Owner Comments:
GT.BRITAIN, VICTORIA Young (small) Head, Type A1 (without die number) 1839 GOLD PROOF SOVEREIGN
(S 3852).
OBVERSE: Young head bust of the Queen faving left, engraved by William Wyon.
REVERSE: Ornate garnished shield containing the Ensigns Armorial of the United Kingdom, engraved by J.B.Merlen.
DIAMETER: 22.05mm.
WEIGHT: 7.998 g.
FINENESS: 22 carat.
MILLESIMAL FINENESS: 916.66.
EDGE: Plain.
MINTAGE: 1230.
VICTORIA, 1839 PROOF SOVEREIGN
The 1839 Proof Sovereign was produced for presentation to very important persons, and William Wyon himself would have been able to supply proofs to whomever he pleased, or to those who would commission him to do so. These proof Sovereigns were produced with either an inverted or upright die axis, whether this was intentional or not is uncertain. The 1839 proofs were included as part of the “Coronation” Proof Sets showing proof quality coins struck from highly polished dies of all the denominations to be issued for currency if they had not done so already. Some of the proof denominations occur in these sets with either one die axis or the other, but to be a true set, all coins should feature the same die axis. As the Crown and Five Pounds always occur with the same upright die axis this would seem to dictate that all the proofs in the set from the Sovereign to Farthing of 1839 should also be upright. As mentioned above the impressive Proof Set also included the magnificent Five Pounds with the impressive depiction of the Queen as Una leading the British Lion. The set also included a Crown and both of these coins featured the full signature of William Wyon, as w wyon r.a. the letters showing his membership of admission to the Royal Academy. This was the first time an artist’s surname had appeared in full since Pistrucci’s full name on the George III Crowns and gold Five Pounds and Two Pounds patterns of 1820. Wyon had attempted this previously with the pattern Crown for William IV in 1831, but this did not make it to production for the 1831 Proof Set, having been abbreviated to ww as usually seen on the currency coinage. It seems by 1839 the advisory committee to the Royal Mint had relented. The 1839 Proof Set is generally accepted as the third Proof Set available from the Royal Mint and deluxe fitted cases could be supplied to house the coins.
VICTORIA First Small Young Head Type CURRENCY SOVEREIGN.
The currency Sovereigns of Queen Victoria begin with a standard Young head design engraved by William Wyon with date below. The head does not quite fill the field as a later depiction does from 1848, and has the hair bound with a double fillet. It also has a large bun at the rear of the head that drops down into a “ponytail,” which on this earlier issue terminates at the bottom in a single strand ring-like curl. The engraver’s initial’s w.w. appear raised on the truncation. The legend reads victoria dei gratia. The border is finely toothed with a linear circle around the raised border which features both sides with a milled edge. The young head obverse design in basic from runs from 1838 till 1887. There are no Sovereigns dated 1840. However, this first young head is of a smaller design and only lasts for ten years inclusive from 1838-1848. The reverse engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen features a new crowned shield design with a laurel wreath surrounding to left and right of 24 leaves per side, the top of each wreath each side terminates in two leaves. The bottom stalks are tied together with a ribbon and emblematic plants are depicted below. A central rose with a thistle to the left and a shamrock to the right. A small rosette appears either side. The majority of currency reverses of Victoria carry seven strings in the Irish harp with a faint diagonal line running through them depicting the rear of the bottom harp body. The shorter left string generally emanates at the top from the scroll on the back of the female figure on the harp body. The inner arches of the crown above have eleven pearls on each side, and five more run up the central upright. There are nine varied jewels on the crown band. The legend reads britanniarum regina fid: def:. The reverse is struck with an inverted die axis in relation to the obverse. The shield type reverse design endures in the London series from 1838 till 1874 with just a few varieties. In the Colonial Australian series this reverse lasted until 1887 as it proved popular and acceptable in trade with Asia.
QUEEN VICTORIA
The Reign of Queen Victoria (House of Hanover) : 1837-1901
Born: 24 May 1819.
Accession: 20 June 1837.
Married: Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 10 February 1840.
Coronation: Thursday 28 June 1838.
Children: four sons, five daughters.
Died: 22 January 1901, aged 81.
1839 GOLD PROOF SOVEREIGN PF 61 CAMEO
Beautiful bright proof, with rich orange-gold color, sharp strike and frosted devices.