1885 Gold Sovereign SYD


The 1885 Gold Sovereign. Sydney Mint. St George is on the reverese.


Mintage: 1,486,000 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The Sydney Mint.
Remember 1885 ?
Monarch is Queen Victoria. Prime Minister is William Ewart Gladstone (Liberal), then on 23 June it is Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative). US President is Chester A. Arthur (R-New York) then on 4 March it is Grover Cleveland (D-New York). Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Professional football is legalised in Britain. Mark Twain publishes the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
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 1885 Gold Sovereign Sydney 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 1885 Gold Sovereign Sydney was minted at The Sydney 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 1885 Gold Sovereign Sydney, 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 Sydney Mint
The Sydney Mint in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is the oldest public building in the Sydney Central Business District. It stopped making gold sovereigns about 1926.
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:

Rare & Valuable UK 50p Coins Fifty Pence Circulated Beatrix Potter Olympics WWF
Rare & Valuable UK 50p Coins Fifty Pence Circulated Beatrix Potter Olympics WWF
£ 219.99
50p Coins UK Rare Fifty Pences Circulated Beatrix Potter Olympics WWF NHS
50p Coins UK Rare Fifty Pences Circulated Beatrix Potter Olympics WWF NHS
£ 3.69
London Olympic 2012 50p Coins - Triathlon Football Judo Wrestling - FREE POSTAGE
London Olympic 2012 50p Coins - Triathlon Football Judo Wrestling - FREE POSTAGE
£ 149.99
Olympic 50p Coins-London 2012 Fifty Pence Coins-Football-Triathlon-WWF-NHS 50p
Olympic 50p Coins-London 2012 Fifty Pence Coins-Football-Triathlon-WWF-NHS 50p
£ 1.90
50P COINS CIRCULATED/UNCIRCULATED ROYAL MINT BRITISH COIN HUNT - VARIOUS
50P COINS CIRCULATED/UNCIRCULATED ROYAL MINT BRITISH COIN HUNT - VARIOUS
£ 4.05
50p Coins UK Rare Fifty Pences  EU presidency proof  filler coin, UNCIRCULATED
50p Coins UK Rare Fifty Pences EU presidency proof filler coin, UNCIRCULATED
£ 6.99
Premier Padded Clear Coin Capsules Holder Storage Crown Display Case £2 50P € UK
Premier Padded Clear Coin Capsules Holder Storage Crown Display Case £2 50P € UK
£ 199.95
UK Fifty Pence Coins 50p Proof Bunc Circulated choose year & grade LARGE 1969-97
UK Fifty Pence Coins 50p Proof Bunc Circulated choose year & grade LARGE 1969-97
£ 69.95

List items on:


UK On eBay UK:


9ct Yellow Gold on Silver Sovereign Coin Ring - ALL SIZES AVAILABLE inc LARGE
9ct Yellow Gold on Silver Sovereign Coin Ring - ALL SIZES AVAILABLE inc LARGE
£ 29.95
1793  Gold Coin  Sovereign
1793 Gold Coin Sovereign
£ 599.00
Gold Sovereign. 2022. Last QEII. Gorgeous... 8g 22ct. Untouched except for pics.
Gold Sovereign. 2022. Last QEII. Gorgeous... 8g 22ct. Untouched except for pics.
£ 445.00
Cooksongold 9ct Yellow Gold Full/Half Sovereign Coin Mount with Scroll Top
Cooksongold 9ct Yellow Gold Full/Half Sovereign Coin Mount with Scroll Top
£ 74.40
Sovereign 1981 Gold Proof with original Royal Mint Box
Sovereign 1981 Gold Proof with original Royal Mint Box
£ 439.99
2002 Great Britain 1 Sovereign Golden Jubilee Proof 69 Ultra Cameo
2002 Great Britain 1 Sovereign Golden Jubilee Proof 69 Ultra Cameo
£ 695.00
1 Rand Gold Coin. 1975. Immaculate, scarce and beautiful. Same as Half Sovereign
1 Rand Gold Coin. 1975. Immaculate, scarce and beautiful. Same as Half Sovereign
£ 245.00
RARE 1928 SA King George V Full Gold Sovereign Coin - Good Condition
RARE 1928 SA King George V Full Gold Sovereign Coin - Good Condition
£ 500.00
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USA On eBay USA:


Cooksongold 9ct Yellow Gold Full/Half Sovereign Coin Mount with Scroll Top
Cooksongold 9ct Yellow Gold Full/Half Sovereign Coin Mount with Scroll Top
£ 74.40
BULLION 1978 ELIZABETH II GOLD SOVEREIGN COIN IN NEAR MINT CONDITION.
BULLION 1978 ELIZABETH II GOLD SOVEREIGN COIN IN NEAR MINT CONDITION.
£ 490.00
1793  Gold Coin  Sovereign
1793 Gold Coin Sovereign
£ 599.00
9ct Yellow Gold on Silver Sovereign Coin Ring - ALL SIZES AVAILABLE inc LARGE
9ct Yellow Gold on Silver Sovereign Coin Ring - ALL SIZES AVAILABLE inc LARGE
£ 29.95
Sovereign 1981 Gold Proof with original Royal Mint Box
Sovereign 1981 Gold Proof with original Royal Mint Box
£ 439.99
2002 Great Britain 1 Sovereign Golden Jubilee Proof 69 Ultra Cameo
2002 Great Britain 1 Sovereign Golden Jubilee Proof 69 Ultra Cameo
£ 695.00
RARE 1928 SA King George V Full Gold Sovereign Coin - Good Condition
RARE 1928 SA King George V Full Gold Sovereign Coin - Good Condition
£ 500.00
Gold Sovereign. 2022. Last QEII. Gorgeous... 8g 22ct. Untouched except for pics.
Gold Sovereign. 2022. Last QEII. Gorgeous... 8g 22ct. Untouched except for pics.
£ 445.00
View Coins on eBay UK
View Coins on eBay USA