Owner Comments:
GT. BRITAIN, GEORGE IV (LAUREATE BUST) GOLD SOVEREIGN 1821
(Marsh 5; S 3800).
OBVERSE: The King's bust to the left, laureate, tye with loop at two ends, hair short and bare neck. B.P. in small letters below truncation standing for Benedetto Pistrucci.
REVERSE: St.George slaying the Dragon with sword. Date below the exergue line with the letters B.P. to the right.
ENGRAVER: Benedetto Pistrucci.
DIAMETER: 22.05mm
WEIGHT: 7.998g
FINENESS: 22 Carat.
EDGE: Milled.
MINTAGE: 9,405,114
RARITY: N (M.Marsh).
GEORGE IV, SOVEREIGN, 1821, FIRST TYPE.
The reign of King George IV marks the highly significant introduction of the classic design of St George slaying the dragon with a sword by Benedetto Pistrucci we are all familiar with today. Pistrucci’s depiction of the first bust of George IV is very Roman in its style with the King wearing a 13 leaf laurel wreath. Pistrucci’s initials are for a gold coin, significantly prominent on each side of the coin, whereas with his previous George III issue they were incuse and quite well hidden under the broken lance. The initials of the Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, who was instrumental in commissioning Pistrucci to the Mint in the first place, has his initials placed under the broken lance. The wwp appears quite squiggle-like and indistinct, and amazingly lasts in this position into the reign of George V over a hundred years later. These initials were on the Garter buckle on the reverse in the previous issue of George III. Other features of the first standard design for the currency Sovereigns of King George IV from 1821-1825 are an unusual style of lettering in the legend which reads georgius iiii d : g : britanniar: rex f: d:, each letter has an incuse central compartment upon its limbs ruled with raised horizontal lines. A new type of outer border is employed with fine raised teeth between an inner and outer concentric linear circle, giving quite a square indent between each tooth. The currency coins are struck with an inverted die axis as usual for this period, the figure of St George now brandishes a sword to slay the dragon, his helmet has a crested plume only, and the horse’s tail terminates in three strands. The broken lance with the initials beneath lies on the ground-line to the left, the date and b.p. initials are in the exergue below and the edge is straight grained milled. Calendar year mintage 9,405,114. Looking at this calendar year total, if we allow for Marsh’s estimate of 1,170,000 of these being 1820 dated coins of George III, then we must reduce this total to 8,235,114. It is interesting to note that the first type Sovereign of King George IV are the only sovereigns ever issued with decorative style lettering with “hatched” compartments.
KING GEORGE IV
The Reign of King George IV (House of Hanover) 1820-1830.
Born: 12 August 1762.
Accession: 29 January 1820.
Married: Caroline of Brunswick 8 April 1795, later separated and banned from attending the Coronation.
Coronation: Thursday, 19 July 1821.
Child: one daughter Charlotte who predeceased her Father 6 November 1817.
Died: 26 June 1830, aged 67.
1821 GOLD SOVEREIGN MS 64
NGC 2775472-001
Beautiful and bright with sharp details, booming luster and gorgeous deep gold toning.
ex Stacks Bowers Auction, April 2011, lot 10153.