Great Britain 1896 crown
The first specimen was lot 32843 in Heritage sale 3089 (Dallas, TX, January 2021), where it sold for $1,080. The catalog description[1] noted, "Great Britain. Victoria Crown 1896 MS64 NGC, LX edge. A classic Victorian crown endowed with an aged airy silver patina that reveals a subtly golden backlight upon rotation. Presently amongst the finest certified at NGC. From the Abbeygate Collection." The second specimen was lot 20343 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (Newport Beach, CA, January 2021), where it sold for $960. The catalog description[2] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. Crown, 1896 Year LX. London Mint. Victoria. PCGS MS-64 Gold Shield. Exceeded in the PCGS census by just two examples, this wonderfully delightful "old head" crown presents mostly steely gray surfaces with some hints of olive green, while a darker nature is evident near portions of the peripheries. Meanwhile, a great deal of lustrous brilliance glistens from beneath. From the Trident Collection."The type was struck 1893-1901 in some numbers but is rather expensive in nice condition. A crown was worth five shillings or sixty pence.
Recorded mintage: 318,000 (years LIX and LX).
Specification: 28.28 g, 0.925 fine silver, 38.61 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM 783, S-3937, Dav-108.
- 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.
- Rayner, P. Alan, and Maurice Bull, English Silver Coinage from 1649, 6th Ed., London: Spink & Son, 2015.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, Heritage Auction 3089: NYINC World & Ancient Coins Platinum & Signature Auction - Dallas, featuring the Cape Coral Collection of European Crowns and the Penn Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2020.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The January 2021 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Oro del Nuevo Mundo and Matt Orsini Collections, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
Links to: