PF 61 ULTRA CAMEO | UNITED KINGDOM. Victoria, 1837-1901. Gol...

Estimate

£150,000 - £200,000

PF 61 ULTRA CAMEO | UNITED KINGDOM. Victoria, 1837-1901.
Gold 5 Pounds (5 Sovereigns), 1839. Royal Mint. Proof.
This coin is known as the Una and the Lion Five Pound piece. The design was derived from a poem, The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser in praise of Queen Elizabeth I published in 1590. In that poem Una is the personification of the "True Church" and also representative of Truth. At one she point tames a lion by her beauty and honesty; the lion then travels with her both as a guard and to undertake deeds. On the coin, by William Wyon, Una is Queen Victoria. She is wearing a crown and guiding the lion with her sceptre while holding an orb. It is a classic of the Victorian Age in both style and sentiment, and one of master engraver William Wyon's masterpieces, with a modest mintage in the hundreds. It was only minted on demand from the time it first appeared in the Coronation sets, only in Proof grade.

Young head of Queen Victoria facing left; W.WYON, R.A. raised on neck truncation; VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIARUM REGINA F: D:. Design by William Wyon. / The reverse shows the figure of Queen Victoria standing, robed and crowned, holding and orb in her left hand and directing a lion to left, with a sceptre extended in her right hand. Around, the inscription DIRIGE DEUS GRESSUS MEOS. (translated from Latin: May the Lord direct my steps). In exergue, the date of issue in Latin numerals: MDCCCXXXIX. (1839). Around below, the artist's name W. WYON R.A. (R.A. is the post-nominal for Royal Academician, i.e. an academician of the Royal Academy of Arts in London). Design by William Wyon.
In secure plastic holder, graded NGC PF 61 ULTRA CAMEO, certification number 6642238-004.

NGC Census in this grade: 3.
NGC Census in higher grade: 27
Total NGC Census: 31
Reference: S-3851; W&R-279; KM-742; Fr-386
Mintage: 400.
Diameter: 36 mm.
Weight: 39.9403 g. (AGW=1.1777 oz.)
Composition: 917/1000 Gold.

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