Great Britain 1870 1/2 sovereign

Sincona sale 51, lot 2640

This specimen was lot 2640 in Sincona sale 51 (Zurich, October 2018), where it sold for 200 CHF (about US$241 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"Victoria, 1837-1901. 1/2 Sovereign 1870, London. Larger young head. Die number 4. Some die breaks on obverse. Vorzüglich. Überdurchschnittliche Erhaltung. (kingdom of Great Britain, Victoria, 1837-1901, half sovereign of 1870, London mint, young head. Extremely fine, Extraordinary condition.)"

This type was struck in substantial quantities 1838-85 yet choice specimens are few. All issues of 1870 bear a die number; this one has die number 4 visible at the bottom of the reverse.

Recorded mintage: 160,000.

Specification: 3.99 g, .917 fine gold, .117 troy oz AGW, this specimen 3.98 g.

Catalog reference: Seaby 3860D, Fr-389f; 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.
• 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.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• ^[1]Richter, Jürg, Sincona Auction 51: Gold and Silver Coins and Medals; Coins and Medals from Switzerland, Zurich: SINCONA AG, 2018.

Link to:

• 1869 half sovereign
• 1870 penny
• 1870 tuppence
• 1870 shilling
• 1870 sovereign
• 1871 half sovereign
• Coins and currency dated 1870
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