1899 Gold Sovereign Perth


The 1899 Gold Sovereign - Perth Mint

The small 'P' just above the date shows this coin was minted at the Perth Mint in Western Australia.

The Reverse shows St George and the dragon, designed by Benedetto Pistrucci.

Obverse is Queen Victoria Old Head by Thomas Brock.

Image Credit: Museums Victoria


Mintage: 694,937 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The Perth Mint.
Remember 1899 ?
The Monarch is Queen Victoria. Prime Minister is Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Coalition). US President is William McKinley (R-Ohio). Second Boer War begins. Marconi transmits a radio signal across the English channel. School leaving age in England and Wales raised to twelve. Produced for the first time are Liquorice allsorts and Oxo beef stock cubes.
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 1899 Gold Sovereign Perth 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 1899 Gold Sovereign Perth was minted at The Perth 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 1899 Gold Sovereign Perth, 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 Perth Mint
The Perth Mint, Western Australia, is Australia's official bullion mint and wholly owned by the Government of Western Australia. The Perth Mint opened in 1899 in response to the discovery of rich gold deposits in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie.  It was Australia's third branch of Britain's Royal Mint - the others being the Sydney Mint and the Melbourne Mint (both closed).
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:

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50P COINS CIRCULATED/UNCIRCULATED ROYAL MINT BRITISH COIN HUNT - VARIOUS
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Premier Padded Clear Coin Capsules Holder Storage Crown Display Case £2 50P € UK
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Rare 50p Coins Olympic Beatrix Potter Kew Isle of Man WWF Snowman Fifty Pence
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List items on:

RARE 1899 PERTH KEY DATE LOW MINTAGE 690,992 Victoria Full Gold Sovereign ref101
RARE 1899 PERTH KEY DATE LOW MINTAGE 690,992 Victoria Full Gold Sovereign ref101
£ 525.00
AUSTRALIA Britain UK Victoria Gold Sovereign 1899 P NGC AU 58 UNC Perth SCARCE
AUSTRALIA Britain UK Victoria Gold Sovereign 1899 P NGC AU 58 UNC Perth SCARCE
£ 2,335.80
Australia..  1899 Perth - Sovereign..  Much Lustre (Near full on Rev) - EF/gEF
Australia.. 1899 Perth - Sovereign.. Much Lustre (Near full on Rev) - EF/gEF
£ 1,033.14
Australia.  1899 Perth - Sovereign..  Part Lustre - gVF
Australia. 1899 Perth - Sovereign.. Part Lustre - gVF
£ 710.28
Australia.  1899 Perth - Sovereign..  aU/UNC - Near Full Lustre
Australia. 1899 Perth - Sovereign.. aU/UNC - Near Full Lustre
£ 1,898.39
1999 The Perth Mint Centenary Sovereign 1899-1999 $100 Bi-metallic Coin PICTURED
1999 The Perth Mint Centenary Sovereign 1899-1999 $100 Bi-metallic Coin PICTURED
£ 826.51
Australia.  1899 Perth - Sovereign..  Part Lustre - VF/gVF
Australia. 1899 Perth - Sovereign.. Part Lustre - VF/gVF
£ 736.11
Australia..  1899 Perth - Sovereign...  Much Lustre - aEF/gEF
Australia.. 1899 Perth - Sovereign... Much Lustre - aEF/gEF
£ 981.48

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