Great Britain 1886 sovereign

Sincona sale 75, lot 352

This specimen was lot 352 in Sincona sale 75 (Zürich, May 2022), where it sold for 100,000 CHF (about US$121,380 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted, "Grossbritannien | Königreich. Victoria, 1837-1901. Proof Sovereign 1886, London. Second large head. WW in relief on truncation. Grained edge. Von grösster Seltenheit. NGC PF66 ULTRA CAMEO. Prachtexemplar. (Of the highest rarity, Cabinet piece.)" The SCWC does not list any sovereigns for 1886, making this piece a mystery. In addition, the shield reverse shown here had been retired from the London mint since 1874. However, the Sydney and Melbourne mints were still striking shield reverse sovereigns in 1886 and it is possible this proof was made in Australia without mintmark.

Recorded mintage: unknown but few.

Specification: 7.99 g, 0.917 fine gold, .2354 troy oz AGW, this specimen 7.97 g.

Catalog reference: KM 753.1 (unlisted date), WR 329.

Source:

Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
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.
^[1]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 75, SINCONA British Collection - Part 2, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2022..

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Great Britain 1886 sovereign

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