Australia 1870-S sovereign
This specimen was lot 30396 in Heritage sale 3073 (Chicago, April 2019), where it sold for $1,560. The catalog description[1] noted, "Victoria gold Sovereign 1870-SYDNEY MS62 PCGS, Sydney mint. A bold example of this final date in the series, displaying fresh luster throughout the fields and Mint State definition across the raised designs." This type, bearing the portrait of Queen Victoria wearing a banksia wreath, was struck at the Sydney mint 1857-70. The total issue was in the tens of millions yet the type is scarce today, especially in nice condition. The Sydney mint was opened in 1855 to strike the gold found in Australia and was not employed to strike ordinary circulation coinage until 1920.
Recorded mintage: 1,220,000, the most common date for the type.
Specification: 7.99 g, 0.917 fine gold, .2354 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: KM 4, Fr-10.
- 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.
- 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.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano and Warren Tucker, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3073, featuring the Lake County Collection of British coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2019.
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