An iconic gold coin with provenance of well-known collectors: that seems to be a fail-proof combination, and it was at Stack’s Bowers Galleries in January where a gold 1839 English “Una and the Lion” £5 pattern graded Proof 63 Deep Cameo by Professional Coin Grading Service sold for $336,000. It was formerly in the collection of Baltimore financier Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. and features William Wyon’s design of Queen Victoria leading a lion.

The cataloger shares the story behind the design, from Edmund Spencer’s Renaissance-era epic poem “The Faerie Queen,” where, “Una is charged upon by a wild lion after becoming separated from her companion, but in the face of Una’s beauty and purity, the lion is instantly tamed, and thereafter accompanies her as a faithful protector.” Carefully produced in medallic high relief, it features bold contrast between the frosty devices and deeply mirrored fields, along with some mild hairlines consistent with the grade.

Connect with Coin World:  
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Access our Dealer Directory  
Like us on Facebook  
Follow us on X (Twitter)
Keep in touch on MyCollect - the social media platform for collectibles 

Whether you’re a current subscriber or new, you can take advantage of the best offers on magazine subscriptions available in digital, print or both! Whether you want your issue every week or every month, there’s a subscription to meet your needs.