Lot 2245

Description

Ireland, Queen Victoria, unofficial patter double florin or four shillings, dated 1901, crowned and veiled old head left, by Donald R. Golder, proofs in 925 silver, copper and aluminium bronze. FDC. (60)

These Ireland pattern double florins were inspired by those of Reginald Huth, who instructed John Pinches to produce a small number of patterns to commemorate Queen Victoria's visit to Ireland in 1900. Huth/Pinches produced a version of Brock's 'old head' portrait of the Queen for the medallic coin's obverse and adopted a cruciform shield design reminiscent of the 1887 double florin for the reverse. The reverse of this 1901 dated pattern combines a crowned Irish harp design, found on the Irish coinage of George III and George IV, with a very detailed quatrefoil design featured on the British pattern florins of 1848. Total mintage 360 sets.