Victoria gold Proof "Una and the Lion" 5 Pounds 1839 PR62+ Deep Cameo PCGS, KM742, S-3851, W&R-278. DIRIGE legend, medal alignment. Small lettered edge with 6 scrolls. By William Wyon. An inspiring and nearly choice representative of this celebrated type, often referred to as simply the "Una" due to its depiction of the young Queen Victoria as Una, guiding the lion (Britain). Its low mintage and unique design, among the most popular ever produced in the British series, have both resulted in consistently high demand for the issue, and there certainly seems to be no slowing of this trend, with some of the highest prices ever for the issue occurring within the last year and a half alone. Rich mint frost graces the Queen's visage, yielding a sharp visual juxtaposition against the mirrored fields surrounding, these displaying clear reflectivity to several inches. The raised features are nearly undisturbed by contact, with only the fields themselves revealing the typical scattered hairlines and isolated marks that result in PCGS's assigned near-choice grade. All stated, a true prize for the dedicated type collector, and one whose striking imagery alone has nearly guaranteed the offering to remain among the most coveted relics of world numismatics for countless years to come.

HID09801242017

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