Australia 1856-S 1/2 sovereign
The first specimen was lot 32130 in Heritage sale 3105 (New York, January 2023), where it sold for $144,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Australia: Fully Gem Proof Plain Edge 1/2 Sovereign Pattern with a Century's-Old Provenance. Victoria gold Proof Pattern 1/2 Sovereign 1856-SYDNEY PR65+ Ultra Cameo NGC, London mint, Type II. Plain edge. By Leonard Charles Wyon. The absolutely ideal "sister" coin of the same-dated Sovereign in this sale, which, much like that piece, offers the prospective bidder plenty of reasons to stop and pause. Though awarded a technical certification just shy of PR66 Ultra Cameo by NGC, it is impossible not to see this specimen as edging on that designation in every sense. Its fields--mirrorlike from an arm's length--turn from oscillating honey-gold brilliance and jet-black depth to an almost silky texture on the reverse when viewed head-on. Tender die polish fills the open expanses, with hardly a stray mark to be observed anywhere. According to our research, the coin offered here likely belongs to a small body of 3 traceable examples in auction records from the last several decades and likely still held privately--the other two appearing in Noble Numismatics Auction 62 (November 1999, Lot 1420), also ex. Spink Australia Sale 22 (July 1987, Lot 1879), cited by Rennik; and another formerly in the Pretoria Mint South Africa Collection up to 1996, and offered by Noble Numismatics in their Auction 80 (November 2005). One example is held by the British Museum (1919,0512.14), while the Museums Victoria record none among their holdings, nor did Hocking note any in the Royal Mint Museum's collection. Further topping these statistics with its illustrious pedigree and status as the lone certified representative, we can only anticipate the heights to which this offering will soar. Ex. Quartermaster Collection (Monetarium, Australia June 2009, Lot 233); Winsor & Sons to Tom Hadley (Quartermaster) in 2003; Morton & Eden Auction 6 (December 2003, Lot 521); Spink Australia Auction 6 (November 1981, Lot 985); Farouk Collection (Sotheby's February 1954, Lot 846) [part]; J. G. Murdoch Collection (Sotheby's July 1903, Lot 616) [part]. From the Regent Collection."
The regular issue of half sovereigns began in 1855 and used the "fillet head" of the queen. The banksia wreath adorning the queen on this specimen was not used on production half sovereigns until 1857. The second specimen was lot 54020 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $7,200. The catalog description[2] noted, "AUSTRALIA. 1/2 Sovereign, 1856-SY. Sydney Mint. Victoria. PCGS AU-58. Berry above "L" of "HALF" (type I). One of the finer of the type that one can hope to encounter, with PCGS having graded only one superior to the present piece, this enthralling example should no doubt generate great appeal and interest given its elevated state of preservation. Hardly any evidence of handling is observed, with a great deal of entrancing brilliance noted in the fields and an engaging golden-yellow hue to further excite the gaze of the viewer. A RARE and important opportunity."
Recorded mintage: 478,000 of the regular KM 1.
Specification: 3.99 g, 0.917 fine gold.
Catalog reference: KM-Pn5, McDonald-003 (this coin), Rennik-pg. 24, Marsh-381B (R6), QM-233 (R6; this coin). the second specimen is Fr-9a; KM-1.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- McDonald, Greg, The Pocket Guide to Australian Coins and Banknotes, 23rd ed., Lavington, Australia, 2017.
- Pitt, Michael, ed., Renniks Australian Coin and Banknote Values, 32nd Edition, Matraville, New South Wales, Australia: Renniks Publications, 2023.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2023 January 9 NYINC World & Ancient Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction - New York #3105, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2022.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2024 NYINC Auction, featuring the Emilio M Ortiz Collection and a Symphony of Russian Rarities, the Rothschild-Piatigorsky Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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