Sovereign: Nation?

brogine

This is the 'young head' Victoria. This one is on those sovereigns with the 'Australia' reverse. I know the first appears on sovereigns minted outside the UK. Was it ever used on 'Australia' coins? And did that second head (look at the hair) ever appear on a 'regular' sovereign?

Sapyx

The "Sydney Mint" type sovereigns and halves issued 1857 to 1870 all have an obverse portrait unique to this series. IIRC, it was specifically designed to have an "Australian flavour", with Victoria wearing a wreath of wattle flowers.

Edit: Just checked my references. Not wattle, but banksia flowers (another Australian native plant) in her hair.

brogine

Thanks. I'm glad to know that. What's IIRC . . . "If I remember correctly" . . . ?

Sapyx

<< <i>What's IIRC . . . "If I remember correctly" . . . ? >>


Yup.

Hyperion

FWIW, I didn't know what IIRC was..

Cruzi

Sydney Mint sovereigns broke with tradition in a few ways, firstly they stated country they were made in as well as having the denomination on them, the only sovs to do so until 1989.

They also were alloyed with more silver than imperial sovereigns, calls by Melbourne that the Sydney sovs were not worth the stated value backfired when they found that they were in fact worth more.

The popularity of the coins more or less lead to their downfall, with the change to the standard Imperial design introduced in 1871.


If looking to buy Sydney Sovs, the Type I are very rare, the Type II have 1866 and 1870 as the easier dates to obtain.

Edited to add, the fact that they used "Australia" is interesting as it did not exist as a political entity until 1901.