Australia 1929-M sovereign
This specimen was lot 377 in Sincona sale 75 (Zürich, May 2022), where it sold for 1,300 CHF (about US$1,578 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted, "Grossbritannien | Königreich. George V. 1910-1936. Sovereign 1929 M, Melbourne. Bare head. Seltener Jahrgang. NGC MS61. (Rare date.)" Sovereigns were struck 1911-28 for George V at the Sydney, Melbourne and Perth mints. The Perth mint was used mostly to strike sovereigns. It issued other denominations only sporadically before it closed in 1964. The Australian sovereign is identical to the ordinary British sovereign in every respect except for the addition of a mintmark, which will be found buried in the rock below the dragon on the reverse. As British issues effectively ceased after 1916, Australian sovereigns of George V are quite a bit more common. This slightly modified type (KM 32) was struck 1929-31, then gold coinage ceased altogether.
Recorded mintage: 436,000 plus proofs, a scarce date.
Specification: 7.98 g, 0.917 fine gold, 0.2355 troy oz AGW, this specimen 7.31 g (sic).
Catalog reference: KM 32, S-4000, Fr-38.
- McDonald, Greg, The Pocket Guide to Australian Coins and Banknotes, 23rd ed., Lavington, Australia, 2017.
- Pitt, Michael, 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, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- 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]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 75, SINCONA British Collection - Part 2, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2022..
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- 1928-M sovereign
- 1929-P sovereign
- 1930-M sovereign
- Coins and currency dated 1929
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