Unique 1923 Sovereign, struck as a Coin of Record at the Sydney Mint to a specimen finish. No other examples are known.
The three most advanced Australian gold coin collectors of the modern era were Robert Jaggard, Paul Terry and Tom Hadley. When you see their names detailed in a provenance, you know the coin will be respected and possess superior quality traits. And so it is, with this 1923 Specimen Sovereign. The coin was struck as a Coin of Record at the Sydney Mint and is one of the truly great coins of Australian numismatics. It is a specimen strike of a rare-date Sydney sovereign. Enhancing its greatness, the coin is the only example available to collectors. And that's a powerful combination. The ultimate standing and the ultimate rarity. And, the ultimate gold coin provenance.
The Quartermaster Collection was owned by Queensland collector, Tom Hadley. He joined forces with rare coin dealer Barrie Winsor to form what is acknowledged as the most comprehensive collection of Australian gold coins ever formed.
The program of acquisition took three decades, each coin hand selected to acquire the finest quality. Opportunities to upgrade, and to improve upon the quality, were taken up during this duration to achieve the ultimate grade, available at the time.
The Collection became a benchmark for Australian gold coins. And is still to this day the yardstick by which other coins are judged. Exhibited at the Royal Australian Mint Canberra in 2005 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Sydney Mint's opening, it was eventually sold at auction by Monetarium Sydney in June 2009.
This 1923 Sydney Specimen Sovereign became available in 1992 and was selected to become part of the Quartermaster Collection.
The coin was especially struck as a Coin of Record at the Sydney Mint, a specimen strike.
Winsor knew this sovereign represented the ultimate quality. During the George V era, Coins of Record from the Sydney Mint were only struck to a specimen finish. And this coin is indeed an immaculate coin, graded FDC, with a superb strike.
Winsor also knew he had secured the ultimate rarity when he acquired this sovereign for it was believed unique. To this day, there are no other known examples.
1923 Specimen Sovereign,
Sydney Mint Coin of Record
1923 Specimen Sovereign,
Sydney Mint Coin of Record
This 1923 Sydney Specimen Sovereign is one of the truly 'great' coins of Australian numismatics. It is a Coin of Record, an especially arranged striking, produced at the Sydney Mint. Its status as one of the 'great' coins in the industry has come about because it is a special striking of a rare-date Sovereign.
The 1923 Sydney Sovereign, in any quality, is an internationally acclaimed coin, sought after the world-over as an Australian rare-date sovereign. The mintage, minuscule for a sovereign, was 416,000. A recent offering at Heritage Auctions (US) in August 2024 saw a Choice Uncirculated 1923 Sydney Sovereign sell for US$33,600 or $60,000 Australian Dollars, with GST.
Coins of Record were struck by the Sydney, Melbourne and Perth Mints to a proof or specimen finish, to meet the operational needs of the mint. They were not struck for commercial purposes to sell to collectors. Even so, the coins were meant to impress with smooth fields and a wealth of design depth. And only a handful were produced.
Coins of Record boast an aesthetic resilience. They are a powerful, artistic interpretation of coinage and, because of their extreme scarcity, hold an exalted position with collectors.
While all Coins of Record are valued and sought after, those of rare-date coins are considered particularly important and are highly valued.
For Winsor, this coin was the perfect fit for the Quartermaster Collection and was acquired in 1992.
The standard George V portrait was depicted on Australia’s sovereigns between 1911 and 1928. Coins of Record out of this era were not produced every year and were struck at the Sydney Mint in only 1920, 1922, 1923 and 1926. The Melbourne Mint only 1911. And the Perth Mint did not strike Coins of Record at all in this era.
The mintage, on the few occasions they were produced, were minuscule with few available for today's collectors, the number in brackets indicating the coins available to collectors. At the Sydney mint, 1920 (1), 1922 (2) 1923 (1) and 1926 (3). The Melbourne Mint only struck Coins of Record in 1911 and one example is known. Making it is one of the most difficult markets for collectors to buy into.
If you want to acquire a Coin of Record from the George V standard portrait era, 1911 to 1928, the total buying pool for collectors is eight coins.
1923 Specimen Sovereign struck at the Sydney Mint, featuring the standard portrait of King George V and the St George & Dragon reverse
Price $105,000
Believed unique • superb FDC
Robert Jaggard Collection 1989 • Sale by private treaty to Paul Terry Collection • Sale by private treaty to Quartermaster Collection, 1992 • Monetarium Sydney Auction June 2009, lot 205, in the liquidation of the Quartermaster Collection.
Coins of Record out of the era, 1911 to 1928, are rarely offered. Specimen strikes were only struck at the Sydney Mint in 1920, 1922, 1923 and 1926. The Melbourne Mint only 1911, to a proof finish. And the Perth Mint did not strike Coins of Record at all.
Making it is one of the most difficult markets to buy into.
If you want to acquire a Coin of Record from the George V standard portrait era, 1911 to 1928, the total buying pool for collectors is eight coins.
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