Lot 2330
Great Britain. Silver Crown, 1746 LIMA. George II. Old laureate bust. S-3689. Edge not readable in the slab. Recut "6" in date. Bifurcated letters in the legends. Some will not like this coin, but to the cataloguer's eyes it enjoys a special elegance, coming from its deeply patinated toning, which is bluish black. Dark as it is, luster gleams through it. The cataloguer has no problem calling this Choice, original Uncirculated (Mint State); it is far nicer than almost all others seen, as commonly the nicer examples of the Lima crown are fairly drab in color, usually medium gray with not much "life" beneath the color, whereas this coin enjoys a special "dark bloom." In all, a beautiful coin of historical significance, saved no doubt by some patriot right after it was minted, to signify the hero Admiral Anson's victory of seizing, at sea, an immense treasure (mostly silver, but some gold), from a Spanish fleet he intercepted and overcame, on the far side of the world. The seizure took place off today's Philippine Islands, and the captured treasure was ore that had been mined in Peru. It is said that only two galleons protected eleven Spanish treasure ships. The ships were also seized and used to convey the treasure back to port, arriving in Portsmouth after months at sea and given a tumultuous welcome. British citizens lined the roads almost all the way to London, where the treasure was deposited at the Royal Mint, which produced these special commemoratives for nearly two years before the ore was used up! Today, however, the Lima coins have mostly perished, and almost none exist in Mint State. Few coins in all of numismatics enjoy such an adventurous origin! NGC graded MS-62.
Estimated Value $3,500 - 4,500.
The Cheshire Collection.
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| Realized $3,680 |
