Owner Comments:
S-3874, Marsh 145
Acquired from: St James, London
Means: Auction 65, Lot 1361
Date: 21 September 2022
Critique: Very beautiful gold sovereign, especially the reverse. As of 12/2022, the single highest graded London mint Victoria Veiled Head sov by NGC. Very spirited bidding for this lot, and it ended up 50% higher than the generous pre-auction estimate.
There is a single coin graded MS66 by PCGS (cert #21806417), but it's definitely over-graded. In a side-by-side comparison, the brilliant luster of this NGC coin absolutely destroys the dull splotchy finish of the PCGS fraud. There is also a 1897-M sov graded MS65+* by NGC, but I think that coin is also seriously over-graded. I have just recently discovered a link to the auction listing of that coin, which sold for an amazing £4800 (approx US$6000) at Spinks London (auction 22007, lot 304). The obverse of my coin and that one seem quite similar in quality, however the reverse of the 1897-M coin is vastly inferior. I would give it a true grade of MS63. It shows significant scratching and cloudiness throughout the field, and a serious gouge on the horse's flank. The NGC certification is #6295547-004, so I invite you to make the comparison yourself and see if you agree.
Based on examination of all three specimens, I think my coin can rightfully be considered the single finest surviving circulation strike Victoria Veiled Head gold sovereign of any date produced at any mint. Approximately 110 million coins in total were minted, and this is the best graded example existing. For collectors, it's the ultimate specimen of this nine year, four mint type.
It's definitely a great privilege to own a coin of this stature, even for just a short time, and I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to protect and preserve it for future generations of sovereign collectors to admire.