Collection Online as of February 8, 2023

Five Pound Piece: George IV (obverse); Shield of Arms (reverse)

1826

Part of a set. See all set records

designer

Jean Baptiste Merlen

(French, 1769–1850)

England, George IV, 1820-1830

Gold

Diameter: 3.8 cm (1 1/2 in.)

The Norweb Collection 1969.215

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

The shield is quartered with the arms of England (1 & 4), Scotland (2), and Ireland (3) with the crowned arms of the Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg at the center.

Description

Only pattern five-pound pieces were struck during the reign of George IV, none being put into circulation. In this reign, specimen proof sets appeared for the first time in 1823, and the pattern five- and two-pound pieces as well as the pattern silver crown were included in the sets.

Inscriptions

Inscription

DEI GRATIA * 1826 * GEORGIUS IV.

Inscription Translation

George IV by the Grace of God

Inscription Remark

obverse

Inscription

BRITANNIARUM.REX FID: DEF

Inscription Translation

King of the Britains and Defender of the Faith

Inscription Remark

reverse

Provenance

-1969

Mrs. Emery May Holden Norweb (1895-1984), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art

1969-

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Citations

Cleveland Museum of Art, and Emery May Norweb. English Gold Coins, Ancient to Modern Times, On Loan to the Cleveland Museum of Art from the Norweb Collection. [Catalog. 1968.] p. 72

Exhibition history

English Gold Coins: Ancient to Modern Times. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1963).

Year in Review: 1969. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (January 27-February 22, 1970).