GREAT BRITAIN. Gilt 1/2 Penny Pattern, 1788. NGC PROOF-66.

P-966; cf. KM-PnA63. Late Soho issue struck in brown-gilt. Laureate bust of George III right; Reverse: Britannia seat left on globe, spear in right hand, wreath in left; Edge: Raised and reading, "RENDER TO CESAR THE THINGS WHICH ARE CESARS". A magnificent survivor of this Birmingham Mint pattern issue, struck by Matthew Boulton and James Watt on their revolutionary steam presses that would ultimately modernize minting process not only in Britain, but across the world. Among the finest surviving examples, this piece displays ultra-crisp detail from center to edge and soft coppery golden color that deepens only slightly in places due to delicate tone. As one might expect of a Proof, definite reflective flash also exists in the fields with soft frost on the central designs imparting slight cameo-producing contrast. Minimal handling confirms the elite grade which remains unsurpassed in the NGC census. An exciting and important opportunity thus for the collector focused on high-end coins with compelling stories.