George III (1760-1820), Pre-1816 issues, Pattern Sixpence, 1787, by J. or F. Eginton for S. Garbett, in silver, laureate and armoured bust right, date below, rev. large Garter Star within toothed border, edge plain, 2.59g/5h (Dykes, SNC June 2005, pp.169-72, and fig. 1, this coin; ESC 1641; Montagu 629; Selig 1229, this coin). Extremely fine and attractively toned, extremely rare
£600-800

Provenance: H. Selig Collection, Part II, Spink Auction 131, 2 March 1999, lot 1229 [from Seaby April 1983]; S.A. Bole Collection.

These two pieces are the result of a project inspired by Samuel Garbett (1717-1803), a pivotal figure in the public life of Birmingham and a close friend of Matthew Boulton, to make ‘little medals’ [in reality sixpences to a weight standard of 152 to the pound of standard silver, instead of the indentured weight of 124]. The artist responsible was one of the Eginton brothers, John (†1796) or Francis (†1805), both of whom had worked at Soho, and the pieces were in existence by early May 1787