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George IV 1825 Sovereign laureate head type, rarest type for year
George IV (1820-30), gold Sovereign, 1825, first laureate head left, B.P. for Benedetto Pistrucci below neck, legend and toothed border surrounding, GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F:D:, rev. St George and dragon right, date in exergue, B.P. to upper right of exergue for designer and engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, raised WWP on ground line below lance for Master of the Mint William Wellesley Pole, edge milled, weight 7.94g (Bentley 952; MCE.485; Marsh 9 R3; EGC.994 S.3800). Toned multiple nicks and bagmarks, bold fine to almost very fine and extremely rare.
The Latin legends translate to on obverse "George IIII by the Grace of God" continuing on the reverse as "King of the Britains, Defender of the Faith."
1825 witnessed two versions of Sovereign being issued by the Royal mint, employing different busts, the continuation of the laureate head type, far rarer than the bare head which is seen in more cases than others for 1825 and onwards to the close of the reign. One school of thought is that the discrepancy arose from Pistrucci's refusal to use the effigy of the King designed by Francis Legett Chantrey.A key date-type combination, essential to the discerning Sovereign collector and seldom seen within auction rooms or in dealers' trays.