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Victoria 1887 Two-Pounds, the rarest currency die variety
Victoria (1837-1901), gold Two Pounds, 1887, Jubilee type crowned bust left, angled J type J.E.B. initials on truncation, rarer obverse die with the B of BRITT starting just above the right side of crown, 8 pearls to left arch of crown, 7 pearls to right arch, thinner obverse rim not encroached by cross on crown, VICTORIA D: G: BRITT: REG: F: D:, rev. St George and dragon right, smaller date in exergue, tiny B.P. to upper right of exergue, weight 16.03g (Dyer obverse 1b / reverse 2; S.3865). Quite proof-like as usual for this very rare variety, with some surface marks and hairlines in fields, extremely fine, reverse better and good extremely fine, perhaps the best of the few survivors of this very rare variety.
The Golden Jubilee year for Queen Victoria and the first Double Sovereign of the reign, which has a reported Calendar year mintage of 91,345.
Recent research by David Iverson has theorised that this the rarest currency die variety of the golden Jubilee Two Pounds were all struck in one journey of the dies on August 8th 1887 amounting to no more than 350 pieces struck. In a survey of fifty different Two Pound gold pieces sold in a eight and half year period only three pieces were of this extremely rare die variety. Forty were regular currency with seven proof die pieces.
For further reading see David Iverson's article in the British "Coin News" magazine, June 2018 pages 53-54 where this coin is illustrated, and Dr Stewart Gilbert's follow up article "Rare Variety" in "Coin News" August 2018 pages 46-47.
Also See "Two-Pound Pieces of 1887" by Dyer and Lubbock in "Numismatics: Witness to History - Essays to Commemorate the 35th Anniversary of the I.A.P.N." published 1986.
Provenance:
Ex David Iverson Collection, as illustrated in Coin News June 2018.