1866 Sydney Mint Type II Sovereign Choice Unc (PCGS MS63)
| We Last Sold This Item For: | $5,500.00 |
|---|---|
| Last Sold On: | 2/11/2019 |
| # Sold In Past 12 Months: | 0 |
1866 Sydney Mint Type II Sovereign Choice Unc (PCGS MS63)
Obverse: Type II portrait of Queen Victoria to left, date below and legend around
Reverse: "Australia" within wreath.
A superb example of the Type II sovereign.
Up until the late 1990s, Sydney Mint sovereigns were incredibly scarce in any condition and commanded strong prices in premium, mint-state quality.
It was around that time a good quantity of Type II Sydney Mint sovereigns came onto the Australian collector market - these coins had originated in India, of all places.
These coins had been exported from Sydney to India's main commercial centres and were used to pay British soldiers serving there (in the Sikh wars as I understand it).
As the soldiers spent them with local merchants, and those merchants then used them to pay their suppliers and so on, the sovereigns made their way up the economic food chain to the coffers of some of the wealthiest people in India.
Folklore has it that descendants of these families (several generations removed) had been given the coins to sell in London, the proceeds of which would be used to fund tuition at Oxford and Cambridge.
While I don't have any primary evidence to corroborate this admittedly "romantic" story, I am of the firm opinion that this is pretty much fact. Most of these "Out of India" sovereigns were dated 1866, 1867, 1868 or 1870.
In my experience over the past few decades, the date regarded as being the most readily available and the date regarded as being the rarest rose and fell several times.
The PCGS population report currently shows that the number of 1866 sovereigns that have been graded is nearly double that of the 1870 - this in no way reflects the number of each coin that I've handled.
I believe this relative rarity can only settle down over time, as the remaining population of these coins is graded.
Click the PCGS icon below to verify the certificate details for this coin directly on the PCGS website.
PCGS Certificate Number: 29534565
SKU: 23432
Browse our catalog of Type II Sydney Mints below:
Others Also Bought
More From This Category
I've taken my coins to Andrew a few times. Him and his staff are very nice people. Andrew is honest and down to earth. 👍
I have purchased several bulk lots of world coins from Sterling & Currency over the last few years. Read more...
I live on East Coast but prefer dealing with Andrew on the West due to his integrity, knowledge and prices, Read more...
Just purchased a 1966 blue case decimal mint set. Andrew gave me a ring to ensure it had arrived and provided Read more...
.jpg)
The team at Sterling & Currency is a family affair – small but growing. Andrew Crellin is the main dealer in the business, click here to read this credentials and how he started with the Perth Mint; spent a decade in Sydney working with two leading dealers and relocated back to Perth in 2006.
Jo is our budding Numismatist, Chief Event officer, Photographer and Packing Extraordinaire. Natalie is our media creator and photographer. Nicole manages the accounts and is part of the Packing Team. A myriad of important duties are carried out by the team that include photography, website updates, office admin, and chocolate eating.
Ruby the Ridgeback quite frankly has learned nothing about coins, however contributes by barking at anyone wearing hi-viz.
We're Always Buying!
We need to buy tens of thousands of dollars worth of coins and notes each and every week of the year.
If you'd like to turn all or part of your collection into cash, get in touch with our expert staff and we'll be happy to start working on a deal with you.
Australian Gold Coins
We have extensive experience in handling all Australian gold soveriegns and halves, from the Adelaide Pounds of 1852 right through to the last coins of George V of 1931. All of the Australian gold coins in our online shop are described in detail with high resolution images.
Coins
At Sterling & Currency, we specialize in handling Australian coins dating from our nation's settlement in 1788 through to the introduction of decimal currency in 1966. We have an extensive range in our online store of Australian gold, copper and silver coins.
Decimal Coins
The Australian proof and UNC coins struck by the Perth Mint and the Royal Australian Mint are the most accessible coins available to collectors today. If you're not able to find a particular coin that you're keen to add to your collection, let us know and we'll be contact you when it becomes available.