May 26-27, 2003, The Dr. Jacob Terner Collection

May 26-27, 2003, The Dr. Jacob Terner Collection, Sale 20
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British Gold Coins

Lot 386
Great Britain. Sovereign, 1887. Victoria Jubilee Head. S-3866B; Fr-392a; KM-767. Mintage: 797 pieces. A choice example with lovely contrast to the portrait and reverse device. PCGS graded Proof 63 Deep Cameo.
Estimated Value $600-800.
Ex Mortimer Hammel Collection, 1982.

Lot 387
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1887. Victoria Jubilee Head. S-3869; Fr-393a; KM-766. Mintage: 797 pieces. This is a particularly beautiful, deep cameo specimen, purchased in 1982 from the impressive Mortimer Hammel Collection sold by Stack's. PCGS graded Proof 64 Deep Cameo. Color photo.
Estimated Value $400-600.

Lot 388
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1887. Victoria Jubilee Head. S-3869; Fr-393; KM-766. The only easily available date of this type, although finding a Gem isn't so easy. PCGS graded MS-65.
Estimated Value $100-150.

Lot 389
Great Britain. Sovereign, 1889. Victoria Jubilee Head. S-3866B; Fr-392; KM-767. A choice condition for a rare date, despite having an extremely modest valuation in all references. Dr. Terner was never able to find true Uncirculated examples, choice ones, of a small number of dates of these late Victorian sovereigns (and half sovereigns). A sleeper, no doubt about it. PCGS graded MS-63.
Estimated Value $200-300.

Lot 390
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1891. Victoria Jubilee Head. S-3869D; Fr-393; KM-766. Rare date; every date of this portrait style is extremely scarce in true Uncirculated condition, as evidenced by Dr. Terner's inability to locate gems of each date struck. This beautiful coin is boldly struck and has most appealing gold toning. PCGS graded MS-62.
Estimated Value $125-175.

Lot 391
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1892. Victoria Jubilee Head. S-3869D; Fr-393; KM-766. Despite the misleadingly modest valuations given in the standard catalogue, this is an extremely difficult date to own in Uncirculated - and the present coin is surely among the best anyone could find. Particularly bold in strike. PCGS graded MS-64.
Estimated Value $100-150.

Lot 392
Great Britain. Sovereign, 1892. Victoria Jubilee Head. S-3866C; Fr-392; KM-767. Last year of type from the London mint. Supposedly common, yet this was the best one we could ever locate. Imagine. PCGS graded MS-61.
Estimated Value $100-150.

Extremely Rare Pattern Sovereign in Silver of 1893

Lot 393
Great Britain. Pattern Sovereign Struck in Silver, 1893. Victoria, veiled and wearing a small crown. On the reverse, an intricately detailed Saint George slaying the dragon-an exquisite rendition! Engraver uncertain, either Allan or L.C. Wyon. Reeded edge. Type of WR-340, which in gold is R7, only 1 or 2 known. In more than 20 years of searching, Dr. Terner never located this pattern in gold. In that same period of time, this is the sole example which has appeared in silver. It appeared mysteriously in the London market in the early 1980s and was privately acquired. Its Proof surfaces display beautiful golden blue iridescent toning. Possibly as rare as the gold pattern! PCGS graded Proof 65 Cameo. Color photo.
Estimated Value $10,000-12,500.

Lot 394
Great Britain. 2 Pounds, 1893. Victoria Old Head. S-3873; Fr-395a KM-786. For the final portrait style of Victoria's gold, a total of 773 pieces of this denomination were struck, all for the collector sets of this year. This specimen has pleasing, moderate cameo contrast and its mirror surfaces are as clear and fresh as can be found. A rare condition! PCGS graded Proof 64 Deep Cameo. Color photo.
Estimated Value $2,000-2,500.

Lot 395
Great Britain. Sovereign, 1893. Fr-396a; S-3874; KM-785. Victoria. Veiled head type. Issue in the set. Mintage of only 773 pieces. This example has the most impressive eye appeal. NGC graded Proof 65 Ultra Cameo.
Estimated Value $1,500-2,000.
Not part of the Terner Collection.

Lot 396
Great Britain. 5 Pounds, 1893. Victoria Old Head. S-3872; Fr-394; KM-787. This is a very difficult gold issue to find in truly Uncirculated condition. This particular piece, with flashy luster and semi-prooflike surfaces, was no doubt taken from one of the seldom-seen, original gold mint sets of this year, which were made up for a very few collectors by the Royal Mint. PCGS graded MS-63.
Estimated Value $1,500-1,800.

Lot 397
Great Britain. Sovereign, 1893. Victoria Old Head. S-3874; Fr-396a; KM-785. Mintage: 773 pieces. A beautiful example with a delightful cameo contrast, nice and frosty! PCGS graded Proof 64 Deep Cameo. Color photo.
Estimated Value $750-1,000.

Lot 398
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1893. Victoria Old Head. S-3878; Fr-397a; KM-784. Mintage: 773 pieces. While this coin, from the Proof set of this year, catalogues in the standard reference for a mere 450 Pounds in "FDC," virtually all the pieces seen on the market are both marked up and extensively hairlined. The marks occur when the Proofs knock into each other over many years, while in the traditional deluxe plush cases, which while handsome supply very little protection to the coins. Unfortunately, most of the 773 Proofs struck back in 1893 have also been cleaned, with resulting hairlines. This marvelous example possesses an appealing, frosted cameo contrast together with undisturbed mirror fields. Purchased in 1981. PCGS graded Proof 65 Deep Cameo. Color photo.
Estimated Value $500-700.

Lot 399
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1894. Victoria Old Head. S-3878; Fr-397; KM-784. Rare date, a fact not suggested by catalogue valuations. A beautiful specimen! PCGS graded MS-64.
Estimated Value $100-125.

Lot 400
Great Britain. Sovereign, 1894. Victoria Old Head. S-3874; Fr-396; KM-785. Beautiful, "hard" luster; a sparkling example with prooflike surfaces, especially nice! One of the last coins Dr. Terner ever purchased for this great collection - it took 22 years to find an 1894 London sovereign this nice! PCGS graded MS-64.
Estimated Value $100-150.

Lot 401
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1895. Victoria Old Head. S-3878; Fr-397; KM-784. Purchased back in 1982 near the start of Dr. Terner's date quest, this is a simply superb coin, the likes of which we never found in duplicate in 20 years of searching. PCGS graded MS-66.
Estimated Value $125-175.

Lot 402
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1896. Victoria Old Head. S-3878; Fr-397; KM-784. Very pleasing. PCGS graded MS-63.
Estimated Value $100-125.

Lot 403
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1897. Victoria Old Head. S-3878; Fr-397; KM-784. Bought in 1982, and the best of this date we could ever locate. Especially nice! PCGS graded MS-64.
Estimated Value $100-125.

Lot 404
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1899. Victoria Old Head. S-3878; Fr-397; KM-784. Another lovely, quite under-rated date in this short series. PCGS graded MS-64.
Estimated Value $100-125.

Lot 405
Great Britain. Sovereign, 1900. Victoria Old Head. S-3874; Fr-396; KM-785. Long considered just bullion coins, these late Victorian issues are decidedly difficult to find choice and absolutely Mint State. Consider how many dates Dr. Terner could never find in such a grade, and a lot of rarity questions get answered. PCGS graded MS-63.
Estimated Value $100-150.

Lot 406
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1901. Victoria Old Head. S-3878; Fr-397; KM-784. Last date of this series, for Victoria passed away only 22 days into the new century. However, many pieces of this date were obviously saved as mementos. Still, this one is especially nice. Bought in 1982. PCGS graded MS-64.
Estimated Value $100-125.

Lot 407
Great Britain. 5 Pounds, 1902. Edward VII. S-3965; Fr-398; KM-807. The only large gold struck for this monarch, these coins have never been fully appreciated for their scarcity in nicer grades. The portrait is in low relief, making it difficult for many collectors to grade. Here is a most attractive example, having flashy luster and relatively few abrasions, and it too was doubtless once part of one of the few gold mint sets put together in the year of issue by the Royal Mint for collectors. PCGS graded MS-63.
Estimated Value $1,000-1,200.

Lot 408
Great Britain. Sovereign, 1902. Edward VII. S-3969; Fr-400a; KM-805. "Just" a 63? Please see comments under the 1902 half sovereign about how mistaken many collectors are about what it takes to make a choice Matte Proof. PCGS graded Matte Proof 63.
Estimated Value $200-250.

Lot 409
Great Britain. ½ Sovereign, 1902. Edward VII. S-3974; Fr-401a; KM-804. Mintage: 23,189 pieces from both Long and Short sets made for the coronation. This coin has good, original color. Legend has it that, these new Matte coins being unfamiliar, the Royal Mint's coiners wiped many or most of them on their leather aprons as the coins sprang from the dies. That attempt to "brighten" them back in 1902 left most with very faint hairlines, which should not be confused with lines caused by attempts to clean them over the passing decades. This piece is about as good as it gets. PCGS graded Matte Proof 64.
Estimated Value $150-200.

Lot 410
Great Britain. 5 Pounds, 1911. George V. S-3994; Fr-402; KM-822. Taken from a coronation Proof set of this year, of which just 2,812 were minted to include the 5-pound coin (the so-called Long Sets). These pieces were struck with brilliant (not frosted) portraits. This is a beautiful example! PCGS graded Proof 65. Color photo.
Estimated Value $1,500-2,000.

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