1887 Five Pound - PCGS MS62

Great Britain, 1887 Five Pound -

I don’t often get high-grade Victorian five pound pieces in stock, so when they are offered to me, I’m usually quick to seal the deal. The 1887 five pound is the most common issue from Victoria’s long reign, and because it’s the most affordable Victorian five pound, it is very popular with collectors. They also seem to have risen strongly in price the last two years: Just last February 2013, I sold a PCGS MS63 example for $4,400 to an overseas collector; and last January 2014, a PCGS MS62 example sold for over £2,500 (about AU$4,600) on an internet auction website. They have been selling strongly around the London auction scene as well. The example on offer above is well-preserved, and one of the better examples of the type I have handled. The large open fields are crosshatched with light die polishing marks, which is normal for the type, and the fields themselves are very reflective and slightly cameo. Overall, the coin is pleasing to the eye and very impressive, as you would expect from a coin that measures 35mm in diameter and weighs almost 40 grams. If you’re looking for an 1887 five pound but don’t want to pay upward of $6,000 for one, this is your coin. Catalogues £3,250 in UNC in the latest Spink.