1902 Five Pound - PCGS MS62

Great Britain, 1902 Five Pound -

If you gave me a choice between the 1902 matte proof five pound and the 1902 currency issue, I would choose the currency issue every time. The coin is rare in grade, and one of the more underrated five pounds in the series. Thirty-five thousand pieces were issued, but 27,000 were subsequently remelted, according to the Krause catalogue. Going by mintage figures alone, this makes the 8,000 remaining currency issue coins more scarce than the proofs. Add to that the fact that a proportion of the non-proof coins were issued into circulation, very few remain in Mint State. Indeed, while PCGS has certified 96 examples of the proof version, only 23 currency issue coins have been certified as Mint State (and a further 6 in lesser grades) (4/15). Make no mistake, this coin is rare.