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Two distinct busts of King William IV were used on gold Sovereigns during this monarch's reign, with the second distinguished by a flat top to the ear, a different arrangement to the Hari and the fact that the nose points to the second 'I' in 'BRITANNIAR', rather than the second 'N'. It is the second bust type that appears on scarce plain edge 1831 proof Sovereigns but is significantly rarer on a milled edge 1831 coin.
A crowned, garnished and quartered shield of royal arms by Jean Baptiste Merlen appears on the reverse with the crowned arms of the House of Hanover in escutcheon and the words 'ANNO 1831' below.
The 2024 edition of The Standard Catalogue To The Gold Sovereign Series rates 1831 2nd bust Sovereigns as 'R5' suggesting that only 5-10 examples are know to exisit. This coin is pictured in the publication, easily identified by the distinctive dark reddish brown residue seen to the rim just below the portrait.
This coin previously sold as lot 26 in the first sale of the Bentley Collection of British Milled Sovereigns, held on 8 May 2012. Collected over more than 30 years, the Bentley Collection comprised over 1,200 coins, encompassing branch mint pieces, a near complete Victorian die number series, as well as supremely scarce pattern and proof Sovereigns. Provenance traced to the Bentley collection is an assurance of exceptional scarcity.
This coin had been authenticated, graded XF40 and provanced by PCGS (#975748.40/50931683).
