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GREAT BRITAIN, KING WILLIAM, 1831-1837 PROOF and CIRCULATION Sovereigns and Half-sovereigns

Category:  World Coins
Owner:  TMS Coins
Last Modified:  7/11/2019


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View Coin   GREAT BRITAIN 1816-1901 1SOV 1831 G.britain NGC PF 62 ULTRA CAMEO GT.BRITAIN, WILLIAM IV GOLD PROOF SOVEREIGN 1831
(S 3829B).

OBVERSE: Bare head of King facing right, engraved by William Wyon (1795-1851).
REVERSE: Garnished shield modelled and engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen (1769-1850).
DIAMETER: 22.05 mm.
WEIGHT: 7.9987 g.
FINENESS: 22 carat.
EDGE: Plain.
MINTAGE: 225.
RATING: R3

KING WILLIAM IV, 1831 PROOF SOVEREIGN.

The Coronation of William IV took place on 8 September 1831 and all the denominations issued for the current new coinage were also produced to proof quality in Coronation proof sets. These undoubtedly were made to present to officials and very important persons, and in addition to current 1831 dated denominations included a proof gold Two Pounds and silver Crown, Halfcrown and Shilling that were not current that year. Additionally William Wyon himself would be able to supply proofs to whomever he pleased or to those who would commission him to do so. The 1831 Proof Set is generally accepted as the second Proof Set available from the Royal Mint, the first being 1826, though “sets” can be put together of coins of 1821 and 1825 as well.

The standard design for the currency Sovereigns of King William IV from 1830-1837 inclusive was engraved by William Wyon after Francis Chantrey’s model, and consists of two bare headed bust types and one standard reverse. Both bust types have the same legend reading gulielmus iiii d : g : britanniar rex f: d: The first bust obverse has more finely engraved hair most noticeable on the top of his head and a more rounded ear. The position of the bust in relation to the legend dictates that his nose points to the second letter N in britanniar. The first bust obverse has border teeth that are quite fine and tall, and more in number when compared with obverse two. The second obverse has coarser hair, a flat top to the ear and the nose points to the second I in britanniar. The border teeth also differ from the first bust as the obverse teeth are of a coarser wide spread rendering, with less depth. The majority of the coinage of William IV Sovereigns, depict this obverse, including the very first pattern piece of 1830. It seems the demarcation of second bust relates really to its use ending with the reign in 1837, as the first bust type finishes first by 1832. The reverse teeth on the second bust obverse coins are similar to the first bust obverse ones, and are taller and finer than those on the obverse of the second bust coins. The reverses of William IV engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen, always carry eight strings in the Irish harp with a diagonal line running through them depicting the rear of the bottom harp body. The inner arches of the crown above have thirteen pearls on each side, and five more run diagonally up each side of the central upright. There are nine varied jewels on the crown band. There is a short legend reading to the lower left anno and the date to the lower right. The edges are milled as usual. There was no issue in or dated 1834.

KING WILLIAM IV

The Reign of King William IV (House of Hanover) : 1830-1837.
Born: 21 August 1765
Accession: 26 June 1830
Married: Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg and Meiningen, 11 July 1818 after first meeting a week before, a double wedding with his brother, Prince Edward the Duke of Kent.
Coronation: Thursday, 8 September 1831
Children: two daughters who both died in childhood, ten illegitimate children previously.
Died: 20 June 1837, aged 71.

1831 GOLD SOVEREIGN PF 62 ULTRA CAMEO

Brilliant and attractive with thickly frosted devices and mirrored fields.
ex Spink & Son Ltd.
View Coin   GREAT BRITAIN 1816-1901 1/2SOV 1831 G.britain NGC PF 62 ULTRA CAMEO GT.BRITAIN, WILLIAM IV GOLD PROOF HALF-SOVEREIGN 1831
(S-3830).

OBVERSE: Bare head of King facing right, engraved by William Wyon (1795-1851).
REVERSE: Beautifully garnished shield modelled and engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen (1769-1850).
DIAMETER: 17.9 mm.
WEIGHT: 3.994g
FINENESS: 22 carat.
EDGE: Plain.
MINTAGE: 225
RATING: R3

KING WILLIAM IV, 1831 PROOF HALF-SOVEREIGN

In 1831 only plain edge proofs were issued of both the sovereign and half sovereign. The half sovereign is considerably smaller than any other half sovereign previously struck during the modern era, and in fact measures 17.9 mm. It is though the same weight and fineness as previous issues (61.637 grains and 916.66 fineness).

KING WILLIAM IV

The Reign of King William IV (House of Hanover) 1830-1837.
Born: 21 August 1765.
Accession: 26 June 1830.
Married: Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg and Meiningen, 11 July 1818 after first meeting a week before.
A double wedding with his brother, Prince Edward the Duke of Kent.
Coronation: Thursday, 8 September 1831.
Children: two daughters who both died in childhood, ten illegitimate children previously.
Died: 20 June 1837, aged 71.

1831 GOLD HALF-SOVEREIGN PF 62 ULTRA CAMEO

Beautiful and attractive proof with thickly frosted devices and mirrored fields.
ex Spink & Son Ltd.
View Coin   GREAT BRITAIN 1816-1901 1SOV 1831 G.britain ex BENTLEY COLLECTION PCGS MS 64 GT.BRITAIN, WILLIAM IV 1831 GOLD SOVEREIGN
(Marsh 16; S 3829).

OBVERSE: Bare head of King facing right, engraved by William Wyon (1795-1851).
REVERSE: Garnished shield modelled and engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen (1769-1850).
DIAMETER: 22.05 mm.
WEIGHT: 7.998 g.
EDGE: Milled.
FINENESS: 22 carat.
MINTAGE: 598,547
RATING: R2 (M.Marsh).

KING WILLIAM IV, 1831 SOVEREIGN, FIRST BARE HEAD.

First bare head right with finer hair and round topped ear, nose points to second N in britanniar , w.w., incuse on truncation meets field, finer toothed border and raised rim both sides. Reverse: Crowned quartered shield of arms, with the arms of Hanover as an escutcheon, date below. Light die flaw on reverse to right of shield. Calendar year mintage 598,547. Even though 1831 is the initial year of mintage for William IV it is also the lowest calendar output from the Mint for this reign and the first bust is therefore very rare. This output is not even five times higher than the extremely rare Victorian 1841 issue. The standard design for the currency Sovereigns of King William IV from 1830-1837 inclusive was engraved by William Wyon after Francis Chantrey’s model, and consists of two bare headed bust types and one standard reverse. Both bust types have the same legend reading GULIELMUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR REX F: D: The first bust obverse has more finely engraved hair most noticeable on the top of his head and a more rounded ear. The position of the bust in relation to the legend dictates that his nose points to the second letter N in britanniar. The first bust obverse has border teeth that are quite fine and tall, and more in number when compared with obverse two. The second obverse has coarser hair, a flat top to the ear and the nose points to the second I in britanniar. The border teeth also differ from the first bust as the obverse teeth are of a coarser wide spread rendering, with less depth. The majority of the coinage of William IV Sovereigns, depict this obverse, including the very first pattern piece of 1830. It seems the demarcation of second bust relates really to its use ending with the reign in 1837, as the first bust type finishes first by 1832. The reverse teeth on the second bust obverse coins are similar to the first bust obverse ones, and are taller and finer than those on the obverse of the second bust coins. The reverses of William IV engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen, always carry eight strings in the Irish harp with a diagonal line running through them depicting the rear of the bottom harp body. The inner arches of the crown above have thirteen pearls on each side, and five more run diagonally up each side of the central upright. There are nine varied jewels on the crown band. There is a short legend reading to the lower left anno and the date to the lower right. The edges are milled as usual. There was no issue in or dated 1834.

KING WILLIAM IV

The Reign of King William IV (House of Hanover) 1830-1837.
Born: 21 August 1765.
Accession: 26 June 1830.
Married: Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg and Meiningen, 11 July 1818 after first meeting a week before.
A double wedding with his brother, Prince Edward the Duke of Kent.
Coronation: Thursday, 8 September 1831.
Children: two daughters who both died in childhood, ten illegitimate children previously.
Died: 20 June 1837, aged 71.

1831 GOLD SOVEREIGN MS 64

Beautiful and bright with honey-gold color.
Features a sharp strike on clear fields and original satiny luster. Light die flaw on reverse to right of shield.
NGC: Pop of seven with only one grading higher.
ex Property of a Gentleman, Spink Auction 117, 19 November 1997, lot 1993
ex BENTLEY COLLECTION. A.H.Baldwin Auction 73, 7 May 2012, Bentley Collection Part 1, lot 25.
View Coin   GREAT BRITAIN 1816-1901 1/2SOV 1834 G.britain WILLIAM SMALL SIZE NGC MS 64 GT. BRITAIN, WILLIAM IV, GOLD HALF-SOVEREIGN 1834
(Marsh 410, S-3830).

OBVERSE: Bare head of King facing right, engraved by William Wyon (1795-1851).
REVERSE: A garnished shield modeled and engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen (1769-1850).
DIAMETER: 17.9 mm.
WEIGHT: 3.994g
EDGE: Milled.
FINENESS: 22 carat.
MINTAGE: 133.899.
RATING: R2 (M.Marsh).

William's first currency half sovereign was not issued until 1834, and had a diameter of only 17.9 mm; this was considerably smaller than any other half-sovereign previously struck during the modern era (19.4 mm), but it was though the same weight and fineness as previous issues (3.994 g and 22 carats).

1834 GOLD HALF-SOVEREIGN MS 64
NGC 3743677-005

A conditionally rare example.
Superb Choice Brilliant Uncirculated, slightly prooflike with gleaming luster, sharp strike and superb color.
ex Heritage Auction # 3030, Lot 24179, 6 January 2014.
NGC: Pop 1 with one grading higher (MS65).


EVENTS IN HISTORY
www.onthisday.com/events/date/1834

Feb. 18 1834 : 1st US labor newspaper, "The Man", published, NYC.

Mar. 18 1834 : 1st railroad tunnel in US completed, in Pennsylvania (275 m long).

Apr. 3 1834 : The generals in the Greek War of Independence stand trial for treason.

May 26 1834 : Portuguese Civil war ends, Dom Miguel capitulates.

June 14, 1834 : Sandpaper patented by Isaac Fischer Jr, Springfield, Vermont.

June 21, 1834 : Historic invention; American inventor and businessman Cyrus McCormick patents the reaping machine.

July 5 1834 : Provisional government forms in Oregon Country.

August 1 1834 : Slavery Abolition Act 1833 comes into effect, abolishes slavery throughout the British Empire.
Slavery Abolition Act, (1833), in British history, act of Parliament that abolished slavery in most British colonies, freeing more than 800,000 enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and South Africa as well as a small number in Canada. It received Royal Assent on August 28, 1833, and took effect on August 1, 1834.

Oct 16 1834 : Much of the ancient structures of the Palace of Westminster (parliament) in London is burnt down.

Nov 14 1834 : Mathematical Physicist and Engineer William Thomson enters Glasgow University at 10 yrs 4 months.

Dec 3 1834 : First US dental society organized (NY).
View Coin   GREAT BRITAIN 1816-1901 1/2SOV 1835 G.britain NORMAL SIZE NGC MS 64 GT. BRITAIN, WILLIAM IV GOLD HALF-SOVEREIGN 1835
(Marsh 411,S-3831).

OBVERSE: Bare head of King William IV facing right, engraved by William Wyon (1795-1851).
REVERSE: Garnished shield modeled and engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen (1769-1850).
DIAMETER: 19.4mm.
WEIGHT: 3.994g
EDGE: Milled.
FINENESS: 22 Carat.
MINTAGE: 772,554
RATING: S (M.Marsh)

1835 GOLD HALF-SOVEREIGN MS 64+
NGC 4625438-013

A stunning example of this scarce date, with strong strike and spectacular full sun-yellow luster.
By all measures a show-stopping selection that edges very nearly on Gem Mint State preservation. Denoted by a + symbol appearing after the grade, the plus designation indicates that a coin is of superior quality for the grade and that it approaches the quality requirements for the next technical grade level. In addition to their superior technical merit, coins receiving a Plus ( + ) must have above average eye appeal. In numismatics, in addition to plus, several terms are used interchangeably to indicate this, including premium quality, PQ and high-end.

Ex Heritage Auction #3064, Chicago IL, Lot #31033, 21 April 2018.


Events in history 1835: www.onthisday.com/events/date/1835

Jan 8 1835 : US national debt is $0 for the first and only time in history

January 30 1835 : Richard Lawrence misfires at President Andrew Jackson in Washington, D.C. in 1st attempted assassination of a US President

April 18 1835 : Election of Interest, William Lamb (Lord Melbourne) becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
after Robert Peel resigns out of frustration.

May 6 1835 : James Gordon Bennett Sr. publishes the first issue of the New York Herald (price 1 cent).

May 20 1835 : Otto is named the first modern king of Greece.

June 19 1835 : New Orleans gives US government Jackson Square to be used as a mint.

July 29 1835 : 1st sugar plantation in Hawaii begins.

Aug. 30 1835 : Melbourne, Australia is founded.

Oct. 2 1835 : Battle of Gonzales fought between Texan settlers and Mexican forces. First engagement of the Texas revolution.

Non. 23 1835 : Henry Burden patents horseshoe manufacturing machine (Troy, NY).

Dec. 3 1835 : First US mutual fire insurance company issues first policy (Rhode Island).

Dec 16 1835 : Fire consumes over 600 buildings in NYC.

Dec 29 1835 : Treaty of New Echota is signed between the US government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction to cede all lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States.
View Coin   GREAT BRITAIN 1816-1901 1/2SOV 1837 G.britain NGC MS 65 GT.BRITAIN, WILLIAM IV, GOLD HALF-SOVEREIGN 1837 (Marsh 413, S-3831).

OBVERSE: Bare head of King William IV facing right, engraved by William Wyon (1795-1851).
REVERSE: Garnished shield modeled and engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen (1769-1850).
DIAMETER: 19.4 mm.
WEIGHT: 3.994 g.
EDGE: Milled.
FINENESS: 22 carat.
MINTAGE: 160.207.
RATING: R (M.Marsh).

1837 GOLD HALF-SOVEREIGN MS 65
NGC 2829223-001

Superb GEM example of this extremely rare date, with brilliant satin luster cloaking the entire planchet, and with every detail sharply rendered.
Fully deserving of its premium gem designation, an unbeatable example for its quality and eye appeal.
DNW Auction, November 2018. Self-submitted, December 2018.

NGC : Price Guide Plate Coin.


Events in history 1837 : www.onthisday.com/events/date/1837

Jan. 22 1837 : Earthquake in southern Syria kills thousands.

Feb 13 1837 : Riot in New York due to a combination of poverty and increase in the cost of flour.

Feb. 25 1837 : 1st US electric printing press patented by Thomas Davenport.

Mar 3 1837 : US President Andrew Jackson and Congress recognize the Republic of Texas.

Mar 4 1837 : Martin Van Buren inaugurated as the 8th President of the United States.

Mar 24 1837 : Canada gives its black citizens the right to vote.

May 3 1837 : The University of Athens is founded.

May 6 1837 : US blacksmith John Deere creates the first steel plough in Grand Detour, Illinois.

May 10 1837 : Panic of 1837: New York City banks fail, and unemployment reaches record levels.

May 31 1837 : Astor Hotel opens in NYC, it later becomes the Waldorf-Astoria.

June 17 1837 : Charles Goodyear obtains his 1st rubber patent.

June 20 1837 : Queen Victoria at 18 ascends British throne following death of uncle King William IV.
She rules for 63 years till 1901.

Historical Context : Opening of Euston Station

July 20 1837 : Euston railway station opens in London as the terminus of the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR), the city's 1st intercity railway station.
The original Euston railway Station was London's first mainline station and the first station to connect London with another city. Planned by George and Robert Stephenson, it was designed by Philip Hardwick and opened in 1837.
When the station was first proposed its land was still farmland but it quickly became one of London's busiest stations. It was controversially redeveloped in the 1960s and its original entrance portico, the Doric Euston Arch, dismantled.

July 27 1837 : US Mint opens in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sep. 1837 : Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young co-found a "stationery and fancy goods emporium" in New York City, later renamed in 1853 as "Tiffany & Co."

Nov. 15 1837 : Isaac Pitman introduces his shorthand system of writing, Pitman shorthand.

Dec. 29 1837 : Steam-powered threshing machine patented in Winthrop, Maine.
View Coin   GREAT BRITAIN 1816-1901 1SOV 1837 G.britain NGC MS 62 GT.BRITAIN, WILLIAM IV 1837 GOLD SOVEREIGN
(Marsh 21; S 3829B).

OBVERSE: Bare head of King facing right, engraved by William Wyon (1795-1851).
REVERSE: Garnished shield modelled and engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen (1769-1850).
DIAMETER: 22.05 mm.
WEIGHT: 7.998 g.
EDGE: Milled.
FINENESS: 22 carat.
MINTAGE: 1,172,984
RATING: S (M.Marsh).

WILLIAM IV, SOVEREIGN, 1837, SECOND BARE HEAD.

The standard design for the currency Sovereigns of King William IV from 1830-1837 inclusive, was engraved by William Wyon after Francis Chantrey’s model, and consists of two bare headed bust types and one standard reverse. Both bust types have the same legend reading GULIELMUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR REX F: D: The first bust obverse has more finely engraved hair most noticeable on the top of his head and a more rounded ear. The position of the bust in relation to the legend dictates that his nose points to the second letter N in britanniar. The first bust obverse has border teeth that are quite fine and tall, and more in number when compared with obverse two. The second obverse has coarser hair, a flat top to the ear and the nose points to the second I in britanniar. The border teeth also differ from the first bust as the obverse teeth are of a coarser wide spread rendering, with less depth. The majority of the coinage of William IV Sovereigns, depict this obverse, including the very first pattern piece of 1830. It seems the demarcation of second bust relates really to its use ending with the reign in 1837, as the first bust type finishes first by 1832. The reverse teeth on the second bust obverse coins are similar to the first bust obverse ones, and are taller and finer than those on the obverse of the second bust coins. The reverses of William IV engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen, always carry eight strings in the Irish harp with a diagonal line running through them depicting the rear of the bottom harp body. The inner arches of the crown above have thirteen pearls on each side, and five more run diagonally up each side of the central upright. There are nine varied jewels on the crown band. There is a short legend reading to the lower left anno and the date to the lower right. The edges are milled as usual. There was no issue in or dated 1834.

KING WILLIAM IV

The Reign of King William IV (House of Hanover) 1830-1837.
Born: 21 August 1765.
Accession: 26 June 1830.
Married: Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg and Meiningen, 11 July 1818 after first meeting a week before.
A double wedding with his brother, Prince Edward the Duke of Kent.
Coronation: Thursday, 8 September 1831.
Children: two daughters who both died in childhood, ten illegitimate children previously.
Died: 20 June 1837, aged 71.

1837 GOLD SOVEREIGN MS 62

Beautiful and bright with honey-gold color.
Features a sharp strike on clear fields and original satiny luster.
NGC: Pop of six with only two grading higher.
ex Clark Smith Numismatists, San Rafael CA, USA, purchased 21 January 2010.

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