Australia 1852 pound Dentilated

Eliasberg lot 2345

This specimen was lot 2345 in the Eliasberg sale, where it sold for $97,750. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"1852 1 pound. Adelaide Assay Office. Variety II. MS-65 (NGC). Crown, date below, within ornamental circle, GOVERNMENT ASSAY OFFICE ADELAIDE around/value within beaded circle, weights and fineness around. A superb specimen of one of the most famous of all world gold issues, coined in Adelaide in 1852 to meet a need for a circulating medium during the Australian Gold Rush. Fully lustrous and satiny, somewhat reflective on the reverse, crisply struck in bright yellow gold. Some inherent granularity is present at central reverse. Since the gold value of an Adelaide pound was slightly more than its face value, shortly after their mintage most coins had already been melted. Those that survive tend to be in EF-AU condition, and the lovely AU Pittman coin was called 'one of the finest known.' It brought $13,800 in 1999. The EF John Ford piece brought $20,000 in 2004. The present example is certainly one of the best we have seen, and its fame and rarity will make it a highlight in any collection."

This type is listed in the SCWC under South Australia; perhaps a dozen pieces exist. The regular Australian sovereign, issued beginning in 1855, was 7.99 g (see 1864(s) sovereign).

Recorded mintage: 25,000.

Specification: 8.75 g, 0.917 fine gold, .288 troy oz AGW; this specimen: 8.80 grams, 22.60 mm diameter.

Catalog reference: KM 2, Fr-3.

Source:

• 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.
• ^[1]Kraljevich, John, John Pack, Elizabeth O. Piper and Frank Van Valen, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., Collection of World Gold Coins and Medals, Wolfboro, NH: American Numismatic Rarities, 2005.

Link to:

• 1853(sy) pattern half sovereign
• 1853(sy) pattern sovereign
• Coins and currency dated 1852
• other specimens in The Eliasberg Collection.
• return to coins of Australia