1853 Half Sovereign

Sydney Mint

Pattern

A coin struck as a representation piece of a coin that never eventuated

 

patterns were prepared in London dated 1853. The

Reverse

The tails side of the coin

 

reverse design featured a banksia wreath tied into a bow below surrounding 'AUSTRALIA' below a crown with the words, 'SYDNEY MINT' and 'HALF SOVEREIGN' encircling the design. This was the only time a colony would ever deviate from the imperial design though was short-lived with the Sydney

Mint

a facility that produces coins

 

mint reverting to the imperial shield design in 1871. The first

Obverse

The heads side of the coin

 

obverse featured the filleted bust of Queen Victoria designed by James Wyon.

Only four pairs (of half sovereign and full sovereign (Learn more about the 1853 Full Sovereign) are known to exist, one pair resides in the British Museum and the only known pair in private hands sold at the Quartermaster Auction with the half sovereign realizing $443,110 (Monetarium, 2009), ex Spink Australia sale in 1981 with the sovereign for $160,000. The other two pairs are at the Royal Mint Museum in Wales. (Coin Web, 2007).

Image (The Coin Page, 2009)

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