Mintage:537,000 Figure shared with: 1857/5 Overdate Mint:Sydney MintMonarch:VictoriaReverse Designer:L. C. LyonObverse Designer:L. C. LyonSize:19mmWeight:3.99gEdge:ReededComposition:91.67% Gold 8.33% Silver
Values
Sales History
Current listings
?
The 1857 is one of the easier dates in the series with an initial
mintage
of 537,000, relative high for this era. This is complemented by a number of high grade examples surfacing from the India
hoard
(Noble, J, 2016)
. The date often features re-entered lettering, a technique employed by the Sydney mint to prolong the working life of
dies
though evidence of their overuse can be seen with numerous
die cracks
and other damage associated with overworked
dies. Additionally
the 1855 Type II
die
was used to supplement production through
overdating.
While typically prospectors wanted their gold coined in sovereign for ideal storage and transportation, the half sovereign
was favoured for circulation and the growing local economy from the gold rush and associated immigration led to an increased
demand for half sovereigns resulting in this higher
mintage
figure.
Despite this, the low survival rate of this era resulted in this date being difficult to acquire overall in any grade
though quite a bit easier than most other dates in the series.
Find out what dealers are paying with a subscription.
