2 Pounds - George IV Uniface Pattern

Pattern pieces of this type were produced at the Royal Mint under the direction of William Wyon and Benedetto Pistrucci during a period of intensive coinage reform in the mid-1820s, when Parliament and the Treasury were actively debating the practical limits of a gold two-pound denomination for general circulation. The uniface construction — a single struck face mounted on a plain flan — was a standard workshop approach for evaluating a design before committing to full die preparation for both sides.

Gold-plated copper survivors from this exercise are presentation or trial pieces, almost certainly never intended to circulate.