. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 341		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1861. Victoria Young Head. S-3859A; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. This wonderful example was obtained in 1984, just four years after Dr. Terner began his quest for each date of the half-sovereign series in true Mint State. Very rare in this grade. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 342		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1861. Victoria Young Head. S-3852D; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. A beautiful coin which we always felt was choice. PCGS has given another conservative number to a really nice coin. PCGS graded MS-62. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $480
Lot 343		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1862. Victoria Young Head. S-3859A; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. The rarest of all Victorian half sovereigns, and what a magnificent example it is! In fact, this coin may well be the only known example of 1862 in Mint State. The new 2003 Spink standard reference prices it at approximately $4,000 (2,500 Pounds) in EF condition-and it's probably not possible to locate even an EF without spending many years on the search. This outstanding specimen is a Gem BU with wonderful satiny luster, and without doubt is the finest known 1862 half sovereign! In fact, this date was unknown in this condition until this piece was discovered in Sheffield, England, by London dealer Stephen Fenton, who sold it to the Sharps Pixley bank collection for a reported 7,000 Pounds more than 20 years ago. Dr. Terner obtained it at auction when that gold collection was sold in 1989 in London. PCGS graded MS-65. Estimated Value $6,000 - 8,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $10,925
Lot 344		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1862. Victoria Young Head. S-3852D;Fr-387e; KM-736.1. A beautiful coin having almost no abrasions. Purchased in 1982, never bettered! PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $350 - 450. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,208
Lot 345		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1863. Victoria Young Head. S-3852D; Fr-387e; KM-736.1. A superb Gem coin having lovely satiny luster on the reverse and a deep prooflike obverse, which sets off the portrait as a stunning cameo. One of the nicest Victorian sovereigns anyone ever saw, including us! PCGS graded MS-65. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,415
Lot 346		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1863. Victoria Young Head. S-3859A; Fr-389b; KM-735.1. No die number. Satiny luster, and just a beautiful coin. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 347		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1864. Victoria Young Head. S-3860; Fr-389f; KM-735.2. Die #15. A near-Gem example with beautiful luster. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 348		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1864. Victoria Young Head. S-3853; Fr-387i; KM-736.2. Die #64. A choice coin which, in our opinion, is rare in this grade. Purchased in 1983, and we never could improve on it. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $920
Lot 349		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1865. Victoria Young Head. S-3853; Fr-387i; KM-736.2. Die #20. Choice BU, the best we could ever locate. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $863
Lot 350		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1865. Victoria Young Head. S-3860; Fr-389f; KM-735.2. Die #47. A real choice coin exhibiting satiny luster. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 351		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1866. Victoria Young Head. S-3853; Fr-387i; KM-736.2. Die #38. Especially choice, as PCGS has suggested. PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,208
Lot 352		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1866. Victoria Young Head. S-3860; Fr-389f; KM-735.2. Die #9. Small abrasions but still quite pleasing, the best one found. PCGS graded MS-62. Estimated Value $250 - 300. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 353		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1867. Victoria Young Head. S-3860; Fr-389f; KM-735.1. Die #10. Small abrasions but still quite pleasing, the best one found. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 354		Great Britain. Pattern Double Florin Struck in Gold, 1868. Victoria Coronet Head. A metric pattern engraved by William or possibly L.C. Wyon, the reverse partly reading "5 Francs International." Plain edge. WR-372. R4: 11-20 known. Like the WR plate coin, this specimen shows a wonderful deep cameo portrait set against glittering mirrored fields. It has a lovely, old-time mellow gold toning. Extremely rare! PCGS graded Proof 65 Deep Cameo. Estimated Value $4,000 - 5,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $5,175
Lot 355		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1868. Victoria Young Head. S-3853; Fr-387i; KM-736.2. Die #21. Particularly well struck with super detail showing on all the devices, and truly exceptional in overall quality. Rare thus! PCGS graded MS-64. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,208
Lot 356		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1869. Victoria Young Head. S-3860; Fr-389f; KM-735.2. Die #12. A magnificent Gem BU coin, as stunning as any coin of these Victorian "middle years" ever found for Dr. Terner's collection. Practically impossible to duplicate in this lofty grade! PCGS graded MS-65. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,495
Lot 357		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1869. Victoria Young Head. S-3853; Fr-387i; KM-736.2. Die #35. Prooflike obverse and quite pleasing. Found in 1986, never bettered. PCGS graded MS-62. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $805
Lot 358		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1870. Victoria Young Head. S-3853; Fr-387i; KM-736.2. Die #89. Pleasing. Underrated in price for this level of quality, in our opinion. PCGS graded MS-63. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $720
Lot 359		Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1870. Victoria Young Head. S-3860; Fr-389f; KM-735.2. Die #37. A tiny defect in the obverse field, nonetheless the nicest of this date we could locate. Uncirculated. Estimated Value $250 - 300. Ex Sharps Pixley sale, 1989. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $253
Lot 360		Great Britain. Sovereign, 1871. Victoria Young Head, St. George reverse. Reeded edge. Small B.P. WR-318. R7: just 1 or 2 known! A Proof of Record, and extremely rare: only a few pieces were struck with the Reeded Edge. A simply magnificent specimen with a marvelous cameo, as fine as can be imagined! PCGS graded Proof 66 Deep Cameo. Estimated Value $6,000 - 8,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $24,150

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