Great Britain 1872 1/2 sovereign
This specimen was lot 2656 in Sincona sale 51 (Zurich, October 2018), where it sold for 180 CHF (about US$217 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Victoria, 1837-1901. 1/2 Sovereign 1872, London. Third larger young head. Die number 102. Gutes vorzüglich. (kingdom of Great Britain, Victoria, 1837-1901, half sovereign of 1872, London mint, young head. Good extremely fine.)"
This type was struck in substantial quantities 1838-85 yet choice specimens are few. All issues of 1872 bear a die number; this one has die number 102 visible at the bottom of the reverse.
Recorded mintage: 1,925,000.
Specification: 3.99 g, 0.917 fine gold, .117 troy oz AGW, this specimen 3.96 g.
Catalog reference: Seaby 3860D, Fr-389f; KM-735.2.
- 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: