Great Britain. Windsor, Elizabeth II Proof AV Piedfort Sovereign. Dated 2022. Royal mint. Designs by Jody Clark and Timothy Noad.

VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRIT: REGINA F: D:, crowned and veiled Jubilee bust to left; no JEB on truncation / BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:, crowned and embellished shield-of-arms; date in exergue. Marsh 478B; SCBC 3869C. 33.78 grams total, 82 mm including case

PCGS MS61-S3869C / 49916579, Without JEB.

Acquired on the UK coin market. From the private coin collection of a West London, UK, gentleman.

The issues the mint encountered with the Jubilee coins are well documented and were exacerbated by the pressure for the coins to be ready for the Queen's Golden Jubilee on 20 June 1887. Records show that 1,771,425 half-sovereigns were struck in 1887, but only 871,770, less than 50% of the total, were fit for circulation. The Jubilee head series—in all denominations—provides collectors with a unique insight into the workings of the Mint. Due to time restraints the Jubilee head designer Joseph Edgar Boehm’s initials JEB were individually punched onto six master dies for each mint (London, Sydney and Melbourne) by Royal Mint employee William Poplett, creating no less than 23 varieties of 1887 Jubilee Head half sovereigns. It is unknown at which point in the process Jubilee coins without the JEB were struck. They were possibly the first coins struck before William Poplett punched in the JEB on six master dies. In any case, the 1887 half sovereign without JEB is extremely rare. In their publication 'The Jubilee Head Gold Half Sovereign 1887-1893' (Sovereign Rarities, 2019), David Iverson and Steve Hill estimate that no more than three dies were used with no JEB, indicating a production estimate of around 10,000 coins.

ELIZABETH II · D · G · REG · F · D · 2 POUNDS ·, fifth crowned bust of Elizabeth II to right / Samuel Pepy's hand holding quill, signing the last page of his diary; SAMUEL PEPYS DIARIST above, anniversary dates 1669-2019 below. Edge lettering: THE GOOD GOD PREPARE ME. S K57. 357 grams total, 8.2-10.7 cm including case.

PCGS PR70 DCAM, certification number 38519836. PCGS population in this grade: 1, single finest graded.

Acquired on the UK coin market. From the private coin collection of a West London, UK, gentleman.

Diameter: 28.4 mm. Thickness: 2.5 mm. Weight: 15.9761 g. (AGW=0.4711 oz.) Composition: 917/1000 Gold.

Comprising: various issues and reverse commemorative types. 224gr total, 28mm.

Many about UNC.

From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent. With certificate of authenticity.