Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Auctions    
Sale 31: The Pre-Long Beach Auction May 30 - June 1, 2005
Lot 2429.

Great Britain. Pattern Halfcrown, 1799. Forrer-Vol II,p.170. 
            Silver. 33 mm. George III, armored "Scottish" bust engraved by John 
            Milton for Col. Fullerton. Often catalogued as Scots patterns as 
            they were commissioned for Ayrshire by a member of the Royal 
            Societies of London and Edinburgh, these were originally a group of 
            patterns for halfcrowns, shillings, sixpence, halfpennies and 
            farthings, of which the halfcrown was the largest piece. Mules 
            exist, as do piedforts and off-metal strikes. The obverse portrait 
            is of George as Prince of Wales and Seneschal (an Old French word 
            for "steward" or "old servant") of Scotland. It's an elegant 
            rendering of the king, made during the Regency period. Originals 
            were coined in 1799, a small number of restrikes about 1828 by 
            Matthew Young. While these pieces are sometimes "dissed," it should 
            be borne in mind that their creator, Milton, was employed as 
            assistant engraver at the Royal Mint from 1789 to 1798 and was also 
            official medallist to the Prince of Wales (later George IV). He and 
            Col. Fullerton continued a handy relationship for some years, as the 
            Colonel became governor of Trinidad and Milton engraved a number of 
            coins for the colonies, including the Barbados penny of 1788. The 
            great Sir Joseph Banks was highly impressed by the Fullerton 
            patterns, which he cautioned the Colonel to stop making as they were 
            never officially sanctioned. Today these patterns, of which the 
            present lot is an exceptionally fine example, are widely accepted by 
            even advanced British collectors as classic works of numismatic art 
            that are indisputably "of their times." 
            Estimated Value $1,200-1,400. 

            Provenance: The Cheshire Collection.
Courtesy Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers, Beverly Hills, CA. www.goldbergcoins.com