1875 Gold Sovereign MEL


The 1875 Gold Sovereign - Melbourne Mint

Gold Sovereign of Queen Victoria minted at the Melbourne Mint, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. SCBC: 3857.

A small 'M' below the head on the Obverse indicates the sovereign was produced in Melbourne, Australia.

The Reverse depicts Benedetto Pistrucci’s famous portrayal of St George slaying the dragon on the reverse of the coin. On this coin the initials B.P. are in small text and the horse has a long tail.

The edge is milled.

The Obverse shows the young head portrait of Queen Victoria facing left by William Wyon; his initials WW are on the truncation of the neck. Legend is "VICTORIA D:G: BRITANNIAR: REG: F:D:".

Image credit: Museums Victoria


Mintage: 1,888,405 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The Melbourne Mint.
Remember 1875 ?
In UK: Monarch is Queen Victoria. Prime Minister – Benjamin Disraeli (Conservative). Captain Matthew Webb becomes is the first to swim the English Channel.
In USA: President is President: Ulysses S. Grant (R-Illinois). Vice President: Henry Wilson (R-Massachusetts) but dies from a stroke on November 22; the position is left vacant. President Grant authorizes issue of a twenty-cent piece, which is abolished 3 years later. Conoco formed as the Continental Oil and Transportation Company.
Victoria (1837-1901)
Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India. Victoria ruled for 64 years, a record only recently surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II.
 
Victoria's parents were Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathern, and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. She married Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who later became known as Prince Albert. Victoria had nine children, the eldest son succeeding her as Edward VII.


Victoria posed for a number of head portraits, but there are generally three major variants: Young Head (1838-1887) by William Wyon, RA; Jubilee Head (1887-1893) by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm and Old Head (1893-1901) by by Sir Thomas Brock.

Category: Sovereigns
The 1875 Gold Sovereign Melbourne is an example of the Gold Sovereign and is one of the most ubiquitous of all coins and much sought after by both coin collectors and bullion investors. Sovereigns have been minted since 1817 (in Britain 1817-1917, 1925 and 1957 on). At coins fairs you often hear the dealers refer to these coins as Sovs.

Besides being minted in Britain, Sovereigns have been made in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth), India (then Bombay, now Mumbai), Canada (Ottawa) and South Africa (Pretoria) although these regional mints have not made sovereigns since 1932 (although India has produced some recently in a private mint partnership with the Royal Mint). The non-British coins carry a small mintmark ('S','M','P','I','C' or 'SA') just above the date. This 1875 Gold Sovereign Melbourne was minted at The Melbourne Mint.

The Obverse is the Monarch's head (Victoria) and the Reverse is most often St George and the Dragon, although other backs have been used and are of interest to collectors. The Reverse often gives the Sovs a new term, like "ShieldBacks".

Specifications for the Gold Sovereign
 
  • Weight: 7.9881g
  • Diameter: 22.05 mm
  • Thickness: 1.52 mm
  • Purity: 22 carat = 91.67% (11/12ths gold, 1/12th copper. Adding copper makes the coin more scratch and dent resistant)
  • Gold Content: 113 grains = 7.3224 g = 0.2354 troy ounce
  • Face value: £1 = 20 shillings
  • Monarch: Victoria

History

Up until 1604 there was a coin called the English gold sovereign and in 1816 when there was the "Great Recoinage" the name was revived. At that time standard gold (22 carat) was valued at £46 14s 6d per troy pound; this meant a £1 coin needed to weigh 123.2744783 grains or 7.988030269 g. The weight is still the same today.

As a historical note: to maintain the Gold Standard, in 1816 the value of silver was set at 66 shillings for one troy pound and silver coins were only legal for denominations up to £2.

The first sovereigns carried the head of King George III and the famous George and the Dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci (29 May 1783 – 16 September 1855), an Italian engraver who became chief medallist at the Royal Mint.

With high value coins such as the 1875 Gold Sovereign Melbourne, collectors and bullion investors often worry about forgeries but actually gold coins are very difficult to forge due to gold's unique properties of density and colour. Gold is extremely dense and to use another metal and gold-plate it would result in a coin that is under-weight, over-diameter or half as thick, something that would be spotted very easily. More difficult to spot would be a bullion coin melted down and re-cast as a highly collectable date, but an expert can usually tell these too. You should always use reputable dealers.

Which Mint: The Melbourne Mint
The Melbourne Mint, Victoria, Australia, opened around 1872 and was originally a branch of the Royal Mint in London. From 1872 to 1916 the Melbourne Mint minted only gold sovereigns, but from 1927 to 1967 it produced all Australian coins.
Country of Origin: Australia
Australia is a country and continent surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. Australia used pounds, shillings and pence until 1966, when it adopted the decimal system with the Australian dollar divided into 100 cents. The 1oz Silver coins are a particular favourite with collectors around the World and feature the famous Australian animals such as Kookaburra, Kangeroo and Kaola.
If you don't see a coin in the list below try the Sovereigns page on eBay UK
As an eBay Partner, We may be compensated if you make a purchase.

List items on:

London Olympic 2012 50p Coins - Triathlon Football Judo Wrestling - FREE POSTAGE
London Olympic 2012 50p Coins - Triathlon Football Judo Wrestling - FREE POSTAGE
£ 149.99
JOB LOT BULK BRITISH PRE-DECIMAL COINS CHOOSE DENOMINATION AND QUANTITY
JOB LOT BULK BRITISH PRE-DECIMAL COINS CHOOSE DENOMINATION AND QUANTITY
£ 82.99
✨✨✨ 2018 10p Alphabet Coins Letters A to Z Royal Mint Carded British Set ✨✨✨
✨✨✨ 2018 10p Alphabet Coins Letters A to Z Royal Mint Carded British Set ✨✨✨
£ 134.99
50P COINS CIRCULATED/UNCIRCULATED ROYAL MINT BRITISH COIN HUNT - VARIOUS
50P COINS CIRCULATED/UNCIRCULATED ROYAL MINT BRITISH COIN HUNT - VARIOUS
£ 2.85
2024 GIBRALTAR CHRISTMAS 50p COINS
2024 GIBRALTAR CHRISTMAS 50p COINS
£ 5.95
Rare 50p Coins Olympic Beatrix Potter Kew Isle of Man WWF Snowman Fifty Pence
Rare 50p Coins Olympic Beatrix Potter Kew Isle of Man WWF Snowman Fifty Pence
£ 3.49
BULK Shillings coins CHOOSE HOW MANY from 5 to 1000 Coins !!FREE POSTAGE!!
BULK Shillings coins CHOOSE HOW MANY from 5 to 1000 Coins !!FREE POSTAGE!!
£ 1.99
PLASTIC LIGHTHOUSE COIN HOLDERS WALLETS 2"x2" & 1.5"x1.5" FREE POSTAGE MULTIBUY
PLASTIC LIGHTHOUSE COIN HOLDERS WALLETS 2"x2" & 1.5"x1.5" FREE POSTAGE MULTIBUY
£ 1.99

List items on:


UK On eBay UK:


2015 Battle Britain 75th Anniversary Quarter Sovereign Coin 2g 13.5mm 22ct Gold
2015 Battle Britain 75th Anniversary Quarter Sovereign Coin 2g 13.5mm 22ct Gold
£ 250.00
22ct Gold Full Sovereign Coin 1900 with 9ct Gold Pendant Mount - Queen Victoria
22ct Gold Full Sovereign Coin 1900 with 9ct Gold Pendant Mount - Queen Victoria
£ 750.00
Half Sovereign Coin 1913-Solid 22ct Gold-With 9ct Ring Holder
Half Sovereign Coin 1913-Solid 22ct Gold-With 9ct Ring Holder
£ 675.00
2018 Remembrance Armistice Poppy 1/4 Quarter Sovereign Coin 2g 13.5mm 22ct Gold
2018 Remembrance Armistice Poppy 1/4 Quarter Sovereign Coin 2g 13.5mm 22ct Gold
£ 250.00
Gold Half Sovereign & FREE 1oz Silver Britannia Coin - REFFERAL ONLY
Gold Half Sovereign & FREE 1oz Silver Britannia Coin - REFFERAL ONLY
£ 0.99
1964 22ct Full Gold Sovereign Coin £510
1964 22ct Full Gold Sovereign Coin £510
£ 510.00
1 Pond gold Coin. 1893. Scarce. With a 9ct gold mount. Same as Full Sovereign...
1 Pond gold Coin. 1893. Scarce. With a 9ct gold mount. Same as Full Sovereign...
£ 575.00
Solid 24ct Gold £5 Coin 150th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Churchill / Sovereign
Solid 24ct Gold £5 Coin 150th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Churchill / Sovereign
£ 79.99
View Coins on eBay UK
View Coins on eBay USA

USA On eBay USA:


2015 Battle Britain 75th Anniversary Quarter Sovereign Coin 2g 13.5mm 22ct Gold
2015 Battle Britain 75th Anniversary Quarter Sovereign Coin 2g 13.5mm 22ct Gold
£ 250.00
22ct Gold Full Sovereign Coin 1900 with 9ct Gold Pendant Mount - Queen Victoria
22ct Gold Full Sovereign Coin 1900 with 9ct Gold Pendant Mount - Queen Victoria
£ 750.00
Half Sovereign Coin 1913-Solid 22ct Gold-With 9ct Ring Holder
Half Sovereign Coin 1913-Solid 22ct Gold-With 9ct Ring Holder
£ 675.00
2018 Remembrance Armistice Poppy 1/4 Quarter Sovereign Coin 2g 13.5mm 22ct Gold
2018 Remembrance Armistice Poppy 1/4 Quarter Sovereign Coin 2g 13.5mm 22ct Gold
£ 250.00
Gold Half Sovereign & FREE 1oz Silver Britannia Coin - REFFERAL ONLY
Gold Half Sovereign & FREE 1oz Silver Britannia Coin - REFFERAL ONLY
£ 0.99
1964 22ct Full Gold Sovereign Coin £510
1964 22ct Full Gold Sovereign Coin £510
£ 510.00
1 Pond gold Coin. 1893. Scarce. With a 9ct gold mount. Same as Full Sovereign...
1 Pond gold Coin. 1893. Scarce. With a 9ct gold mount. Same as Full Sovereign...
£ 575.00
Solid 24ct Gold £5 Coin 150th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Churchill / Sovereign
Solid 24ct Gold £5 Coin 150th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Churchill / Sovereign
£ 79.99
View Coins on eBay UK
View Coins on eBay USA