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Australia Edward VII

1902-S  Half Sovereign reverse 1902-S  Half Sovereign obverse

1902-S Half Sovereign

Mintage:84,000
Mint:Sydney Mint Monarch:Edward VII Reverse Designer:Benedetto Pistrucci Obverse Designer:G. W. De Saules Size:19mm Weight:3.99g Edge:Reeded Composition:91.67% Gold
8.33% Copper

Values

Sales History

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The first half sovereigns struck under King Edward VII were struck in 1902 following His Majesty's coronation. This series was the fifth half sovereign series to be struck at Australian mints. The obverse , designed by George William De Saulles, features an uncrowned bust of Edward VII on the obverse, facing towards the right. The legend reads EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:.

The Type I reverse , designed by Benedetto Pistrucci, is featured on Edward VII half sovereigns from 1902 to 1905, with Australian mint patterns struck bearing the date of 1906. It shows St. George, helmed and caped, riding a long-tailed horse and slaying a dragon. The ground bears a broken lance on the left, as well as the mintmark ('M' for Melbourne, 'S' for Sydney, 'P' for Perth) in the centre. The date is positioned below.

Reverse: Sydney Mint 'S' mintmark on the centre of the ground, below the horses hooves and above the date. Reverse: Sydney Mint 'S' mintmark on the centre of the ground, below the horses hooves and above the date.

Reverse: Melbourne Mint 'M' mintmark on the centre of the ground, below the horses hooves and above the date. Reverse: Melbourne Mint 'M' mintmark on the centre of the ground, below the horses hooves and above the date.

Reverse: Perth Mint 'P' mintmark on the centre of the ground, below the horses hooves and above the date. Reverse: Perth Mint 'P' mintmark on the centre of the ground, below the horses hooves and above the date.

This design is slightly smaller than the Type II reverse and lacks the designer's initials, B.P.

Type I Reverse (Small): St George's cape is far from the rim. Type I Reverse (Small): St George's cape is far from the rim.

Type II Reverse (Large): St George's cape is close to the rim. Type II Reverse (Large): St George's cape is close to the rim.

Type I Reverse (Small): Designer, Benedetto Pistrucci's, initials do not appear. Type I Reverse (Small): Designer, Benedetto Pistrucci's, initials do not appear.

Type II Reverse (Large): Designer, Benedetto Pistrucci's, initials do appear. Type II Reverse (Large): Designer, Benedetto Pistrucci's, initials do appear.

Approximately 375,000 half sovereigns were struck for this type making it quite difficult to acquire, especially if sought in better condition. Typical mint state examples grade MS61 to MS62, with examples above MS62 practically impossible to source in any date other than the 1902 Sydney; the Quartermaster sale did offer a 1903 Sydney, which would have likely certified at MS64 or higher, that realized $5,486 (Monetarium, 2009) .

Of the series, the 1904 Perth is by far the toughest date to acquire, being extremely rare above AU; while the 1903 Sydney is the most common date, in general owing to the highest mintage.

The 1902 Sydney is one of the tougher Sydney Mint years of the Edward VII series. But in mint state it is an entirely different story with one, relatively large, hoard of the date surfacing late last century that was distributed by Noble Numismatics.The 1902 Sydney is available with both a brilliant finish and a matte finish. The brilliant finish is slightly scarcer in the upper grades, while no distinction can be made between the two in the circulated grades. Coming from a mintage of only 84,000, it is quite difficult to acquire with lower grade examples very rarely appearing on the market. Note that the mintage figures for the two types are inclusive of each other. No distinction is made in the Royal Mint reports.

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