Lot 428
Great Britain. Sovereign, 1825. S-3800; Fr-376a; KM-682. George IV, 1820-1830. Laureate Head left. Reverse: St George and the Dragon, date below. Well struck and with old-time, well-set gold surfaces, some obvious abrasions but no hint of wear as the luster is intact even on the high points of the design, and the fields in general are unusually free from blemishes. Among the finest ever seen by this cataloguer, with almost no Mint State pieces showing up in any London sales for many years. NGC graded MS-63.
In this lofty grade this coin is an extreme rarity. In Spink it catalogues for £3,000 in EF grade, and in Uncirculated Spink leaves it unpriced. Evidently its rarity stems from the fact that the portrait was changed in this year to the Bare Head design. Production of Laureate Head sovereigns dated 1825 must have been quite limited, and evidently virtually all of them passed quietly into circulation; most known pieces show a lot of wear, meaning that they were used as money for many years and were not recognized as rarities until it was too late to save them. This is an important coin and should be hotly sought after in this, the most intense market for sovereigns ever.
Estimated Value $5,000 - 6,000.
Ex Dr Jacob Y. Terner Collection.
|
| |
| Realized $11,500 |
