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.
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| Realized $7,044 |
