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Auction: 24006 - British and World Coins
Lot: 464

"The Decimals are coming. Let there be no doubt about that...in the next few years we shall all have to become accustomed to putting 'that damned dot' somewhere in the pound and of thinking in cents" | NGC MS63 | Elizabeth II (1952-2022), Halsbury Committee of Inquiry on Decimal Currency (19 December 1961 - 23 September 1963), 'Una and the Lion' Pattern for a Fifty Cent Piece, 1961 [Struck 1962/1963], London, by Mary Gillick after William Wyon, in silver, struck under 'Jack' James, Deputy Master of the Royal Mint for Distribution to the Currency Board, laureate head right, M.G. buried on truncation (Mary Gillick), rev. 50 CENTS in upper field, divided by Una and the Lion, without Garter mantle, by William Wyon, 1961 in exergue, PATTERN | DECIMAL | COINAGE in raised lettering upwards on edge, 7.451g, 12h (Norweb 1168[a] = Spink 169, 15 July 2004, lot 306[a] = Spink Numismatic Circular, April 2005, MS6357* this coin; cf. Bull, p. 579, P.D.S.1* [Elizabeth II]; KM Pn144), mottled toning in otherwise lustrous fields, good extremely fine and much as struck, believed only THREE issued for circulation to the Halsbury Committee, this entering commerce BEFORE Decimalisation, in NGC holder, graded MS63 (Cert. #8220558-001)

Provenance

~ Full Set privately purchased from Spink, 5 April 2005 - £3,750

Spink Numismatic Circular, April 2005, MS6357* ...Fifty Cents very mettled tone...practically as struck and extremely rare- £4,250

Spink 169, 15 July 2004, lot 306* [part] - "...Fifty Cents heavily tarnished..." [House, ref. SPK13527/28]

Emery May Norweb, Part III, Spink 56, 19 November 1986, lot 1168 [part] - "all as struck, some tarnished" - £2,400

A H Baldwin, by private treaty, May 1966




(Houses of Parliament, Thursday 19 December 1961, Hansard, refers:)

"LORD MILLS: My Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I will now make the statement I promised with reference to the Question raised earlier by my noble friend Lord Fraser of Lonsdale. My right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is making a statement in another place in reply to Questions on decimalisation. The following is the statement:



"As I have already informed the House, the Government have been considering this question in the light of the public interest shown in it, particularly following the Joint Report of the Committee of the British Associa- Toggle showing location ofColumn 680tion and the Association of British Chambers of Commerce.



"The Government's view is that real advantage would follow from adopting a decimal currency. At the same time it is clear that, in view of the widespread use of accounting and other monetary machinery, the transitional cost would be substantial. It should, however, be possible to limit this cost, both by the choice of the size of the new units to be adopted and by careful timing of the changeover. Before reaching a final decision, therefore, the Government consider that there should be a full-scale investigation into the best form of decimal currency, the steps by which the change could be brought about, and the cost of the changeover to the economy as a whole.



"The Government have accordingly decided to set up a Committee of Inquiry whose terms of reference will be:



(a) to advise on the most convenient and practical form which a decimal currency might take, including the major and minor units to be adopted;
(b) to advise on the timing and phasing of the changeover best calculated to minimise the cost; and
(c) to estimate the probable amount and incidence of the cost to the economy of proposals based on (a) and (b).



"I am glad to say that Lord Halsbury has accepted my invitation to he Chairman of the Committee. I shall announce the names of the other members early in the New Year.



"The Government are very conscious of the importance of reaching firm decisions in this matter as soon as possible. They will accordingly discuss with the Chairman ways and means by which the Committee may be enabled to make rapid progress with their work.



"The other Commonwealth Governments have been informed of our proposals."



The Chairman of the Committee was The Rt. Hon. Earl of Halsbury FRS, The Secretary was Mr. N.A.E. Moore, who subsequently became Chairman of the Decimal Currency Board. The Assistant Secretary was Mr. John Rimington. The Trial coins were circulated at the meetings by the Deputy Master of the Mint Mr J H 'Jack' James CB. A truly spectacular and ultra-rare set, only 2-5 sets believed to exist. We can find no record of this set ever being offered in a Royal Mint case, indeed neither Freeman, Krause nor Coincraft mentions the existence of a case, so this set being offered as it is in the Royal Mint case very probably is unique.



https://www.ngccoin.com/certlookup/8220558-001/63/

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Estimate
£20,000 to £30,000

Starting price
£15000