George IV 1826 11-coin proof Set, designed by William Wyon, NGC graded

George IV (1820-30), gold, silver and bronzed copper Proof Set, 1826, eleven coins, gold Proof Five Pounds, Two Pounds, Sovereign, Half-Sovereign, silver Proof Crown, Halfcrown, Shilling, Sixpence, bronzed copper Proof Penny, Halfpenny, Farthing, coins engraved by William Wyon Chief Engraver, all with bare head left, date 1826 below, legend GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA, rev. crowned armorial reverses on gold and two senior silver denominations, crowned lion on crown on two smaller silver, Britannia left on bronzed copper, legend in shorter or fuller form, BRITANNIARUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR, edge, the two senior gold coins and silver crown with lettered edges featuring regnal date SEPTIMO, other gold and silver milled edge, bronzed copper with plain edge, with original oval red case of issue (S.PS1). All coins with some light handling marks and hairlines, all slabbed and graded by NGC as footnote below, an extremely rare set with only about 400 issued at most, highly desirable.

NGC certification with non-sequential numbers as it no longer being possible to have all coins on the same submission form due to value tiers and metal separation.

Five Pounds Proof Details Rim Repair - 6322289-001 - a rim bruise appears to have been pushed out by second A of GRATIA.

Two Pounds PF62 Cameo - 6322290-001

Sovereign Proof Details Obverse repaired - 6322290-002 - not obvious to the eye, the coin appears hairlined scratched only from polishing of obverse.

Half-Sovereign Proof Details obverse scratched - 6322291-009 - hairline scratch across neck of King.

Crown PF63 - 6321801-001.

Halfcrown PF63 - 6321804-001.

Shilling PF63 -6322295-001.

Sixpence PF62 - 6322295-002.

Penny PF62BN - 6295546-009.

Halfpenny PF63BN -6295546-010.

Farthing PF63BN - 6295546-011.

By Order of Council of 14^th June 1825, a new coinage was authorised consisting of Five Pound pieces, Two Pound pieces, Sovereigns, Half-Sovereigns, Crowns, Half-Crowns, Shillings and Sixpences, subsequently followed on 3^rd January 1826 by the Copper issues. Some contemporary newspaper reports of the new sets of coinage make interesting reading:

The Morning Post, 27 October 1826:

"A new coinage of gold, silver and copper has just been completed at the Mint. Four or Five of the principal bankers had each one set as a specimen, and no more. A set consists of one 5l. piece, one 2l. piece, a 1l. piece, and a 10s. piece (gold); a 5s. piece, a half-crown piece, a 1s and a 6d. (silver) ; a penny, a half-penny, and a farthing in copper. The 5l. piece bears on one side the arms of Great Britain engraved on drapery, with the motto DECUS ET TUTAMEN, and the date of the year : on the other side, the head of His Majesty, similar to the one on the new Sovereign. This piece is supposed to be taken from the forty Liri piece of Parma. The 2l. piece is the same as the above; the 1l. piece is also the same, but not engraved on drapery. The 5s. piece, the half-crown piece, the 1s. and 6d. bear the arms of Great Britain, the same as these already issued. The penny, half-penny and farthing, dated 1826."

The Globe, Friday, 27 October 1826:

"We yesterday announced the completion of a new coinage. As these new coinages are frequently made at some expence to the public, we are at a loss to know why the larger gold coins (the 5l. and 2l. coins) are not put into circulation? In some cases these coins would be convenient as currency, and like crowns and half-crowns in silver, would save trouble in counting. At any rate, if the expence of making the dies be incurred, as many of them should be put into circulation as the public demand, instead of making them, as at present, artificially scarce, for the purpose of apparently giving them a value in the absurd estimation of collectors. Even these worthies might be satisfied, if there were proof impressions exclusively for them."