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Highly Desirable Proof Silver Crown of King William IV
William IV (1830-37), Proof silver Crown, 1831. Struck with the later obverse used for the 1834 Proof
Crown defined by the raised die flaw on the raised rim at 11 o’clock, engraved by William Wyon, bare head
right, W.W. incuse on truncation, legend GULIELMUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D: toothed
border around rim both sides, Rev. inverted die axis, quartered shield of arms with a crowned escutcheon
of the Arms of Hanover, within Order of the Garter upon crowned robed mantle, date below ANNO
1831, edge plain (Bull 2465/2462; Davies 303/300; L&S 6/1; ESC 275/271 R2; S 3833; KM 715). Attrac-
tively toned, some hairline marks on the neck and cheek of the frosted bust, otherwise good extremely
fine, practically as struck, and the only example of an 1831 Crown we have offered for sale utilizing the
obverse die of 1834, therefore
extremely rare
, in NGC holder graded PF 63.
$30,000
Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, April 1987, item 2308.
Ex A H Baldwin Auction 30, 8th May 2002, lot 467.
NGC certification 2722096-001. This coin was offered as a regular 1831 Proof Crown on both these previous oc-
casions, the obverse die with the flaw indicates that some 1831 dated Crowns were probably struck later c.1834 per-
haps to accompany examples of the 1834 dated Proofs for a special order. The Latin legends translates on obverse
as “William IV by the Grace of God, King of the Britons, Defender of the Faith,” and on the reverse “In the year 1831.”