Lot 363
Great Britain. Crown, 1718/6. S-3639; ESC-111A. George I, 1714-1727. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Reverse: Crowned cruciform arms, Garter star at center, roses and plumes in angles. Edge: QUINTO. Handsome, dark gray surfaces showing some golden lilac iridescence, over soft ancient luster. One of the finest known, and extremely rare in this grade. NGC graded MS-62.
Hyperbole is common in descriptions of coins at auction, but the coins in the Millenium Collection do not need exaggeration, for most are among the finest known (if not the very top example) of their respective types. The collection from its inception was driven by the intention to locate only superlative examples of coins never meant to be saved but intended for commercial usage (and/or Proofs of the same, when they existed), the essential idea being that such coins are on the order of miracles of suvival. The coin in this lot is not the finest coin in this auction, far from it, yet it exemplifies the concept that was used to form this collection. The crowns of this king are all very rare, in fact are among the rarest of all British crowns as a type, and each of the few dates of this type is almost never available better than VF grade -- and truly elusive when seen as choice and eye-appealing as this specimen. Light roller lines from the minting process can be discerned at the center of the king's hair. The strike is evenly sharp and balanced, producing excellent detail in all design elements. Perhaps most remarkable of all, there are essentially no marks on either side! Here and there, under a glass, tiny dots of die-rust and a few carbon alloy flaws (normal to this era's coinage) may be found, but this coin is literally immaculate.
Estimated Value $8,000 - 9,000.
Ex Cheshire Collection (5/30 - 6/1/05), lot 2296.
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| Realized $10,350 |
