A Queen Victoria 1887 sovereign was the leading coin in the first part of the prestigious Bentley Collection sale at Baldwin's in London.
Said to be of the highest rarity and in brilliant mint condition, the stunning piece sold for £28,000 on May 8, 86.6% up on its £15,000 high estimate.
 The last of the young head designs |
"1887 is the final year for the young head design upon the coinage, so it seems natural that some young head Sovereigns of proof quality from highly polished dies would be struck as a matter of record for the Mint and probably for presentation to highly important persons," states Baldwin's.
There is the suggestion that the coins could also be a trial for the Colonial Sovereign.
A George III proof sovereign from 1817 also performed well.
Engraved by Benedetto Pistrucci, the extremely rare piece made £23,000 against a high estimate of £20,000.
"Some of the letters in the legend lack serifs, no doubt due to blockages or faulty letter punches with corner serifs broken off being employed," notes the auction house.
The Bentley Collection is one of the finest sales of British coins ever seen, with the auction featuring at least one example of every Sovereign date issued in the UK between 1816 and 1971.
During the late 1970s, the anonymous consignor bought rare coins as a way of investing in gold.
However, the fascinating history behind the pieces, along with their striking beauty, caught the collector's imagination, and he began to build a world class collection.
The last of the three auctions, scheduled for May 2013, will include one of the most elusive of all British coins - an 1819 Gold Sovereign. Described as "excessively rare", only six examples are known to exist.
The second part of the sale takes place on September 27. We will bring you a full preview ahead of time.
