Proving Pieces, Henry Maudslay, London, copper, 1827, legend, rev. concentric designs, edge grained and centre-indented, 38mm, 28.55g (Hawkins, p.839 and pl.27, 6). Extremely fine and attractively patinated, very rare £90-120

Henry Maudslay (1771-1831), precision engineer, served his metalworking apprenticeship at Woolwich Arsenal. In 1797 he set up his own business in Wells street, then in Margaret street, near Oxford Circus. He moved in 1810 to purpose-built premises at Westminster road, Lambeth. His company began work for the Royal Mint in 1816, supplying and repairing machinery; the business closed in 1900