Great Britain 1824 half crown KM-695
This specimen was lot 41473 in Stack's Bowers Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction (Pittsburgh, August 2026), where it sold for $70,150. The catalog description[1] noted, "Possibly Unique 1/2 Crown Struck in Gold, GREAT BRITAIN. Gold 1/2 Crown Pattern, 1824. London Mint. George IV. PCGS Genuine--Test Cut, Unc Details. An EXTREMELY RARE Pattern striking in gold, the first we can recall offering as such and indeed the only example we are able to find in our research. The coin is accompanied by a tag from The Coin Exchange that notes the piece as "possibly unique and formerly owned by George IIII"; we are unable to confirm the verity of these claims, though the gold composition is indeed suggestive of production for presentation to a VIP. Struck to razor-sharp relief, with strong frost to the portrait and pleasingly mirrored fields. The noted test cut is quite small and fairly unobtrusive, appearing at roughly 9 o'clock along the obverse rim. Other than this, there are no major surface defects, with only the scattered lines and marks one might expect to accompany a low Uncirculated grade. A PERHAPS UNIQUE opportunity for collectors to acquire a gold Pattern issue by William Wyon for what would become the 1825-29 1/2 Crown design. From the Charles “Cheech” Litman Collection." This type is recorded for 1824-29 and is scarce in decent (VF or better) condition. The 1824 was struck only in proof. The Pistrucci bust (KM 688), which George IV disliked because it accurately depicted his corpulence, was used 1823-24.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 14.14 g, 0.925 fine silver, this specimen gold.
Catalog reference: W&R-256 (R7); cf. KM-695 (normal Proof issue); cf. S-3809 (normal Proof issue).
- Bressett, Kenneth E., A Guide Book of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 2nd Ed., Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing, 1962.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2026.
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