Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Auctions    
       

       

                             



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

             
            Lot 2480Great Britain. Copper Twopence, 1797. George III. Soho Mint. 
            S-3776. The classic "cartwheel" and largest copper coin ever issued 
            by Great Britain. Never, before the innovations of Boulton and Watt 
            at their Soho Mint in Birmingham, had anyone managed to strike such 
            a massive coin of nearly pure copper, inside a collar that contained 
            the coin and in effect created an anti-counterfeiting masterpiece. 
            Russia's big coppers come to mind as similar coins, of the same era, 
            but they are crude by comparison, with far different and less 
            effective edges. This coin is quite literally the ultimate 
            numismatic expression of the triumph in metal of the Industrial 
            Revolution in England. It was struck just one year in this style 
            (though in 1805 patterns were struck of the so-called Third Issue). 
            Each year, this coin has grown in popularity worldwide for its 
            distinctive qualities and visual appeal. It was made in huge 
            numbers, by the ton, and continued in circulation through the 
            Victorian Era, when it was in use as "bus fare"; piles were shoveled 
            each day from trolley cars, accounting for the big edge and surface 
            marks seen on most circulated examples. This use or circulation 
            continued for at least a century, and high-grade coins are today 
            fairly rare. This one is sensibly rated by NGC as a 63 but 
            underestimated by them for its luster (NGC insert only; coin too 
            large for slabbing, so it is not in plastic). It's a lovely Choice 
            Red & Brown Uncirculated, with more than the usual quotient of mint 
            red luster remaining, though it's mostly medium brown. Sharp strike. 
            Exceptional. Coins of this caliber, with this much red luster, have 
            been bringing more than our top estimate in recent auctions, 
            sometimes a lot more. NGC graded MS-63 Brown. 
            Estimated Value $850-1,000. 

            Provenance: The Cheshire Collection.
             Realized $2,100
             


          








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