1823 Sovereign - PCGS MS63+

Great Britain, 1823 Sovereign -

A number of classic rarities make up the early sovereign series. The 1819 sovereign is the key sovereign rarity, while the 1828, 1823, 1818 and 1825 St George reverse are keenly sought after by collectors. Of the Laureate head George IV sovereigns, the 1823 sovereign is the rarest. It is scarce in lesser grades, rare in AU, and extremely rare in any Mint State grade. About a dozen coins come to market every year, mostly in circulated grades, while the mint state examples appear only a handful of times a decade. The mintage was 616,770 pieces, and while we can never know the fate of most of those coins, it seems a fair assumption that many were melted down over the centuries or otherwise lost in time. The coin photographed above is the second-finest graded by PCGS (11/20), and the nicest piece to come to market for a number of years. It is fresh in appearance, while the design is sharply struck, accounting for the “+” grade.  There are minor abrasions in the fields consistent with the grade, as well as a small impact mark near the truncation mentioned for accuracy. The cartwheel lustrous is original. If you’re looking for a valuable George IV type coin, or would like a high-grade example of this key sovereign rarity, this is your coin.