Australian Sovereigns, Question About Grading
beerpilot
Posts: 3 ✭
Hello, I could use some help figuring out if my Australian Sovereigns are worthy of being graded. I have fourteen of them that range from 1884 to 1897. I purchased them from a well known coin place over twenty years ago. They arrived in cheap plastic sleeves, no documentation of any kind.
I didn't know anything about coin collecting when I bought them, just satisfying a gift request for my wife. Now I'm getting interested and trying to get educated on the subject.
Using a couple of the popular coin valuing sites it looks like these coins are worth between two and three times what I paid for them. Not knowing the current grade I assumed melt value when investigating the value.
So based on my assumption that these things are between double and triple what I paid I'm thinking it's worth the $35 each to have them graded.
But, as I am so new to this I'm assuming there's a lot more to this than what I have figured out so far and would appreciate comments and opinions.
I have attached a couple of pictures for your reference.
Thanks in advance for your time.
Comments
They look a bit circulated (?). Let's hope that a Sovereign collector will let us know what they think.
IMO, no. Better to buy another coin with a date you don't have. I'm away from my coin catalogue to list the better dates/mints. List the dates you have and a member can look them up.
what is the diameter on them - full sovereigns and half sovereigns look the same, but one is 22.05mm and one is 19.3mm. My dealer usually ignores dates and prices Australian sovereigns the same as British ones. Lots of fakes out there, so be careful.
All three of the photos are common sovereigns. I don't like grading coins from photographs. If you send me a private email with the dates and mint marks, I can help you with rarity and varities. I collect Australian sovereigns. I will also provide some good resources that may help out.
The main concern with the packaging is to make sure it is PVC-free. Other than that it is just a matter of preference.
As for them being worth more than you paid for them, I assume that is due to the change in the value of gold rather than numismatic value, so don't assume they are worth getting graded just on that basis.
They are probably nice coins to have in any case.