Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
1 Sovereign - Victoria
| Issuer | Sydney Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1855-1856 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Milled |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central field bears the word AUSTRALIA in bold raised lettering, surmounted by a finely detailed St. Edward's Crown. The central motif is framed by a wreath composed of banksia and eucalyptus branches, tied at the base with a ribbon bow, referencing the Australian colonial context of the issue. The legend SYDNEY MINT arcs along the upper periphery, while ONE SOVEREIGN curves along the lower periphery, both set within a dentilated border. The overall design is austere and heraldic, reflecting the mint's role as Britain's first overseas branch mint. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Sydney Mint sovereign series began not by design but by necessity. Gold from the New South Wales fields was arriving in such volumes after 1851 that shipping raw bullion to London for coining and returning it as currency was plainly unworkable. The Sydney Mint — converted from the Royal Mint's former branch inside the old Hyde Park Barracks — began striking in 1855, making these the first coins produced on Australian soil.
The 1855–1856 issues are distinguished from later Sydney sovereigns by their use of a different reverse die than the London standard, a deliberate deviation approved under Royal Warrant.