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This is a modest collection of second millennium gold coins of Australia from the late-1800s into the 20th Century
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COMMONWEALTH
½ Sovereign - 1857 - S
KM-004 - 3,99 g - 19,3 mm
Fineness - 0,917 Au/0,083 Cu
Edge - Reeded
Mintage - 0,538M
The obverse has the young head of Queen Victoria (b1819-d1901) with a sprig of banksia and the Latin inscription VICTORIA D:G: BRITTANIAR: REG:D:F: (Victoria by grace of God, British Queen, Defender of the Faith). The date 1857 is below the bust. The bust was designed by Leonard Charles Wyon. The reverse has a crown and the country's name with St. Edward's crown above circled by a wreath. At the top is a legend identifying the Sydney Mint and below is the denomination Half Sovereign. This is the Type II version. Australian gold coins are more yellow as they were alloyed with silver whereas the London issues were redder and were alloyed with copper, making the Australian gold coins of higher intrinsic worth. In 1870, the decision was made to scrap the unique Australian design in favour of the standard British design. The Sydney Mint was opened as a branch of the London Royal Mint in 1855.
1 Sovereign - 1857 - S
KM-003 - 7,99 g - 21,5 mm
Fineness - 0,917 Au/0,083 Cu
Edge - Reeded
Mintage - 0,499M
The obverse has the young head of Queen Victoria (b1819-d1901) with a sprig of banksia and the Latin inscription VICTORIA D:G: BRITTANIAR: REG:D:F: (Victoria by grace of God, British Queen, Defender of the Faith). The date 1857 is below the bust. The bust was designed by Leonard Charles Wyon. The reverse has a crown and the country's name with St. Edward's crown above circled by a wreath. At the top is a legend identifying the Sydney Mint and below is the denomination One Sovereign. This is the Type II version. Australian gold coins are more yellow as they were alloyed with silver whereas the London issues were redder and were alloyed with copper, making the Australian gold coins of higher intrinsic worth. In 1870, the decision was made to scrap the unique Australian design in favour of the standard British design. The Sydney Mint was opened as a branch of the London Royal Mint in 1855.
½ Sovereign - 1864 - S
KM-004 - 3,99 g - 19,3 mm
Fineness - 0,917 Au/0,083 Cu
Edge - Reeded
Mintage - 0,141M
The obverse has the young head of Queen Victoria (b1819-d1901) with a sprig of banksia and the Latin inscription VICTORIA D:G: BRITTANIAR: REG:D:F: (Victoria by grace of God, British Queen, Defender of the Faith). The date 1864 is below the bust. The bust was designed by Leonard Charles Wyon. The reverse has a crown and the country's name with St. Edward's crown above circled by a wreath. At the top is a legend identifying the Sydney Mint and below is the denomination Half Sovereign. This is the Type II version. Australian gold coins are more yellow as they were alloyed with silver whereas the London issues were redder and were alloyed with copper, making the Australian gold coins of higher intrinsic worth. In 1870, the decision was made to scrap the unique Australian design in favour of the standard British design. The Sydney Mint was opened as a branch of the London Royal Mint in 1855.
1 Sovereign - 1865 - S
KM-003 - 7,99 g - 21,5 mm
Fineness - 0,917 Au/0,083 Cu
Edge - Reeded
Mintage - 2.130.500
The obverse has the young head of Queen Victoria (b1819-d1901) with a sprig of banksia and the Latin inscription VICTORIA D:G: BRITTANIAR: REG:D:F: (Victoria by grace of God, British Queen, Defender of the Faith). The date 1865 is below the bust. The bust was designed by Leonard Charles Wyon. The reverse has a crown and the country's name with St. Edward's crown above circled by a wreath. At the top is a legend identifying the Sydney Mint and below is the denomination One Sovereign. This is the Type II version. Australian gold coins are more yellow as they were alloyed with silver whereas the London issues were redder and were alloyed with copper, making the Australian gold coins of higher intrinsic worth. In 1870, the decision was made to scrap the unique Australian design in favour of the standard British design. The Sydney Mint was opened as a branch of the London Royal Mint in 1855.
1 Sovereign - 1871 - S
KM-006 - 7,99 g - 21,5 mm
Fineness - 0,917 Au/0,083 Cu
Edge - Reeded
Mintage - 2.814.000
The obverse features a young bust (of a young woman of 18 on her ascension to the throne) of Queen Victoria (b1819-1901). VICTORIA DEI GRATIA (Victoria by Grace of God) surrounds the bust. The date 1871 is below the bust. The obverse was designed by William W. Wyon. The reverse has the the Ensigns Armorial of the United Kingdom contained in a plain shield, surmounted by the Royal Crown and encircled with a laurel wreath, with the inscription BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID DEF (British Queen, Defender of the Faith), having the united rose, thistle and shamrock placed under the shield. The shield was designed by Johann Baptiste Merlen. The mintmark S (for the Sydney mint) is below the bow of the wreath. The Sydney Mint was opened as a branch of the London Royal Mint in 1855. It is believed that most of the Shield reverse sovereigns were exported to India as the St. George reverse was unacceptable for religious grounds on the basis of idolatry.
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