FLOAT
1839 Victoria 'Una and the Lion' five-pound gold proof, obverse and reverse — the Smithsonian's example of the same issue; the tracked specimen is NGC PR66 Ultra Cameo
National Numismatic Collection, Smithsonian Institution

1839 Victoria 'Una and the Lion' £5 Gold Proof

Maker
Royal Mint (Great Britain), designed by William Wyon
Year
1839
Rank
17 of 100

1839 Victoria 'Una and the Lion' £5 Gold Proof

1839 Victoria 'Una and the Lion' £5 Gold Proof by Royal Mint (Great Britain), designed by William Wyon (1839) is ranked 17 in the FLOAT 100 for Coins. It sold for $1,440,000 on 19 August 2021. Frequently called the most beautiful British coin ever made; the ultimate Victorian numismatic trophy.

What is it, and why is it in the FLOAT 100?

Frequently called the most beautiful British coin ever made; the ultimate Victorian numismatic trophy.

£5 gold proof pattern, Una and the Lion, NGC PR66 Ultra Cameo

What is the best-sourced number for it?

Figure
$1,440,000
Kind
Realized at auction
Date
19 August 2021

Heritage Auctions, Aug 19 2021 (lot 33227). 1839 'Una and the Lion' £5, NGC PR66 Ultra Cameo, realized $1,440,000.

This is a realized sale. Somebody paid it. Source.

How this is made

The figure
One reference price, taken from a named public source and shown with its own kind. FLOAT does not average it with anything or adjust it for time.
Realized or not
A realized price is a completed sale. A market asking price and a price-guide value are not sales, and are labeled as such wherever they appear.
Why no grade ladder
Most FLOAT 100 entries are individual objects. There is one of this, so there is no population and no spread across grades to show.
Archive
2026-08-08