Lot Essay
The 'Three Graces' design (personifying England, Ireland and Scotland) has provided one of the most popular British coinage reverses. The original by William Wyon (1795-1851) was featured on the 1817 George III pattern Crown and was the only time such a design has been used. These modern (1879 dated) pieces made in the last year, intend to show how a modified version of Wyon's configuration could have looked.
This modern version by Donald R. Golder differs from Wyon's in several respects. The Irish harp has been replaced by a three-masted sailing ship, which represents commerce, the Scottish thistle to the right of Scotia has been omitted, and the palm branch and quiver in Wyon's exergue has been replaced by a shamrock, rose and thistle cluster. The legend FOEDUS INVIOLABLE becomes FACIAM EOS IN GENTEM UNAM ('I will make of them one nation' Ezekiel, 37.22). The facial features of the three females are quite different, as is Hibernia's dress, and Wyon's border of beads becomes a 'toothed' version for this modern issue.
This modern version by Donald R. Golder differs from Wyon's in several respects. The Irish harp has been replaced by a three-masted sailing ship, which represents commerce, the Scottish thistle to the right of Scotia has been omitted, and the palm branch and quiver in Wyon's exergue has been replaced by a shamrock, rose and thistle cluster. The legend FOEDUS INVIOLABLE becomes FACIAM EOS IN GENTEM UNAM ('I will make of them one nation' Ezekiel, 37.22). The facial features of the three females are quite different, as is Hibernia's dress, and Wyon's border of beads becomes a 'toothed' version for this modern issue.