The Hammersley Collection of Exceptional British Milled Sovereigns

Foreword

The collection presented here for sale represents the finest group of milled sovereigns to be dispersed in London for over a decade. Formed in the immediate aftermath of the Bentley sales in 2012 and 2013 the collection contains many of the key rarities from the series, including the 1823 [Lot 10], the 1841 [30], the 1859 Ansell [49] and the 1863 ‘827’ [53]. It is no small benefit that all of these coins are beautifully preserved. Indeed, the reader will notice throughout the catalogue coins of consistently exceptional quality, reflecting not only the vendor’s superb eye, but also his predisposition towards patience; the latter trait being all too rarely found in the collectors of today.

Introduced as a replacement for the Guinea after three decades of economic turbulence caused by the war with France, the purpose of the Sovereign, as its name suggests, was to reestablish the political and economic power of Britain and its Empire. Driven by the impetus provided by the burgeoning Industrial Revolution, the Sovereign had become one of the pre-eminent world currencies by the 1870s. Struck on the new machinery designed by these advances, and employing some of the finest engravers of their age - Benedetto Pistrucci, Jean Baptiste Merlon, William Wyon, these are the industrial works of art produced for the new age.

The Milled sovereign series, as represented here, has much to offer the collector. Gold coinage has a special allure, a fundamental intrinsic value which does not require numismatic expertise to appreciate. More than that, these Sovereigns are of superb aesthetic quality. Pistrucci’s reverse design, which adorns the cover of this catalogue, can be fairly described as iconic, while the obverse effigies, delicately engraved by Pistrucci and later Wyon, offer a charming gallery of Britain's nineteenth century monarchs. Further still, the series is one of layered complexity; many of the coins are easy to acquire, even in respectable grades; others are incredibly difficult, owing to their great rarity. The proliferation of overdates, error legends and die varieties offers a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the Royal Mint during the nineteenth century.

The title of the collection, ‘Hammersley’, was suggested by the vendor, a UK based gentleman who wishes to retain his anonymity. It references the Hammersley family of royal bankers, to whom the vendor is distantly related. The bank operated from 1786 until being absorbed by Coutts in 1840.