George III 1804 Bank of Ireland Six-Shillings PF65BN, restrike by W J Taylor

Ireland, George III (1760-1820), copper Proof Bank of Ireland Six Shillings, 1804, restrike by W. J. Taylor struck on a 41mm diameter flan, laureate and draped bust right, top leaf of laurel wreath points to centre of E, C.H.K on truncation, legend and toothed border surrounding, GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX., rev. struck en medaille, Hibernia seated left, holding spray of leaves, harp to right with ten strings, date and value in exergue, 1804 / SIX SHILLINGS, legend around upper half, BANK OF IRELAND TOKEN (Vice 3a, dies 1c(r)/A1(r); Davis 78; KM-PNA34; D&F 615; S.6615). Toned with underlying proof brilliance, has been slabbed and graded by NGC as PF65BN.

NGC Certification 3354602-001.

These Irish pieces interestingly have a Latin legend on the obverse that translates as "George III, by the grace of God, King" and on the reverse carry an English language legend.

David Vice recorded the different dies and varieties of these Bank of Ireland pieces in his 1993 article in the Format list. There he detailed all the original Soho pieces of which there were hardly any struck in copper which are on 42mm diameter flans, with the majority of copper produced by coin dealer W. J. Taylor who ground down the original dies he had obtained to a 41mm diameter as demonstrated here. Such dies have a 32mm long ground-line on the reverse, whereas some other restrike dies Taylor produced after Soho have a 27mm ground line on either a 41mm or 40mm dimeter flan. They are all nevertheless rare.

The Victorian coin dealer William Joseph Taylor (1802-85) trading in London from 1829, purchased many dies at the Soho Mint sale by Fuller and Horsey in April-May 1850, the Mint having closed in 1848. Having restored many of the dies Taylor pressed them back into service producing restrikes of Soho coins for collectors as well as repairing some of the more broken dies to make some new designs of his own. C. Wilson Peck attempted to class the English Restrikes separately from the original Soho pieces in his publication. Appendix 10 of Peck's book gives a transcript of one consignment of such restrikes including 5 Bank of Ireland Six Shillings in copper with "short hair" (Vice obverse 2 - bust faces left) and 20 pieces with "long hair" (Vice obverse 1 as listed herewith) shipped from his workshop at 70 Red Lion Street on 29th June 1880.

Provenance:

Ex Heritage, New York Signature Sale, 3^rd January 2016, lot 30281.