Pre-Long Beach Auction #91

Great Britain. Matte Proof Crown, 1937 NGC Matte Proof 67. S4078-9 (type); ESC-393B (Rarity-7); KM-857. George VI. Obverse, portrait of King left by Henry Paget - GEORGIVS VI D:G: BR: OMN: REX. The artist's initials below truncation. Reverse, crowned coat of arms with lion and unicorn supporting, FID: DEF: IND:IMP above, CROWN: 1937 below. The artist's initials K.G. (Kruger Gray) appear in the field in between the legs of the lion and the unicorn. Mint state and of the highest rarity. Edge reeded/milled. It is understood that a tiny number the 1937 Proof coins were produced with matte surfaces by the Royal Mint for photographic purposes. This is an excessively rare and flawless example. NGC graded Matte Proof 67.
* In the Norweb catalogue (where a matte proof 1937 set of coins was offered for sale) it was stated: 'It is understood that the practice of making a small number of matte proofs, of this and other issues, was to facilitate the ease of photography at the time.' Another set of matte proofs, less the Maundy money is illustrated in the Royal Mint Report for 1935/1936 (pl.A 1-12). Linecar and Stone (p111) only record one other (complete) set of 1937 matte proof coins noted in commerce. Estimated Value $4,000 - 5,000