Australia 1889-S sovereign
This specimen was lot 33521 in Heritage sale 3067 (Long Beach, September 2018), where it sold for $360. The catalog description[1] noted, "Australia: Victoria gold Sovereign 1889-S AU58 NGC, Sydney mint. Bordering on Mint State, with just a hint of wear on Victoria's hair. Complete with ample luster that sweeps the surfaces and a boldly defined reverse illustration of St. George slaying the dragon. From the Collection of a Berkshire Gentleman." This "jubilee head" type was struck 1887-93 at the Sydney and Melbourne mints. The shield reverse used 1871-87 was retired. 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: 3,262,000.
Specification: 7.99 g, 0.917 fine gold.
Catalog reference: KM 10, Fr-19.
- 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.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2018 September 6-11 Long Beach Expo World Coins & Ancient Coins Signature Auction #3067, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
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