Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Auctions    
       

       

                             



Sale 31: The Pre-Long Beach Auction May 30 - June 1, 2005
             

             
            Lot 2323Great Britain. Gold Proof Half Guinea, 1728. George II. 
            Young laureate bust. S-3681. WR-75. Plain edge. R4, 11-20 known. 
            Extremely rare, a Proof of Record (intended for museum collections) 
            of this, the first year struck in the new style, and the first half 
            guinea of this king. A nice choice coin, struck in high relief as 
            only a Proof could be, the tasteful portrait of the king in moderate 
            cameo relief against reflective fields, all with a delicate 
            orange-peel texture enjoyed only by gold Proofs. Interestingly, 
            hammered gold was still seen occasionally in circulation in England 
            during this year, being finally demonetized in 1733. Another 
            perspective adds to the allure of the coinage of this era: it was 
            the height of the days of pirates and buccaneers, some scoundrels 
            outside the law and some unofficially in the employ of nations, sent 
            to plunder treasure from ships at sea, to enrich both themselves 
            (every sailor would get a "cut" of the bounty taken from any enemy 
            vessel) and their homeland treasury. The gold used to mint this 
            wonderful coin could, in fact, have been part of some such captured 
            loot. Thus, out of high adventure, could come an elegant artistic 
            "statement" of its era, like this gleaming gold Proof! Only a 
            handful exist in all states of preservation. NGC graded Proof 63. 
            Estimated Value $11,000-13,000. 

            Provenance: The Cheshire Collection.


          








Courtesy Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers, Beverly Hills, CA. www.goldbergcoins.com