1856 Sydney Mint Queen Victoria Type I Sovereign PCGS AU55 about Uncirculated

The second of only two dates of Australia’s first Sovereign type, the 1856 Sydney Mint Sovereign is a treasured Gold Rush artefact. Sought after for its great beauty and rich history, this key date is also hunted down for its rarity in superior quality – as here.

Bearing a reverse proudly emblazoned with ‘AUSTRALIA’, ‘SYDNEY MINT’ and ‘ONE SOVEREIGN’, the 1856 Sydney Mint Sovereign is distinguished by the youthful portrait of Queen Victoria by Royal Mint engraver James Wyon. A tiny number of sovereigns were struck in 1856, with the mintage closed at a mere 981,000. In the nearly 170 years since issue, it will come as no surprise that a vast majority have been lost to the mists of time or melted for the intrinsic value of the gold.

Of surviving examples, most experienced heavy circulation during the heady days of the Australian Gold Rush. Very few remain in even ‘decent’ condition, let alone the spellbinding quality apparent here. Underpinned by strong detail, entrancing hues and minimal wear to the high-points, the 1856 Sydney Mint Sovereign before you is simply breathtaking. It is undoubtedly one of the finest we have offered in more than 90 years in the industry.

Sure to bring a prestigious lustre to any collection, this excessively rare example has been graded by leading independent third party coin verifier Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) at AU55. Indicative of the quality of the coin, PCGS has graded only a tiny number of 1856 Sydney Mint Sovereigns higher.

A mouthwatering opportunity to take your collection to unprecedented heights, immediate action is essential. Click add to cart now!

Australia’s first sovereign – the history…

Australia’s key role in the history of the sovereign began following the 1850s Gold Rush. Quick to take advantage of the vast quantities of gold unearthed in the colonies, Britain established the first overseas branch of the Royal Mint in 1853. It was Sydney that won the right to establish Australia’s first official mint, and when legislation passed through the British Parliament in August 1853, the Sydney Mint was born.

The Sydney Mint was domiciled in the south wing of Sydney’s Rum Hospital. This hospital had been built from 1811 to 1816 under the stewardship of Australia’s fifth governor, the iconic Lachlan Macquarie. Officially opened on May 14, 1855, the Sydney Mint struck Australia’s first sovereign just a few weeks later, on June 23, 1855. It was the beginning of what is arguably Australia’s most revered, most distinctive coin series.

The reverse of the Sydney Mint Sovereign was designed by Leonard Wyon – a member of the famed clan of engravers, and actually born in one of the houses of the Royal Mint, London. Instantly recognisable, Australia’s first sovereign had ‘SYDNEY MINT’, ‘AUSTRALIA’ and ‘ONE SOVEREIGN’ proudly emblazoned on the reverse. Thus, this coin was not only the sole sovereign type to carry the name of the mint and the denomination, but referred to a political entity – Australia – that would not technically exist for nearly 50 years! The obverse portrait of Queen Victoria found on the first Sydney Mint Sovereign type (1855 & 1856) was created by Leonard’s second cousin, James Wyon. This was replaced on the second type (1857-70) by a portrait created by Leonard Wyon.

Authorities in Great Britain had decided that the Sydney Mint Sovereign should have designs entirely different to the traditional British sovereigns for one very specific reason. Intended to be legal tender in New South Wales only, the different designs made it easy to distinguish the allegedly ‘inferior’ colonial gold coins from their allegedly ‘superior’ British counterparts.

Far from the original objective of British authorities, Sydney Mint Sovereigns not only circulated in other Australian colonies, but were also accepted as far afield as Britain, Hong Kong, Ceylon and Newfoundland. The great irony is that the Sydney Mint Sovereign was actually a victim of its own popularity. British authorities were shocked to find that colonial issues were actually preferred to Royal Mint Sovereigns!

Although supplanted by standard British designs from 1871 as a result, the Sydney Mint Sovereign will forever hold a crucial place in Australian history. Indeed, more than just a coin, the Sydney Mint Sovereign is living history – physical evidence of the Gold Rush that gripped the colonies in the 1850s, and inspired the march to Federation in 1901.