Owner Comments:
Wow – this coin is spectacular. It was originally housed in an NGC PF-66 BN holder, but it was set free from its tomb before recently getting a fresh NGC holder. I believe this piece is conservatively graded. The obverse and reverse have a pleasant chocolate brown color that sharply contrasts with the slightly frosted main devices. Beyond the aesthetic appeal, this piece has the original silver-lined brass shells, hand inscribed wrapper, and a provenance that spans over two centuries. If that is not enough to catch your attention, you should see the upcoming entry in the corresponding medal set. The reverse die of this piece was used to strike a medal commemorating Princess Victoria’s visit to Soho!
Obverse: George III is depicted facing right adorned by a wreath of 11 leaves, which is tied behind his neck by a riband of two loops and two ends. A brooch of 10 tightly formed jewels on the right shoulder catches the drapery. The lowest fold of the drapery is “obliquely striated” (i.e., a series of lines titled to the left), which are superimposed by the letter K followed by a dot (i.e., K.). Peck (1970), notes a faint horizontal flow on the largest fold of the drapery. The legend is contained within a thin raised rim and toothed border and reads as follows: GEORGIUS III · D: G · REX. (evenly spaced). The date ”1806” is free of flaws and appears at the bottom of the coin under the bust.
Reverse: Britannia is depicted facing left wearing a close-fitting drapery sitting on a rock surrounded by waves. Her right arm is extended, and her hand holds an olive branch with 11 leaves and three berries. All the leaves are attached to the twig. Her left arm is down with a trident clasped in her hand, of which the middle prong bisects the second limb of the 2nd “N” in Britannia. An oval shield that adorns the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew (heraldically colored) is to her left side. Peck (1970) notes that the space between the shield and her hand is slightly larger and that two horizontal lines appear under her left hand. These appear to be a continuation of her gown. To the right of the shield is a banner with the Soho mint mark which reads “SOHO”. To the left of the shield is the letter K. A 3-masted warship appears in the sea in front of her. Peck (1970) notes that the ship does not have gunports, and that the flag at the stern is striated. The sea is not curved like that of the 1799 halfpennies but is instead straight, leaving a clear exergue. The legend which is contained within a thin outer rim and a toothed border is as follows: BRITANNIA (even spacing).
Edge: Grained
Notes: This is a spectacular coin with an impeccable provenance. That alone would suffice my interest, but Peck (1970) adds a little more intrigue. As previously mentioned, the reverse die was used to strike a very important medal in 1830. That event tells us that George III era dies were still in use for special production over ten years after his death. Shockingly, this reverse die was very preserved as there are no notable areas of depreciation in quality on the medal, which suggests a long shelf life for some Soho Mint dies. I plan to provide more information in the write-up for the medal.