Ireland, Victoria, unofficial piedfort "Pattern Double Florin" or "Four Shillings", dated 1901, struck in .916 (22ct) gold, to a brilliant proof finish, crowned and veiled old head left, by Donald R Golder after Thomas Brock, VICTORIA. DEI GRATIA. IND. IMP, rev. struck en medaille, crowned Irish harp with XXXX to left and VIII to right, for forty eight pence, all within ornate quatrefoil, HIBERNIA above, date below, edge plain, weight 48.9g., diameter 36mm., brilliant as struck, unique in gold

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Ireland, Victoria, unofficial piedfort "Pattern Double Florin" or "Four Shillings", dated 1901, struck in .916 (22ct) gold, to a brilliant proof finish, crowned and veiled old head left, by Donald R Golder after Thomas Brock, VICTORIA. DEI GRATIA. IND. IMP, rev. struck en medaille, crowned Irish harp with XXXX to left and VIII to right, for forty eight pence, all within ornate quatrefoil, HIBERNIA above, date below, edge plain, weight 48.9g., diameter 36mm., brilliant as struck, unique in gold

Details

Ireland, Victoria, unofficial piedfort "Pattern Double Florin" or "Four Shillings", dated 1901, struck in .916 (22ct) gold, to a brilliant proof finish, crowned and veiled old head left, by Donald R Golder after Thomas Brock, VICTORIA. DEI GRATIA. IND. IMP, rev. struck en medaille, crowned Irish harp with XXXX to left and VIII to right, for forty eight pence, all within ornate quatrefoil, HIBERNIA above, date below, edge plain, weight 48.9g., diameter 36mm., brilliant as struck, unique in gold

Special notice

VAT rate of 17.5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer’s premium.

Lot Essay

These modern pattern Ireland Double Florins were inspired by those of Reginald Huth, who instructed John Pinches to produce a small number of patterns to commemorate Queen Victoria's visit to Ireland in 1900. Huth/Pinches produced a version of Brock's 'old head' portrait of the Queen for the medallic coin's obverse, and adopted a cruciform shield design, reminiscent of the 1887 Double Florin, for the reverse. The reverse of this 1901 dated pattern combines a crowned Irish harp design, found on the Irish coinage of George III and George IV, with a very detailed quatrefoil design featured on the British pattern Florins of 1848.