George III 1818 Crown MS63, ex Van-Roekel and Smith Collections

George III (1760-1820), silver Crown of Five Shillings, 1818 LVIII, laureate head right, engraved by Benedetto Pistrucci, PISTRUCCI below truncation, date below, legend and outer toothed border surrounding, GEORGIUS III D: G: BRITANNIARUM REX F: D:, rev. St George and dragon right, PISTRUCCI in exergue, Order of the Garter motto in French surrounding, .HONI . SOIT. QUI. MAL . Y. PENSE., outer toothed border surrounding rim, edge inscribed in raised letters, DECUS ET TUTAMEN* ANNO REGNI LVIII*, weight 28.31g (Bull 2005; Davies 1; ESC 211; KM.675; S.3787). Toned with blemishes, otherwise practically as struck, uncirculated, has been slabbed and graded by NGC as MS63.

NGC Certification 5880543-001

Perhaps the favourite coin of William Wellesley Pole the Master of the Mint at this time and older brother of the Duke of Wellington, the silver Crowns engraved by Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci were released with a glowing sense of pride in that Pole ordered that each piece was wrapped in tissue paper before being sent out to the banks for circulation. Considered as a piece of numismatic art by Pole who had made the sometime fiery Pistrucci the Chief Engraver in all but name as an Italian could not hold such an office in the Royal Mint officially at that time, the name of the engraver features prominently in full on both sides of the coin.

The Latin legend translate as on the obverse "George the Third, by the grace of God, King of the Britons, Defender of the Faith" and the French on the reverse, "Evil to him who evil thinks," additionally on the edge "An ornament and a safeguard, in the 58th year of the reign".

In deference to the NGC grade assigned this coin, this example shows no wear to the high points of the design at all. The first place these coins typically wear is on the brow of the helmet of St George on the reverse. This piece seems to be perfect in this aspect as is all the other fine details of the design. The cataloguer has never seen a more perfectly rendered head and face of St George on horseback.

Provenance:

Ex Edward D. J. Van Roekel Collection, Spink Coin Auction 156; 15th November 2001, lot 194.

Ex Neil Smith Collection, the New York Sale XLIX, 15th January 2020, lot 1266.