Collection of rare shillings expected to fetch £50k

The item with the highest estimated value is a 1778 shilling from the reign of George III

A collection of shillings amassed by a gatherer from West Sussex is expected to sell for £50,000 at auction.

It features 350 coins, many of then considered to be rare, dating from 1549 to the 1970s.

The unidentified collector from Arundel is said to have accumulated the coins over several decades.

The coins will be auctioned at Noonans Mayfair in London on Thursday.

The item with the highest estimated value is a rare 1778 pattern shilling from the reign of George III, which could sell for between £1,500 and £2,000.

Coin specialist Oliver Hepburn said the coin is attributed to John Sigismund Tanner, who was the chief engraver of the Royal Mint between 1741-1775, and Richard Yeo, his successor from 1775-1779.

“Though Tanner died in 1775 - three years before this coin was struck - some argue the engraving work in more in line with Tanner’s style than Yeo’s - though we cannot know for sure,” Mr Hepburn said.

A rare shilling from the reign of George I is expected to sell for about £900

One of the earliest coins for sale is a shilling from 1686 that has several errors, which is expected to sell for up to £800.

A rare shilling from the reign of George I (1714-1727) and decorated with roses and plumes is estimated at £900.

Mr Hepburn said: “The 1716 (coin) marks only the second year of issue for George I shillings, and has only come up for sale a handful of times in the last decade.”

The collection, titled The South Downs Collection of Shillings, is estimated to fetch in excess of £50,000.