Ancient, British and World Coins, Tokens and Banknotes

George vi, Proof Threepence, 1946 (SC 110). Has become a little cloudy, lacking full original brilliance, and with an area of discolouration on obverse to left of head, but otherwise good extremely fine and extremely rare (£120-150)

Little has been published concerning the extremely rare 20th century proofs struck by the Royal Mint from the middle years of the 20th century until the 1960’s. Coincraft’s Standard Catalogue, to the great credit of the authors, lists those specimens known to them – the first British catalogue to do so. The only other survey of these issues we are aware of is an article in the journal of the American Numismatic Association, The Numismatist, – “Proof Record Coins struck by the Royal Mint 1922-1964” by Harry E. Spencer, December, 1983.

It seems the practice of striking proofs on a regular basis was introduced by the deputy master, Robert E. Johnson, as a way of preserving for posterity a few examples of all the coins struck by the Royal Mint in the finest possible state – including those made for British Commonwealth and foreign countries. That some were sent to museums is certain: the British Museum has a large number, as does the Fitzwilliam at Cambridge, and the Ashmolean at Oxford. Whether others were sent to museums, mints, or other government agencies outside the British Isles is not known at present but may well have been the case on at least a number of occasions. In some circumstances, it is also likely specimens were given to important visitors to the Mint or other interested parties, but the rarity of the proofs leads to the firm conclusion that this occurred very infrequently. The field cries out for further research, but what is certain is that examples not in institutional collections and available to collectors is very small indeed. See also lots 171, 188, 189, 190, 215, 253, 254, 255, 298, 325, 357.