NGC-certified Great Britain Proof Sets Among Top Lots at Ginza Coins Auction

Several Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®)-certified Great Britain Proof Sets from the 19^th Century are among the top lots of Japan’s Ginza Coins auction set for Nov. 23, 2019.

One of the Proof Sets, of 1839 coins, is headlined by a Victoria Gold Five Pounds with the famed “Una and the Lion” design. Only around 400 examples were struck to commemorate the start of Queen Victoria’s reign two years earlier.

The obverse of the 1839 “Una and the Lion” Five Pounds features a beautifully executed bust of Queen Victoria by chief engraver of the Royal Mint William Wyon, who also designed and sculpted the reverse. The legend “VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIARUM REGINA F: D:” surrounds the bust, Latin for “Victoria by the Grace of God, Queen of the British territories, Defender of the Faith.”

A Proof Set of 1839 coins features this Victoria Gold Five Pounds with the famed “Una and the Lion” design. The auction house's estimate for the set is 11.5 million Yen (about $105,500 USD). Click images to enlarge.

The coin’s more famous reverse features Queen Victoria, but this time as Lady Una, a character from Edmund Spenser’s 1590 poem “The Faerie Queene.” She is directing a striding lion with a scepter in her right hand and has a globus cruciger (an orb with a cross on it) in her left. The Latin motto “DIRIGE DEUS GRESSUS MEOS,” which translates to “May the Lord direct my steps,” surrounds the scene.

This example of the coin is graded NGC Proof Details.

The other coins in the 15-piece 1839 proof set of Great Britain coins, and their NGC grades, are a Gold Sovereign, PF 63 Ultra Cameo; a Gold Half Sovereign, PF 62+ Ultra Cameo; a Silver Crown, PF 62+ Cameo; a Half Crown, PF 60; a Shilling, PF 61; a Six Pence, PF 62; a Four Pence, PF 63; another Four Pence, PF 63; a Three Pence, Proof Details; a Two Pence, PF 63; a One Pence, PF 61; a Copper Penny, PF 63 BN; a Half Penny, PF 62 BN; and a Farthing, PF 63 BN.

The auction house has set a starting price for the set at 11.5 million Yen (about $105,500 USD).

A lot with an 11-piece 1826 Great Britain Proof Set, and the coins’ NGC grades, consists of a Gold George IV 5 Pounds, PF 63 Cameo; a Gold Two Pounds, PF 63 Ultra Cameo; a Gold Sovereign, PF 64 Cameo; a Gold Half Sovereign, PF 63 Cameo; a Crown, PF 63 Cameo; a Half Crown, PF 60 Cameo; a Shilling, PF 63; a Six Pence, PF 64; a Penny, PF 63 BN; a Half Penny, PF 63 BN; and a Farthing, PF 63 BN.

This lot has a starting price of 8 million Yen (about $73,400 USD).

A lot with a 14-coin 1831 William IV Proof Set consists of a Gold Two Pounds, Proof Details;  a Gold Sovereign, PF 62+ Ultra Cameo; a Gold Half Sovereign, PF 62 Ultra Cameo; a Silver Crown, PF 62; a Half Crown, PF 60; a Shilling, PF 62; a Six Pence, PF 62; a Four Pence, PF 63; a Three Pence, PF 64; a Two Pence, PF 63; a One Pence, PF 63; a Penny, PF 63 BN; a Half Penny, PF 62 BN; and a Farthing, PF 62 BN.

This lot has a starting price of 3.5 million Yen (about $32,000 USD).

A lot with an 11-coin Victoria Jubilee 1887 Proof Set has a Gold Five Pounds, PF 63+ Ultra Cameo; a Two Pounds, PF 63 Ultra Cameo; a Sovereign, PF 65 Ultra Cameo; a Half Sovereign, PF 65 Ultra Cameo; a Silver Crown, PF 64; a Four Shillings, PF 64; a Half Crown, PF 65; a Two Shillings, PF 64; a One Shilling, PF 64; a Six Pence, PF 63; and a Three Pence, PF 65.

The lot has a starting price of 2.8 million Yen (about $26,000 USD).

The Ginza auction also has a number of lots with top NGC-graded individual coins, including:

• A 1688 James II Gold Five Guineas graded NGC MS 60. Starting price: 4.5 million yen (about $41,000 USD).
• A 1726 George I Gold Five Guineas graded NGC AU 58. Starting price: 3.5 million Yen (about $32,000 USD).
• A 1706 Anne Gold Five Guineas graded NGC AU 58. Starting price: 3.5 million Yen (about $32,000 USD).
• An 1809-A France Gold 50 Francs graded NGC MS 64 Starting price: 2.5 million Yen (about $23,000 USD).
• A 1995 China Gold 500 Yuan graded NGC PF 68 Ultra Cameo. Starting price: 2.5 million Yen (about $23,000 USD).
• A 1986 China Gold 1,000 Yuan graded NGC PF 67 Ultra Cameo. Starting price: 1.6 million Yen (about $14,700 USD).
• A 1914-R Prova Italy Vittorio Emanuele III Five Lire graded NGC MS 64. Starting price: 1.5 million Yen (about $13,800 USD).

The auction house provided the starting prices. Bids are subject to a 10 percent buyer’s premium.