George IV Crown 1821 MS66+ PCGS, KM680.1, S-3805, ESC-2310. A joy to behold, this offering approaches technical numismatic perfection. Much acclaim is granted to William Wyon, the engraver behind George IV's 1825 'bare head' portrait, William IV's coinage and many of Victoria's most celebrated coins. Few designs, however, do greater justice to the artistic skill of Benedetto Pistrucci than this marvelous Crown. One of the most charming attributes of this coin is the shallow depth to which Pistrucci engraves, yet the detail, the life he captures within this minute layer of silver is incredible. Every leaf within the King's laurel wreath is represented in razor-sharp detail, every curl of his hair boldly rendered; whilst the famous reverse scene of St. George slaying the dragon is, simply put, a neoclassical masterpiece of vibrant energy and composition. The planchet of this exceptional specimen glows with a luster so uniform and misty as to approach a prooflike sheen, contact marks so minute as to fade into insignificance. Accordingly, this piece is truly deserving of its certified grade, a hair's breadth from the highest grade level for this type (MS67 at both NGC and PCGS). It is difficult to imagine any other specimen carrying a higher eye-appeal than this beauty, and we expect keen collector interest thus.

HID99912102018