Great Britain 1878 1/2 sovereign

Ponterio sale 168, lot 40158

photo courtesy Stack's-Bowers LLC

This specimen was lot 40158 in Ponterio sale 168 (Philadelphia, August 2012), where it sold for $1,092. The catalog description^[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. 1/2 Sovereign, 1878. PCGS AU-58. Die number 32. Attractive." This bust was used on the half sovereign, or ten shilling coin, 1838-85. This date is common. Die numbering was an experiment done at the mint 1863-80 apparently in an attempt to gather data on die life. Die numbers are also noted on sixpences, shillings, florins and sovereigns.

Recorded mintage: 2,082,000.

Specification: 3.99 g, 0.917 fine gold.

Catalog reference: Fr-389f; S-3860E; KM-735.2.

Source:

• 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.
• Bressett, Kenneth E., A Guide Book of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 2nd Ed., Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing, 1962.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
• Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
• ^[1]Ponterio, Richard, Ponterio sale 168: The Official ANA Auction, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2012.

Link to:

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