Coins and Australia - Half-Sovereign 1855 to 1887 - Australian coins price guide and values

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Half-Sovereign - 1855 to 1887 - Price Guide

By the mid-1850's the Government decided that it was about time that an official mint should be set up to convert the plentiful gold stocks into coins of the realm. Adelaide and Melbourne both petitioned for the honour of establishing a mint, but the royal decree went to Sydney.

The first Sydney Mint sovereigns were unique in the history of the British Empire. In a situation which has not been repeated since, the coins carried a design which was completely different from that of the standard British issue. Even so, the dies for both the sovereign and half sovereign were slapped together in a half-hearted way by the authorities in London.

Although mintage figures seem high in some years, these coins are scarce especially in better grade. This situation was made worse by the short run of Sydney Mint gold coins. Production of the half sovereigns halted in 1866 and the British Treasury revoked its approval to mint any further Sydney Mint coins in 1871.

Click on a coin to view additional values, details and varieties about it.

Slide

Variety G-4 VG-8 F-12 VF-20 EF-40 AU-50
1855 -€9,900€16,100€28,700€44,200€88,400
1856 - No dot -€230€1,030€2,300€23,000€36,700
1856 - Dot -€214€369€1,270€3,400€8,400
1857 -€214€214€224€631€3,330
1858 -€214€214€214€631€3,330
1858 - Sovrreign --€6,800€10,300--
1859 -€214€249€264€1,090€5,400
1859 - 9/8 ---€241€1,330€7,200
1860 -€253€367€758€2,150€10,000
1860 - 6/5 --€344€735€2,160€12,900
1861 -€214€214€272€631€3,090
1861 - 1/0 ---€3,900€6,400€13,300
1862 -€214€214€253€1,100€4,530
1863 -€214€214€253€1,170€5,100
1864 - Arabic 1 -€214€214€241€964€4,990
1864 - Roman 1 --€2,180€3,670€6,100€13,500
1865 -€214€214€362€1,070€4,010
1866 -€214€214€315€918€3,780
1871 --€214€214€274€1,280
1872 --€214€214€270€1,250
1873 --€214€214€324€1,060
1875 --€214€214€298€2,230
1877 - Narrow Ribbon --€214€214€413€1,390
1877 - Wide Ribbon --€214€214€430€2,750
1879 --€214€214€413€1,760
1880 - Cross Buried --€214€214€350€1,820
1880 - Cross not Buried --€214€258€603€4,410
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried -€214€214€235€425€1,890
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried -€214€214€253€826€6,200
1881 - Melbourne -€214€214€350€811€6,300
1882 - Sydney -€214€214€316€712€5,500
1882 - Melbourne - Near G -€214€214€214€247€2,250
1882 - Melbourne - Far G -€214€214€214€247€471
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried --€214€214€214€754
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried --€214€214€396€2,820
1884 --€214€214€362€3,440
1885 --€275€375€780€3,790
1886 - Sydney --€214€214€218€965
1886 - Melbourne --€214€258€811€4,990
1887 - Young head - Sydney --€214€214€214€787
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB ---€214€214€413
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB ---€214€214€384
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB ---€214€214€407
1887 - Young head - Melbourne --€214€316€1,580€6,700
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB ---€214€214€388
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB ---€214€214€551
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB ---€214€214€442
Variety MS-60 MS-62 MS-63 MS-64 MS-65 MS-66 MS-67
1855 €211,800------
1856 - No dot €61,600€68,900-----
1856 - Dot €23,600€34,400-----
1857 €6,000€10,300€14,000€17,700€21,600--
1858 €7,300€15,400€19,400€23,400€37,900--
1858 - Sovrreign -------
1859 €11,900€19,300€26,600€34,000€52,800--
1859 - 9/8 €26,700€30,800€41,800€52,800€63,100--
1860 €24,500€30,500€37,600€44,800€65,400--
1860 - 6/5 €31,600€40,400€46,600€52,800€67,700--
1861 €9,500€17,300€22,200€27,000€47,600--
1861 - 1/0 €29,500€36,700-----
1862 €11,600€18,600€24,300€30,100€51,600--
1863 €11,600€17,800€23,000€28,200€49,400--
1864 - Arabic 1 €11,400€17,400€22,600€27,700€48,800--
1864 - Roman 1 €29,500------
1865 €14,900€22,800€29,600€36,300€55,600--
1866 €14,100€17,100€20,100€36,500€57,400--
1871 €7,500€12,500€13,100€19,100€23,400--
1872 €7,800€13,800€17,000€20,200€24,400--
1873 €8,500€14,800€19,100€23,400€27,900--
1875 €8,300€11,400€18,800€23,000€27,500--
1877 - Narrow Ribbon €8,600€14,700€18,800€23,000€27,400--
1877 - Wide Ribbon €9,100€15,800€20,000€24,100€27,400--
1879 €7,300€13,300€17,000€20,700€24,700--
1880 - Cross Buried €8,500€16,800€20,100€23,400€27,300--
1880 - Cross not Buried €10,500€17,900€22,100€26,300€30,400--
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried €8,700€16,100€20,000€24,000€28,100--
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried €14,600€25,700€30,900----
1881 - Melbourne €14,600€21,600€26,300€31,000€35,600--
1882 - Sydney €13,400€16,900€20,500€31,000€35,600--
1882 - Melbourne - Near G €6,500€12,700€15,200€17,700€21,000--
1882 - Melbourne - Far G €4,110€8,600€10,700€12,900€15,300--
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried €3,790€8,500€10,500€12,500€15,300--
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried €8,500€14,500€14,800€22,600€26,900--
1884 €10,100€12,700€19,100€21,600€25,400--
1885 €8,200€15,200€19,300€23,400€27,500--
1886 - Sydney €4,940€9,500€12,300€15,200€19,200--
1886 - Melbourne €12,100€18,400€22,500€26,600€32,400--
1887 - Young head - Sydney €3,980€8,500€10,600€12,600€15,700--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB €1,040€2,070€2,780€3,500€4,730--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB €886€1,840€2,440€3,040€3,990--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB €937€1,950€2,640€3,330€4,300--
1887 - Young head - Melbourne €19,000€24,300€31,300€38,300€47,900--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB €963€2,010€2,750€3,500€4,500--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB €1,910€3,330€4,330€5,300€6,500--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB €1,000€2,070€2,840€3,620€4,620--

View the grading section to identify grades (G-4, F-12, AU-50, MS,..). You can switch the grades and values to ANDA adjectival standard.

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