Noonans to Sell The Hammersley Collection of Exceptional British Milled Sovereigns

Noonans Mayfair will offer The Hammersley Collection of exceptional British Milled Sovereigns on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 2 pm. Comprising 62 lots, the collection represents the best group of milled sovereigns to be dispersed in London for over a decade and is estimated to fetch in the region of £265,000. 

As Bradley Hopper, Head of Coins at Noonans commented: “Introduced as a replacement for the Guinea after three decades of economic turbulence caused by the war with France, the purpose of the Sovereign, as its name suggests, was to re-establish the political and economic power of Britain and its Empire.” 

He continued: “The title of the collection, ‘Hammersley’, was suggested by the vendor, a UK-based gentleman who wishes to retain his anonymity. It references the Hammersley family of royal bankers, to whom the vendor is distantly related. The bank operated from 1786 until being absorbed by Coutts in 1840."

These Sovereigns are of superb aesthetic quality and include several key rarities. An example from the reign of Queen Victoria, dated 1841, which is described as “The King of Victorian Sovereigns,” is in a superb mint state and estimated at £30,000-36,000 [lot 2030], while an extremely rare example dating from 1823 and the reign of George IV (1820-1830) is estimated at £10,000-£15,000 [lot 2010]. Also of note is a superb ‘827’ Sovereign from 1863, estimated at £10,000-15,000 [lot 2053]. 

Mr Hopper adds: “The enigmatic ‘827’ sovereigns come in two varieties: those with the die number 22 on the reverse and those without. Both are extremely rare, the latter being perhaps the more difficult to acquire in higher grades. Die numbers for 1863 run from 1 to 26, and on this basis, the ‘827’ issues can be placed towards the end of the calendar year.” 

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