George V gold Sovereign 1916-C MS62 PCGS, Ottawa mint, KM20, S-3997, Marsh-224 (R2). Mintage: 6,119. Admitting a few grade-defining handling marks throughout, yet the strength of the current offering rests on its firm strike, reassuring mint luster and the undeniable desirability owing to the general paucity of this type on the marketplace. A brief study to auction records testify of the interest that this issue persistently commands from the collectors of Canadian gold rarities. The mystery surrounding the rarity of this issue begins with its mintage. The emission for the 1916-C sovereign is listed at 6,119 pieces - nearly twice as many as the 1913-C (3,717). The only difference between these two dates is that less than 50 graded pieces are known of the 1916-C, yet the 1913-C, despite being rare, has a few hundred known. No theory seems to adequately address or confirm what happened to all of the 1916-C sovereigns, though speculation exists. One hypothesis is that the whole of the mintage was melted, save for a few pieces; another theory postulates that the majority of the mintage was lost at sea during World War I, on the way to England as an international payment between Canada and England. Both of these theories remain unconfirmed, and the second thesis seems rather unlikely, as the gold could have just been transferred to the account of Great Britain with the New York Federal Reserve Bank, and no sea voyage would have been required. Thus, the mystery remains unsolved, however, dedicated Sovereign type collectors globally recognize the elusive nature of this date. From the Mac and Rob Woodside Collection

HID09801242017

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