Victoria Uniface Pattern Obverse Trial for a Sovereign. Ex Bentley lot 1016

Victoria (1837-1901), uniface Pattern Sovereign, 1863, struck in copper with lightly gilt elements to obverse, a trial piece engraved by Charles Weiner, young head left with emblematic wreath in hair, consisting of rose, thistle and shamrocks, long ribbon ties to hair at rear, C.W below truncation, date at bottom, legend and toothed border surrounding, VICTORIA REGINA, rev. blank but filed, edge plain, weight 5.74g, thickness 2mm, diameter 22.3mm (Bentley 1016 this coin). Gilding thin in parts and with the reverse filed though as made, good extremely fine and seemingly unique.

Since the publication of the Bentley Collection some more research has been made upon this unusual trial striking and is thought to certainly relate to the Sovereign series rather than anything to do with the similar size Shillings. The fact that the date is on the obverse as with the gold Sovereigns is a good indicator along with the gilding of the coin to make it look gold for a trial proposal. The fact this coin also occurs in another base metal trial coupled with a shield reverse as used on the gold Sovereign is a further indication of the original intention, as shown in Bentley Collection lot 95 for the two-sided copper trial. Further research has been conducted with the Royal Mint Museum, and they also have in their collection two base metal trials of these coins similar to the Bentley pieces, one uniface like this and the other like Bentley 95. All share a common obverse it would seem as the letter N in REGINA is slightly doubled at the top with hairline extension the upper serifs. The Royal Mint pieces are catalogued as Sovereign trials.

Provenance:

Ex Bentley Collection, part 2, 8^th May 2013, lot 1016.

Ex Patina Collection, Spink Coin Auction 1298, 11^th July 2001, lot 1028.