1858 Sydney Mint Type II Half Sovereign Unc (PCGS MS62+)

1858 Sydney Mint Type II Half Sovereign Unc (PCGS MS62+)

Obverse: Type II portrait of Victoria to left, date below and legend around

Reverse: Australia within wreath, denomination below

Diameter: 19.30mm | Weight: 3.99g | Purity: 91.67 | AGW: 0.1177 ozt

Mintage: 483,000

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This coin is a superb example of the early coinage of the Sydney Mint.

One of the characteristics that is shared by many of the gold half sovereigns struck at the Sydney Mint in the 1850's and 1860s is the loss of detail in individual letters or numerals either side.

This characteristic is not due to circulation or wear and tear on the coin itself, but is characteristic of the dies used to strike the coins.

Dies were shipped to Sydney from London periodically, in between shipments it was necessary for the Sydney Mint staff to account for any damage to the dies themselves. This is evidence in the letters and dates that were re-punched in the first 15-20 years the Sydney Mint was in operation.

This particular half-sovereign is a classic example - if you examine the fine detail of the obverse image, youll see that although the coin has been struck incredibly well (nearly all of the letters in the legend are sharp and square), there is a loss of detail in the letter F and 2 pellets on the right-hand side.

The reverse has also been struck incredibly well - each of the letters, the crown and the wreath are all sharp and distinct.

The letter "E" in "SYDNEY" looks to have been re-punched, I'm not certain whether that was done with another E or an F yet.

This coin is a superb example of the early coinage of the Sydney Mint and could be easily included in any fine collection of historic Australian coins.

Click the PCGS icon below to verify the certificate details for this coin directly on the PCGS website.

PCGS Certificate Number: 37712588

SKU

27148