George III, pattern crown, 1817, by W. Wyon, the 'Incorrupta Crown', laur. head r., date below, W. WYON below truncation, rev. crowned shield of arms, edge plain (Bull 2029; L&S.159), certified and graded by NGC as Proof 65
*ex Willis II, Glendining's, October 1991, lot 465
ex Ariagno, Goldbergs, June 1999 lot 1838 (back cover picture)
ex Kardatzke III, Goldbergs, June 2000, lot 4663 (front cover picture)
ex St James's Auction 1, October 2004, lot 520
Only 18 silver and 7 gold proof examples struck.
This is one of the two 1817 pattern crowns designed and engraved by a young William Wyon as entries in a competition for the production of a new crown coinage for Great Britain from 1818. This would be the first crown coinage struck by the new Tower Hill Mint's steam presses which began striking other coins in 1816.
As all students and collectors of British coinage know, William Wyon went on to a very successful career as the chief engraver for the British Empire, but at this point in his life, having recently gained an assistantship at the Mint under his cousin, Chief Engraver Thomas Wyon, William was in a competitive battle with a foreigner, Italian gem engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, whose beautiful engravings had caught the eye of Sir Joseph Banks, an influential friend of the Master of the Mint.
After Thomas Wyon's death in 1817, Banks determined to make Pistrucci his successor as chief engraver but ran into problems as the law prohibited a foreigner from holding the position. Since the government had decided to produce a new Crown coinage in 1818, both men, Wyon and Pistrucci, were tasked with producing samples for the new coinage. As is well known, Pistrucci ultimately won that competition with his design of St. George and the dragon which appeared on the new crown series of 1818-1820.
However, William Wyon's design entries, the Incorrupta crown in this lot。
*ex Willis II, Glendining's, October 1991, lot 465
ex Ariagno, Goldbergs, June 1999 lot 1838 (back cover picture)
ex Kardatzke III, Goldbergs, June 2000, lot 4663 (front cover picture)
ex St James's Auction 1, October 2004, lot 520
Only 18 silver and 7 gold proof examples struck.
This is one of the two 1817 pattern crowns designed and engraved by a young William Wyon as entries in a competition for the production of a new crown coinage for Great Britain from 1818. This would be the first crown coinage struck by the new Tower Hill Mint's steam presses which began striking other coins in 1816.
As all students and collectors of British coinage know, William Wyon went on to a very successful career as the chief engraver for the British Empire, but at this point in his life, having recently gained an assistantship at the Mint under his cousin, Chief Engraver Thomas Wyon, William was in a competitive battle with a foreigner, Italian gem engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, whose beautiful engravings had caught the eye of Sir Joseph Banks, an influential friend of the Master of the Mint.
After Thomas Wyon's death in 1817, Banks determined to make Pistrucci his successor as chief engraver but ran into problems as the law prohibited a foreigner from holding the position. Since the government had decided to produce a new Crown coinage in 1818, both men, Wyon and Pistrucci, were tasked with producing samples for the new coinage. As is well known, Pistrucci ultimately won that competition with his design of St. George and the dragon which appeared on the new crown series of 1818-1820.
However, William Wyon's design entries, the Incorrupta crown in this lot。
