| Spink > Auction 25005 | Auction date: 30 September 2025 |
| Lot number: 460 Price realized: 60,000 GBP (Approx. 80,515 USD / 68,639 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: (g) George IV (1820-1830), Specimen Plain Edge Five Pounds, 1826, 'Low 6', hot-struck in Experimental 22ct Binary "Yellow Gold" Alloy from Refurbished Proof Dies [c. 1827], GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA, bare head left, rev. BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF:, crowned shield in mantle, seven semée of hearts, edge plain, 39.797g [614.16grains], 6h (Hill F7; L&S 26; Hocking -; Douglas-Morris 170 [46.515g]; May 277 = Murdoch 363 = Nobleman 117 = Newcomer = "Traveller" 2151 [39.89g]; W&R 214 [R6]), minor wisps in otherwise sumptuously brilliant fields, with characteristic "orange-peeling" from Mint annealing processes; an exquisite and choice "VIP" Pattern, as if 'fresh from the die', OF THE HIGHEST RARITY with only THREE documented; unquestionably one of the most significant numismatic offerings to appear at public commerce in Britain; this being the influential 'trend-setter' for the metallic composition, dimension and subsequent global popularisation of the Five Sovereign Piece amongst cognoscente for nigh 200 years, proudly offered by Spink on the eve of its Bicentennial and with a most prestigious pedigree from the cabinet of a Senior Royal Mint Official, in NGC Black 'Pallas' holder, erroneously certified (Cert. #8534310-004). Provenance, The "Pallas" Collection of English Coins , Seaby, by private treaty (ref. COMM 413), 4 September 1975 - £4,000 , SCMB, April 1975, G227* and Front Cover - "Pattern Five Pounds , plain edge, 1826, FDC, RRR" - £7,500 , ~ Examined by E G V Newman of the Royal Mint, 23 December 1974 ~ , "From the Cabinet of a High Mint Official, Deceased", Spink Numismatic Circular, July-August 1922, no. 6740 - "Of highest rarity, only one other specimen being known, which was successively in the Murdoch and "Nobleman" collections. In brilliant perfect state., F.D.C. - £50.0.0 , Understood to be: , Robert Smith Mushet (28 November 1858 - 25 March 1925), a Barrister, died without issue, the remnants of his late Father's collection then offered at auction by Puttick & Simpson on 9 June 1925 (lots 163-243), but noteworthy in its omission of his great uncle's Pattern Five Sovereign, received in 1820 as documented in official Royal Mint records. It is this cataloguer's working assumption that the wide-spread publicity of the Nobleman sale in March 1922 and Spink's high profile spending at said sale prompted Smith Mushet to seek our appraisal of his heirlooms, ultimately selling the 1820 alongside this 1826, and an 1831 Gold Pattern and 1839 'Una and the Lion', when both Mushet Senior and Junior were in respective positions at the Royal Mint to acquire such exclusive examples direct from source. Their ongoing position as Refiner is interesting given the experimental 'hard alloy' composition utilised in the striking of this Pattern and other 'Barton's Metal' emissions at this time , Mary Anne Blakeway (Mushet) (27 October 1828 - 15 September 1913), died at Bushey, Hertfordshire, but lived at 29 Leinster Square, Bayswater, with her son, ~ thence to him ~ , Robert Mushet [Junior] (26 October 1810 - 4 September 1871), Head of the Melting Department at the Royal Mint, ~ thence to his widow ~ , Robert Mushet [Senior] (12 November 1782 - 1 February 1828), Master's First Clerk and Melter at the Royal Mint for the Great Recoinage, thence to his nephew , , "X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry confirms the difference in densities, viz., that the Royal Mint coin [Hocking 1906: 1826 SEPTIMO] is a ternary 22 carat alloy consisting of gold alloyed with silver and copper whereas the Seaby coin is a binary 22 carat alloy consisting of gold alloyed with copper. No differences can be found in the obverse and reverse design details of the two coins. However, the table of the Seaby coin is "orange-peeled", i.e. the alloy crystals are of large grain size, whereas the Royal Mint coin has a normal smooth table. The "orange-peel" effect of the Seaby coin, is possibly, due to the fact that a binary 22 carat gold/copper is appreciably harder than a ternary 22 carat alloy containing silver in addition to the copper; therefore the former would need extra annealing with consequent grain (crystal) growth - in this case secondary recrystallisation appears to have occurred - in order to be soft enough to strike. The coin appears to be genuine, but the fact it is a binary gold/copper alloy rather than a normal ternary gold/silver/copper alloy of the period indicates that it was probably struck at a later date than 1826." , , However, contrary to Newman's conclusion about 'a later restriking', compelling evidence has been unearthed to indicate experimental alloying and hot-striking techniques were entirely concurrent with the production of the SEPTIMO-issued Proofs for 1826 Specimen Sets. Lord Wallace is known to have ordered the striking of 'Fine Gold' Plain Edge Piedfort Proofs of the Five-Sovereign and Two Sovereign as a special commission for the collection of Charles Barclay during his short tenure as Master of the Mint (1823-1827). This very piece would later pass into the fabled trays of James Dodsley Cuff (1780-1853), of the Bullion Office at the Bank of England. , , It is rather telling that a second specimen also featured in the private cabinet of the former Chief Cashier of the Bank of England, Frank May (1873-1893). It is noteworthy that during his tenure, May oversaw the dispersal of the Bank of England coin collection at Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge in July 1877. It is possible that May benefitted from first refusal of the trays before they were offered publicly, explaining the presence of an array of excessively rare Pattern Five Pounds of 1820; 1826 and 1831 alongside the 1889 'Full US Proof Set' ordered directly from his American counterpart in February 1889. Perhaps this also explains his rejection of the 1820 Pattern Five Pounds, on account of the plain edge already existing within his cabinet. It can only be speculated if he regretted subsequently turning down their Petition Crown on account of its piercing. Frank May: 1873 to 1893 George Forbes: 1866 to 1873 William Miller: 1864 to 1866 Matthew Marshall: 1835 to 1864 Thomas Rippon: 1829 to 1835 Henry Hase: 1807 to 1829 , https://www.ngccoin.uk/certlookup/8534310-004/NGCDetails/ Estimate: £60,000 - £100,000 |  |
Match 1:
| Spink > Auction 25005 | Auction date: 30 September 2025 |
| Lot number: 457 Price realized: 42,000 GBP (Approx. 56,361 USD / 48,048 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: (g) NGC PF60 | George IV (1820-1830), Pattern Five Pounds, 1826 SEPTIMO, 'Wide 6' in date, struck in ternary 22ct "Red Gold" Alloy, GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA, bare head left, rev. BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF:, crowned shield in mantle, seven semée of hearts, DECUS ET TUTAMEN * ANNO REGNI SEPTIMO * in raised lettering downwards on edge, 39.905g [615.8grns], 6h (L&S 27; W&R 213; Hocking 1906; S.3797), light cabinet friction in otherwise brilliant original fields, some minor contact points on cheek and a toning spot by G of GRATIA, otherwise a pleasingly bold extremely fine, presumed only 400 struck, in NGC Black 'Pallas' holder, conservatively graded PF60 (Cert. #8534310-001). Provenance, The "Pallas" Collection of English Coins , SCMB, May 1966, G943* - "minute scratches, otherwise brilliant" - £700.0.0 [acquired 5 May 1966], , "The Property of a European Collector", Glendining, 31 March 1965, lot 16 - "brilliant, extremely fine, rare" - £600.0.0 [Seaby, ticketed for stock, ref. 660456], , https://www.ngccoin.uk/certlookup/8534310-001/60/ Estimate: £50,000 - £70,000 |  |
Match 2:
| Spink > Auction 25005 | Auction date: 30 September 2025 |
| Lot number: 458 Price realized: 52,000 GBP (Approx. 69,780 USD / 59,487 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: (g) NGC PF61 UCAM | Mint Error | George IV (1820-1830), Pattern Five Pounds, 1826 SEPTIMO, 'Narrow 6' in date, struck in ternary 22ct "Red Gold" Alloy, GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA, bare head left, rev. BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF:, crowned shield in mantle, seven semée of hearts, DECUS ET TUTAMEN * ANNO REGNI SEPTIMO * in raised lettering downwards on edge, 39.970g [616.8grns], 6h (L&S 27; W&R 213; Hocking 1906; S.3797), struck with a defective planchet with resulting rim manufacturing flaws at 11 and 4 o'clock and an annealing flaw through NO of ANNO on edge, otherwise with light cabinet friction to brilliant original fields, handsomely and naturally toned, a bold extremely fine , a scarcely imaginable and excessively rare "Mint Error" for this seminal collector's Proof!, in NGC Black 'Pallas' holder, curiously graded PF61 ULTRA CAMEO (Cert. #8534310-002). Provenance, The "Pallas" Collection of English Coins , Messrs Spink & Son, by private treaty, 26 September 1964 - £550.0.0 , Brigadier Basil Charles Lake, D.S.O., Glendining, 19 May 1964, lot 46* - "brilliant, near mint, rare" - £520.0.0 [Spink], , https://www.ngccoin.uk/certlookup/8534310-002/61/ Estimate: £60,000 - £80,000 |  |
Match 3:
| Spink > Auction 25005 | Auction date: 30 September 2025 |
| Lot number: 459 Price realized: 70,000 GBP (Approx. 93,935 USD / 80,079 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: (g) NGC PF62 UCAM | George IV (1820-1830), Pattern Five Pounds, 1826 SEPTIMO, 'Wide 6' in date, struck in ternary 22ct "Red Gold" Alloy, GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA, bare head left, rev. BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF:, crowned shield in mantle, seven semée of hearts, DECUS ET TUTAMEN * ANNO REGNI SEPTIMO * in raised lettering downwards on edge, 39.964g [616.7grns], 6h (L&S 27; W&R 213; Hocking 1906; S.3797), the faintest cabinet friction in otherwise brilliant fields, magnificent, practically FDC, and worthy of the highest attention!, in NGC Black 'Pallas' holder, exceptionally harshly graded PF62 ULTRA CAMEO (Cert. #8534310-003). Provenance, The "Pallas" Collection of English Coins , Messrs Spink & Son, by private treaty, 8 September 1965 - £700.0.0, , https://www.ngccoin.uk/certlookup/8534310-003/62/ Estimate: £60,000 - £80,000 |  |
Match 4:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 39 | Auction date: 15 December 2025 |
| Lot number: 3407 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | |
| Lot description: BRITISH, Hanover. George IV, 1820-1830. Farthing (Copper, 22 mm, 4.63 g, 6 h), First Issue, London, 1825. GEORGIUS IIII - DEI GRATIA. Laureate and draped bust of King George IV to left. Rev. BRITANNIAR: REX FID: DEF: Seated figure of Britannia to right with lion at her feet, trident in her left hand, shield with Union flag and olive branch in her right, date in exergue. SCBC 3822. Fresh and lustrous. Virtually as struck. Starting price: 25 CHF |  |
Match 5:
| Spink > Auction 25005 | Auction date: 30 September 2025 |
| Lot number: 473 Price realized: 155,000 GBP (Approx. 207,998 USD / 177,318 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: (g) NGC PF64 UCAM - PF65BN | George IV (1820-1830), Proof Set, 1826 (11), Specimen Five-Pounds to Half-Sovereign, Crown to Sixpence, Penny to Farthing (S.PS1), a pleasingly honest and original set with glorious cabinet tone interspersed with mint brilliance on key pieces, a connoisseur's great opportunity!, with NGC Certification (Cert. #8534313) (11). Provenance, The "Pallas" Collection of English Coins , Spink, by private treaty, 25 April 1983 - £20,600 , , i) PF64 UCAM | Proof Five-Pounds, 1826 SEPTIMO, edge lettered downwards, 39.874g, 6h (L&S 27; W&R 213; Marsh F6; GH 98; EGC II, 940 [R3]), some haziness in arresting pools of gloriously full and honest orange cabinet-tone, with sharp cameo definition, much as struck, a glorious specimen, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 64 ULTRA CAMEO (Cert. #8534313-001) , , ii) PF63 CAM | Proof Two-Pounds, 1826 SEPTIMO, edge lettered downwards, 15.951g, 6h (Douglas-Morris 168; W&R 228; EGC II, 957), highly superficial pecks to truncation and wisps of cabinet friction in otherwise brilliant fields, the portrait in pleasant contrast, a wholesome example, a bold extremely fine, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 63 CAMEO (Cert. #8534313-002) , , iii) PF61 CAM | Proof Sovereign, 1826, rev. eight hearts, edge milled, 7.971g, 6h (Stratos 216; W&R 237 [R2]; EGC II, 969), linear cabinet friction and deft handling marks in otherwise attractively brilliant fields, with sumptuous golden-orange cabinet toning, a most pleasingly honest and original example, a bolder extremely fine, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 61 CAMEO (Cert. #8534313-003) , , iv) PF65 UCAM | Proof Half-Sovereign, 1826, without 'extra tuft', edge milled, 3.985g, 6h (Douglas-Morris 153; Hill 407A; W&R 249; EGC II, 997), the deftest cabinet friction in otherwise brilliant fields, a beautifully honest and wholesome example of this treasured rarity, virtually as struck, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 65 ULTRA CAMEO (Cert. #8534313-004) , , v) PF65 | Pattern Proof Crown, 1826 SEPTIMO, edge lettered downwards, 28.168g, 6h (L&S 27; Bull 2336; ESC 257; Davies 151), an outstanding example, richly and deeply cabinet toned overlying brilliant original fields, practically FDC, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 65 (Cert. #8534313-005) , , vi) PF64 | Proof Halfcrown, 1826, edge milled, 14.078g, 6h (Bull 2376; ESC 647; Davies 192; MCE [1950], p. 106, 'Reverse 3' this coin), the reverse and milling concreted with red wax where previous plated, otherwise outstandingly cabinet toned with petrol-blue hues, much as struck, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 64 (Cert. #8534313-006) , , vii) PF62 | Proof Shilling, 1826, edge milled, 5.674g, 7h (Bull 2411; ESC 1258), some surface marks in brilliant but very darkly toned fields, a bold extremely fine, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 62 (Cert. #8534313-007) , , viii) PF63 | Proof Sixpence, 1826, "extra tuft", edge milled, 2.833g, 7h (Bull 2435; ESC 1663), spots of red wax in previously wiped but brilliant and darkly retoned fields, a pleasingly bold extremely fine, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 63 (Cert. #8534313-008) , , ix) PF64 BN | Bronzed Proof Penny, 1826, rev. Rev. C, thick raised line on saltire, edge plain, 19.224g, 12h (BMC [Peck] 1426), some carbon spotting and organic residue to peripheries, otherwise brilliant, a pleasingly good extremely fine, with harmonious chocolate brown patination, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 64 BROWN (Cert. #8534313-009) , , x) PF64 BN | Bronzed Proof Halfpenny, 1826, rev. Rev. A, two incuse lines on saltire, edge plain, 9.525g, 12h (BMC [Peck] 1434), small rim bruise at 8 o'clock, other brilliant, a really bold extremely fine and much as issued, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 64 BROWN (Cert. #8534313-010) , , xi) PF65 BN | Bronzed Proof Farthing, 1826, edge plain, 4.699g, 12h (BMC [Peck] 1440), small rim bruise at 8 o'clock on reverse, otherwise brilliant, good extremely fine, in NGC 'Black' Pallas holder, graded PROOF 65 BROWN (Cert. #8534313-011) , , The Morning Post (27 October 1826), reports: 'A new coinage of gold, silver and copper has just been completed at the Mint. Four or Five of the principal bankers had each one set as a specimen, and no more. A set consists of one 5l. piece, one 2l. piece, a 1l. piece, and a 10s. piece (gold); a 5s. piece, a half-crown piece, a 1s and a 6d. (silver); a penny, a half-penny, and a farthing in copper. The 5l. piece bears on one side the arms of Great Britain engraved on drapery, with the motto DECUS ET TUTAMEN, and the date of the year: on the other side, the head of His Majesty, similar to the one on the new Sovereign. This piece is supposed to be taken from the forty Liri piece of Parma. The 2l. piece is the same as the above; the 1l. piece is also the same, but not engraved on drapery. The 5s. piece, the half-crown piece, the 1s. and 6d. bear the arms of Great Britain, the same as these already issued. The penny, half-penny and farthing, dated 1826. , This enlightening report provides further background to a contemporary fiscal policy to withdraw the Bank of England's circulation of one and two pound bank notes by April 1829. However, opponents at the time feared a rush to gold requiring an extra 5 million gold pounds to cover the promissory short fall explaining the subsequent upsurge in mint productions of Sovereigns for 1825 and 1826. , The Globe continues (Friday, 27 October 1826): 'We yesterday announced the completion of a new coinage. As these new coinages are frequently made at some expence to the public, we are at a loss to know why the larger gold coins (the 5l. and 2l. coins) are not put into circulation? In some cases these coins would be convenient as currency, and like crowns and half-crowns in silver, would save trouble in counting. At any rate, if the expence of making the dies be incurred, as many of them should be put into circulation as the public demand, instead of making them, as at present, artificially scarce, for the purpose of apparently giving them a value in the absurd estimation of collectors. Even these worthies might be satisfied, if there were proof impressions exclusively for them. , On Thursday 11 January 1827, the Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette ran the story of a break in at Chilton Lodge, the dwelling house of one John Pearse MP. 'During the night of Saturday the 30th of Dec. 1826, thieves forced the locks and ransacked the drawers of the principal rooms of the ground floor and stole the following articles....a silver inkstand, a French Gold repeating watch and proof Impressions of the Coin of the Present reign, George the 4th. IN GOLD - A Five Sovereign; a Two Sovereign; a Sovereign and a Half-Sovereign. IN SILVER - A Five Shilling Piece; a Half-Crown; a Shilling; a Sixpence. IN COPPER - a Penny; a Halfpenny; a Farthing.' Besides serving his Hungerford parliamentary constituency for over a decade, he would also occupy the seat of Director of the Bank of England (1812-1828), and was therefore evidently one of our original four of five recipients of the October 1826 strikings. , For collectors however the wait would be rather longer to legitimately obtain examples. The dispersals of Mr Ralph Willett (Sotheby's, 15 March 1827) and Royal Mint Engraver John Milton (Sotheby's, 23 April 1827) did not offer the new proofs, despite both gentlemen clearly having the means and the access to them. In fact it is not until the sale of the appropriately named Mr Rich (Sotheby's, 7 July 1828, lot 189), that a similarly designed 1825 Proof Halfcrown appears at public auction, with examples of the specimen copper specie following with the sale of the late Joseph Miller of Barnard's Inn, Holborn (Sotheby's, 25 February 1829, lot 180). , The death of William Simonds Higgs afforded the market the earliest auction record this cataloguer can trace for the offering of a full set (Sotheby, 29 April 1830, lot 313), wherein the description simply states: 'His present Majesty's Proof Coins, from the Five Sovereign Piece to the Farthing', by. W. Wyon, in a morocco case' - £4.13.6 [Higgs]. This would suggest the lot was bought in by the estate, having extraordinarily failed to reach even its face value. The following year the result would not be replicated with the sale of esteemed collection of Mr Barclay's cabinet in Sotheby's rooms (21-23 March 1831). His 1826 Proof set would be split up into a group lot of the silver pieces (lot 321 - £1.14.0) and individual and paired lots for the gold (£5 - lot 364 - £8.10.6; £2 - lot 365 - £4.0.0; £1 and Half-Sovereign - lot 366 - £2.2.0). Most interestingly of all is the description for the subsequent lot 367 which alludes directly to the Globe's earlier commentary: 'George IV. UNIQUE PATTERNS with plain edges. IN FINE GOLD, of the beautiful FIVE-SOVEREIGN and TWO SOVEREIGN PIECES, 1826, by William Wyon; weight 1oz. 8 dwt. 12grs and 13 dwt. 18gr. - Struck by order of the Right Honourable T. Wallace for this collection. - £21.18.0 (W&R 214). An example of just such a contemporary plain edge specimen is offered elsewhere in this sale. Estimate: £100,000 - £140,000 |  |
