Our Stack’s Bowers Galleries August ANA World’s Fair of Money Auction to
be held in Anaheim, California is shaping up into a well-formed sale with a
plethora of exciting coins, many of which will be previewed in the coming
weeks. The fantastic European gold highlights continue into this week with a
gorgeous proof quality Great Britain ½ Guinea gold token struck in 1812.
This coin features a mythical phoenix rising from a fire at the center,
with the legend naming the issuing authority: Younge, Wilsons & Younge of
Sheffield, Yorkshire, the famous foundry town. The reverse contains relevant information:
“Yorkshire Token” and “Standard Gold” surrounding the denomination of 10
Shillings & 6 Pence. The date appears below the denomination: 1812. An
interesting type — with no regular gold coinage struck in 1812, this token was
one of the few gold coins with the 1812 date minted in Britain at the time. This
coin hails from a turbulent time for the British Empire, with Napoleon raging
across mainland Europe while in North America there was conflict with Great
Britain’s former colonies. As such it is a wonder this piece survived to the
present day. It is the only certified proof example, likely the finest extant
as evidenced by the deep mirrored fields and lustrous, razor-sharp devices.
This coin is certain to add considerable depth to any collection it calls home.
We are now accepting consignments of world and ancient coins for our
August 2016 ANA Auction as well as Chinese and other Asian coins and currency
for our August 2016 Hong Kong Showcase Auction. Time is running short, so if
you are interested in consigning your coins and paper currency (whether a whole
collection or a single rarity) be sure to contact one of our consignment
directors.
