Description
George III of the House of Hanover, King of Great Britain 1760-1820 AD, Gilt-Bronze Pattern Proof Half Penny, 1799, Third Issue, Soho mint, Birmingham. Obverse: Laureate and draped Bust of King George III facing to the right, engraver’s initial “K.” (Conrad Heinrich Küchler) in relief on bust, legend surrounds, “GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX”. Reverse: Britannia seated facing to the left, laureate and draped, holding trident in left arm and olive branch forward in right hand, to her left rests the Union Jack; waves below, ship in sail to lower left background, date below, legend surrounds above, “BRITANNIA”. Spink-3778. Certified and graded by NGC as Proof 63. Minor hairlines typical of a handled proof, a most impressive example with reflective, cameo fields when viewed in hand, virtually as struck.
The Obverse Latin legend reads “Geōrgius Tertius, Deī Grātiā, Rex”, with an English translation of “George the Third, by the Grace of God, King”. The Reverse Latin legend names “Britannia”, which in English is “Britain”.