George IV gold Proof 1/2 Sovereign 1821 PR65 Cameo PCGS, KM681, S-3802, W&R-244 (R3). By Benedetto Pistrucci. A practically incomparable selection from what is perhaps one of the rarest British Proof sets of the 19th century, hardly ever seen at auction, much less so in this peak certified quality. Though seldom mentioned in numismatic scholarship, the coronation set of George IV--encompassing the Sovereign, 1/2 Sovereign, Crown, 1/2 Crown, Shilling, and 6 Pence--was produced in unrecorded numbers, though, if we are to trust the rarity of this coin as described by Wilson and Rasmussen, the figure may have been around 25 to 30 sets; indeed, to measure by the current certified population, only 21 total pieces have been seen between the two major grading services. Standing as the finest alongside just one other representative at PCGS, hardly a feature of this coin could be expressed with greater clarity, one of the few features to indicate its nearly 200-year age being mottled orange-gold tone.

HID09801242017

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