The 1872 Sydney is the second Young Head half sovereign to be struck at an Australian mint. The new design, features a slightly re-designed bust on the
Obverse
The heads side of the coin
obverse and a larger shield
Reverse
The tails side of the coin
reverse design which dips into the
Rim
The edge around a coin, often with beading or denticles
rim. While the Melbourne mint opened in 1872, they did not strike any half sovereigns and began production only in 1873 (
Learn more about the 1873-M Half Sovereign). In most grades the 1872 Sydney is of similar rarity to the 1871 Sydney though is slightly more common in the upper grades with several Extra Fine or better examples available, however acquiring an example in the upper grades still represents quite a challenge. Note that the
Mintage
The number of coins struck of a particular designation
mintage figure likely includes the 1871 Sydney mintage. The 1872 Sydney typically has a
Reverse
The tails side of the coin
reverse of a slightly lower grade owing to the low
Reverse
The tails side of the coin
reverse Rim
The edge around a coin, often with beading or denticles
rims.
