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Auction: 24005 - The Official Coinex Auction of Ancient, British and World Coins
Lot: 488

William IV (1830-1837), The Engraver's Own Preparatory Trial Striking for a Five-Pound Piece or so-called Pattern Crown, Undated [struck after 22 November 1830], in silver, struck from the Crown Obverse Die muled with a George IV 1829 Pattern Crown Reverse, by William Wyon and Jean Baptiste-Merlen after the bust by Sir Francis Chantrey (Sculptor-in-Ordinary), London, GULIELMUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D: bare head right, W.W. incuse on truncation, rev. BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF: crowned and garnished shield in bountifully-decorated mantle, edge plain, [Spink XRF: 99.99% Ag], 28.887g [445.79grns], 6h (MSCE, p. 96, Pattern 35a; Bergne 1282 = Brice = Montagu 1098 = SNC, June 1895, no. 24579 = Murdoch 450 = Renotière 213; L&S 8; ESC 276 [R6]; Hocking -, cf. 1927 [RMM ~ 'W WYON']; cf. M C S Rasmussen, 'An Unusual Group of William IV Pieces', Spink Numismatic Circular, December 1980, p. 443, no. 2), one of three known specimens prepared by William Wyon and Jean Baptiste-Merlen for 'Honest Jack' (Viscount Althorp) for presentation to His Majesty the King to garner Royal assent for the Williamite coinage subsequently achieved at St James's Palace on 13 April 1831; the obverse with matte fields and an *exceptionally subtle* repair by the Ns of BRITANNIAR (where previously dented), nevertheless the reverse residually brilliant, universally and handsomely cabinet toned, struck details thus extremely fine and better and previously adjudicated PF62 by NGC, OF THE HIGHEST RARITY, the sole example to be offered at public auction for OVER 50 YEARS and with an exemplary pedigree through the esteemed cabinets of the British Crown-collecting pioneer-connoisseurs of Lingford, Paget and Wakley having been sourced from Wyon's own cabinet wherein tentatively described as a "Pattern for a Five Pound Piece" and the very coin from which the entire William IV specie gained personal Royal assent

Provenance

St James's Auction 23, 4 February 2013, lot 239 - wherein graded NGC PF62 - £24,000

"Jacobs", Baldwin-Glendining, 4 October 1962, lot 190* - £240.0.0

H M Lingford, First Portion, Glendining, 24-26 November 1950, lot 539* - "Undated, a similar pattern, having W.W. incuse on truncation, and initials J.B.M. on ground under George and Dragon, a dent in front of face. Very fine and extremely rare" - £58.0.0

Capt. H E G Paget, Glendining, 25 September 1946, lot 463* - “very fine but dented, very rare” - £72.0.0 [Baldwin for Lingford]

~It is evident that careless handling of the coin prior to acquisition by Paget resulted in the unfortunate dent before the nose ~

‘Other Properties’, Sotheby’s, 22 April 1910, lot 135 - "brilliant and exceedingly rare" - £14.0.0 [Spink]

Thomas Wakley, Sotheby’s, 6 December 1909, lot 262 - "brilliant and exceedingly rare" - £17.10.0 [Weight]

Leonard Charles Wyon, Modeller and Engraver of the Royal Mint (1851-1891), Sotheby’s, 12 December 1901, lot 56 - "Pattern Crown or Five Pound Piece, excessively rare" - £26.0.0 [Spink for Wakley]

~ thence by descent to his son ~

William Wyon, Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint (1828-1851), his personal specimen



Francis Legatt Chantrey RA was commissioned to sculpt a bust of William in 1829, whilst he was still Duke of Clarence. It would not be until accession to the throne on 26 June 1830, however, when Chantrey actually took up the project. The Sheffield Independent (24 July 1830) reported: "We have been favoured with a sight of this beautiful piece of portrait sculpture: which is not quite finished, but only waits the finishing strokes of the master's chisel at another sitting, to perfect the resemblance. The face possesses an intelligent expression, and great animation; and the features are chiselled with vigour and delicacy. The air and attitude are elegant, easy and dignified, and the effect is strikingly natural. It is a very faithful portrait, and a fine work of art; and is perhaps one of the most successful of Mr. Chantrey's busts of the Royal Family. The bust is relieved by a simple drapery only. One view of the profile exhibits a strong family likeness to George the Third. Mr. Chantrey is now employed on a medallion from the profile of this bust for the new coin of William the Fourth". The tabloids re-reported such news after the Trial of the Pyx on Friday 6 August 1830 (Staffordshire Advertiser, 14 August, refers), and even again as late as 9 December 1830, when it is further reported that: "His Majesty sat for an hour and a half to Chantrey for his bust, a model for a new coinage". ON 23 October, the story read "Mr. William Wyon, the chief-engraver of the mint, has been for some time past very closely occupied in the preparation of dies for the new coinage." (Kerry Evening Post, refers)



However political events were to overtake proceedings of the day. Barely a month had passed, when on 22 November 1830, the King accepted the invitation of Charles, 2nd Earl Grey to lead a new Whig Government following the collapse of the Duke of Wellington's premiership. The appointment was noteworthy, not least because his elevation to any ministerial position had been singly outlawed under the previous King. Much like the souring of his Royal affection, Earl Grey famously took issue with the potability of the London water; requiring a special blend from Mr Stephen Twining - a formulation that still credits his name to this day. Grey's premiership is widely credited with paving the way for the modern British democratic system, with notable achievements including the Reform Act (1832) and the Slavery Abolition Act (1833). However his cabinet was equally noteworthy for its extremely aristocratic assemblage - all but one position being held by members of the House of Lords or hereditary peers. Worse yet was the multitude of minor positions granted to his own family; with critics lampooning him as tom cat catching the fish of the British state (and over £20,000 of public money for his family annually).



Grey nevertheless maintained general popular support for his championing of "the bill, the whole bill, and nothing but the bill" after the subsequent General Election. His Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Spencer, Viscount Althorp would garner his own nickname: 'Honest Jack' for his incorruptible scruples. It was he who would receive one such example of this remarkable Pattern, alongside a uniface striking of the design proposals for an Halfcrown and Shilling. Intriguingly, the designs reflect the sentiment of the general readership of the Morning Herald (20 October 1830, refers): "Sir - As the first Parliament in the reign of our present Gracious King is about to assemble, I would suggest the propriety of discontinuing the use of the Latin language, which is unintelligible to many persons, in the titles of their acts, and the use of our own plain English instead. Also, in the event of a new coinage, I do not consider it would at all lessen the dignity of our King, if his coin conveyed his title and honours in words which his good subjects could read; on the contrary, every loyal subject would be proud to represent his King to the world as he really is, entirely British - A PLAIN TRADESMAN, Oct. 16. 1830."



This remarkable group of trial strikings, bearing the sole 'Crown die' portrait of the King, at his own personal request, would formulate the basis of the entire specie coined from 1831 for the duration of his reign, and are only concurrent with a tiny handful of Pattern Gold Strikings of the Sovereign (W&R 260) produced in 1830.

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Sold for
£21,000

Starting price
£15000