Auction Catalogue

17 September 2013

Starting at 1:00 PM

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British and Scottish Coins and Countermarked Tokens from the Collection of the late Arthur Chesser

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

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Lot

№ 213

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17 September 2013

Hammer Price:
£1,050

George IV (1820-1830), Pattern Crown or medal, undated, after B. Pistrucci, in white metal, laureate bust left, rev. royal arms and supporters, m below, edge plain, 36mm, 16.52g/12h (ESC 265a; L & S 43; cf. BHM 1103). Reverse edge bruise at 3 o’clock and a few trifling surface marks, otherwise extremely fine and extremely rare £500-700

The real purpose of these pieces is not now known. Rayner, in ESC (p.33) maintains the time-honoured view that they were patterns for a crown executed c. 1828 and dispels the notion inferred by Linecar and Stone’s repetition of a century-old attribution to the engraver John Milton, who had died in 1805 (p.69). Brown (p.270) speculates that they were issued in connection with George IV’s coronation in July 1821. Many of the specimens seen carry the initial M on the lower reverse, perhaps indicative of an association with either Jean-Baptiste Merlen, George Mills or James Mudie (cf. DNW 27, lot 498 and Goldberg Auction 32 (Beverly Hills), 21 September 2005, lot 3429)