NGC-certified Una and the Lion Offered in AuctionWorld Sale

Rarities from England and the Roman Empire that are certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) are at center stage in an upcoming auction in Japan. Online bidding is already underway for the AuctionWorld 38th Auction, which will be held January 27-28, 2024.

The top lot is a 15-piece set of NGC-certified Great Britain 1839 Proof coins that includes an Una and the Lion Gold 5 Sovereign graded NGC PF 63 Ultra Cameo (lot 4501). The other coins range from the Farthing to the Sovereign, with grades from NGC PF 60 Cameo to NGC PF 65 BN. The lot has a starting price of 30,000,000 JPY (about $210,000).

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Widely considered to be the most beautiful coin in British numismatics, the Una and the Lion was issued to celebrate the ascension of the young Queen Victoria to the throne. The design was inspired by Edmund Spenser's 1590 poem "The Faerie Queene." The obverse shows a bust of Queen Victoria, and the reverse depicts her in the character of Lady Una, guiding a lion that represents England.

Other NGC-certified coins in this auction include:

• an England 1701 5 Guineas - Plain Sceptres graded NGC MS 64+ (lot 4378) with a starting price of 10,000,000 JPY (about $69,000)
• a Ptolemaic Kingdom Berenice II d.221 BC Gold Octodrachm graded NGC Ancients Ch AU★, 5/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface (lot 2078) with a starting price of 8,000,000 JPY (about $56,000)
• A set of two Roman Empire Caracalla AD 198-217 Gold Aurei, each graded NGC Ancients Ch AU★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 2104) with a starting price of 8,000,000 JPY (about $56,000)
• a Great Britain 1741 5 Guineas graded NGC MS 62 (lot 4396) with a starting price of 6,000,000 JPY (about $42,000)
• a Great Britain 1720 Great Britain 5 Guineas graded NGC AU 55 (lot 4389) with a starting price of 4,500,000 JPY (about $31,000)
• a Roman Imperatorial Marc Antony & Octavia Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients VF, 4/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface (lot 2097), with a starting price of 4,000,000 JPY (about $28,000)
• an England 1705 5 Guineas graded NGC AU 55 (lot 4382) with a starting price of 4,000,000 JPY (about $28,000)
• a Lydia Croesus 561-546 BC Gold Stater graded NGC Ancients Ch AU, 5/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface (lot 2011) with a starting price of 3,500,000 JPY (about $24,000)
• a Great Britain 1709 5 Guineas graded NGC AU 55 (lot 4383) with a starting price of 3,500,000 JPY (about $24,000)
• a Roman Imperatorial Cleopatra VII and Marc Antony Silver Tetradrachm graded NGC Ancients Ch VF, 4/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface (lot 2081) with a starting price of 3,000,000 JPY (about $21,000)

Starting prices are provided by the auction house. The $ symbol indicates US Dollars.