Victoria (1837-1901). 5 livres (5 pounds) “Una and the lion”, 6 scroll band and 11 leaves, plain edge, Proof strike 1839, London.
Obv. VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIARUM REGINA F: D:. Bust left with headband in hair; signature W. WYON R. A.
Rev. DIRIGE DEUS - GRESSUS MEOS. The Queen on the left leading a lion with its sceptre; in the exergue (date) and signature W. WYON R. A.
S.3851 - W&R.280 - GH.107 - Fr.386; Gold - 38,25 g - 37 mm - 12 h.
Top Pop: this is the only graded one!
NGC PF 62 ULTRA CAMEO. With plain edge! The band is with 6 scrolls and 11 leaves: this variant is sometimes considered as a pattern. Light hairlines in the fields, a tiny scratch in the field before MEOS on the reverse. Proof strike with a Deep Cameo contrast (ULTRA CAMEO), mirror fields and glazed reliefs. Toning with greenish reflections. Of the highest rarity. Mint State.
One or two examples are known for this variety according to Greg Holloway (6 scroll band and 11 leaves). However, we could find four examples certified by NGC (Künker auction 380, n° 288; Numismatica Genevensis SA auction 16, n° 280; Sincona auction 75, n° 339; Stack’s Bowers auction of January 2017, Richard Stuart collection, n° 2477) and two by PCGS (St. James’s auction 26, n° 55, not graded at the time of the auction). Designed by William Wyon (1795-1851) in 1839 to commemorate the beginning of Victoria's reign (in 1837), the £5 coin "Una and the lion" is recognized as one of the finest British coins. Victoria, accompanied by a lion, walks on the left, with the motto "May God direct my steps". The young Queen, then aged 20, is depicted as Lady Una, based on a character in Edmund Spencer's 1590 poem The Faerie Queene. This bold design is the first depiction of a British monarch as a fictional character: the lion representing England is led by Queen Victoria, as Una, who guides it with her sceptre.
