Australia 1861-S 1/2 sovereign
This specimen was lot 2022 in Sincona sale 80 (Zürich, October 2022), where it sold for 375 CHF (about US$450 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted, "AUSTRALIA, Victoria, 1837-1901. 1/2 Sovereign 1861, Sydney. About very fine." Half sovereigns were coined in Australia 1855-1920 in small numbers compared to the enormous quantities of sovereigns issued in that period. This type, with the queen's hair tied in a banksia wreath, was struck 1857-66 only and all the dates are rare today. The Sydney mint was opened in 1853 to strike the gold found in Australia and was not employed to strike ordinary circulation coinage until 1920. It closed in 1926.
Recorded mintage: 186,000.
Specification: 3.99 g, 0.917 fine gold, .117 troy oz AGW, this specimen 3.91 g.
Catalog reference: KM 3, Fr-10 a.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- 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.
- 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.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 80, World Coins and Medals, SINCONA Bullion Auction, World Banknotes, Coins and Medals from Switzerland, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2022.
Link to: