1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign

Obverse of the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign showing Queen Victoria with a braid in her hair.

Reverse of the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign with the word 'AUSTRALIA' emblazoned across the coin.

We have always had the greatest faith in the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign. And we are keen buyers of high-quality examples.

It is the nation’s very first gold sovereign and therefore appeals to the sovereign collector.

It is also sought by the collector that is targeting key dates for the very first year of sovereign production is an important date in Australia’s history.

And given the scarcity of 1855 sovereigns in the upper quality levels, it also appeals to the investor.

Every circulated coin has a grading level at which serious rarity kicks in.

That is the point at which the balance between acquiring a coin as a collectible - and as an investment - shifts more towards the latter.

For the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign that point is the grading level of ‘About Extremely Fine’.

At About Extremely Fine, Extremely Fine (the level at which this coin is offered), Good Extremely Fine and above, the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is exceedingly scarce.

In the lesser quality levels of Fine to Good Very Fine, the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is reasonably readily available, as auction records attest.

This coin is well priced (and we have shaved a $1000 off our normal RRP) and, in our view, earmarked for excellent growth.

The Sydney Mint was opened on June 23, 1855 to strike Australia’s very first official gold currency.

Except for ensuring the accuracy of the weight and the purity of gold in the coin, there was minimal care regarding the overall striking. The coins were to be used as currency, traded in commerce. Not preserved as collectibles.

In its first year of operation the Sydney Mint produced 502,000 sovereigns.

Some three years later, mintage figures had doubled, the very reason why the 1855 Sovereign is so scarce.

Australia’s first sovereign was struck depicting a youthful portrait of Queen Victoria with a braid in her hair. The design referred to as the Type 1 design appeared in 1855 and 1856 only.

It was replaced in 1857 depicting Queen Victoria with a sprig of Australia’s native flower, the Banksia, in her hair. It is referred to as the Type 2 design.

The reverse design of both the Type 1 and Type 2 sovereigns was classically Australian: the word AUSTRALIA emblazoned across the face of the coin.