A rare proof set of what are arguably some of the world's most beautiful coins is expected tofetch £200,000 to £250,000 at an auction of Coins and Historical Medals to be held by DixNoonan Webb, the international coins, medals and jewellery specialists, in London on 13 -14 September 2017. The 1839 British proof set of 15 coins bearing the 'Una and the Lion'design is in virtually mint state and is housed in its original contemporary fitted case.

It comprises a Five Pounds, with the 'Dirige' wording on the edge, a Sovereign, Half-Sovereign, Crown, Halfcrown, Shilling, Sixpence, Britannia Groat, Maundy set, Penny,Halfpenny and Farthing. The set, which is being sold by a private collector, is described asbeing "virtually mint state and brilliant, the gold with minimal hairlines, the silver withattractive light toning".

Una and the Lion are characters in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene written between1590 and 1611. The reverse of the coins designed by William Wyon depicts Queen Victoriaas Una guiding the British lion. The design is an unusual one which has given the coins itsfamiliar name of the Una and the Lion series. The obverse of the coins have William Wyon'sfamous Young Head portrait of Queen Victoria. There is no evidence that these coins wereever struck for circulation. All the indications are that they were only intended to be proofcoins and were primarily made for inclusion in the specimen sets of the first Victorian coins.

In March this year a magnificent example of the 'Una and the Lion' gold Five Pounds coinleft its estimate far behind when it fetched £204,000 with buyers' commission (£170,000hammer price) at the sale of Coins, Tokens and Historical Medals held by Dix Noonan Webbin London. Bidding began at £95,000, towards the top end of its £80,000 to £100,000estimate, and it was bought by a private collector bidding in the room against strongcompetition.

For more information, see:
https://www.dnw.co.uk/