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Very Rare Fine Silver Proof Shilling Struck For the
Directors of The Bank of England
George III (1760-1820), silver Proof Shilling, 1787. Struck in fine silver, laureate and cuirassed bust right,
legend surrounding with beaded outer border at raised rim both sides, GEORGIVS. III. DEI. GRATIA.
Rev. struck en medaille, cruciform shields, with semee of hearts in Hanoverian arms, crowns in angles,
garter star at center, date at bottom without stops either side, legend surrounding commences lower left,
M.B.F. ET. H. REX. F.D.
B.ET.L. D. S R. I. A. T ET. E. plain edge, weight 6.43g (Bull 2132; ESC 1226; S
3746; KM 607.2). Toned, a few light marks, in PCGS holder graded PR 62.
$1,750
Ex: Purchased privately from Spink and Son Ltd. c.2005. This coin illustrated in “Coinage and Currency in Eighteenth Century
Britain, The Provincial Coinage” by David W Dykes, page 38, number 32.
PCGS certification 34313088. This issue of the Proof Shilling was struck exclusively in pure silver for the use of the
Bank of England along with pure silver Sixpences, and fine gold Guineas and Half-Guineas as of September 1787.
The order was approved by the Master of the Mint on the 19th September and Lewis Pingo went ahead and struck
168 four coin groups of which this coin would have been one of 168 shillings struck. A contemporary record (Mint
1/14 p.12)shows that 100 of the four coin sets were for the Directors of the Bank of England, 18 for higher ranking of-
ficers, 38 for Royal Mint officials and 12 for the Company of Moneyers. For further reading on the issue of 1787 Shil-
lings and for a breakdown of some recipients of the sets of four coins see Appendix E in the article “The 1787 Shilling -
A Transition in Minting Technique” by H E Manville and Prof. P P Gaspar, British Numismatic Journal, 2004, volume 74.
Highly Unusual Pattern gilt copper Guinea of George III
George III (1760-1820), Restrike Pattern Guinea, 1791. Struck in gilt copper, after C H Kuchler, laureate
head right, long hair terminates in three large curls, raised border surrounding with incuse legend and
scroll pattern at bottom, GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA, Rev. off-center inverted die axis, intaglio design,
crowned spade shaped quartered shield of arms, devices in reverse, normal date incuse below, legend
incuse surrounding, M.B.F.ET.H.REX.F.D.B.ET.L.D.S.R.I.A.T.ET.E. edge plain, weight 4.35g (Hawkins
N.C. 1851, page 121, No.45; cf.Montagu 674; Norweb 1130;
cf.KMPnE63). A couple of small scrapes on
obverse and hairlines, in PCGS holder graded Proof 62, Pop 1; the only example of this type graded at
both services and
extremely rare.
$2,500
PCGS certification 34313091. We note the Norweb example (Spink Auction 48, Norweb part II, 13th November 1985, lot 546)
was struck with en medaille die axis.