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

You are: Home » Australian coins » Price guide and values » Pre-decmial » Half-Sovereign 1855 to 1887

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 -£8,600£13,900£24,900£38,300£76,600
1856 - No dot -£199£895£1,990£19,900£31,800
1856 - Dot -£185£320£1,100£2,950£7,300
1857 -£185£185£194£547£2,880
1858 -£185£185£185£547£2,880
1858 - Sovrreign --£5,900£9,000--
1859 -£185£216£229£945£4,680
1859 - 9/8 ---£209£1,150£6,300
1860 -£219£318£657£1,860£8,700
1860 - 6/5 --£298£637£1,870£11,100
1861 -£185£185£236£547£2,680
1861 - 1/0 ---£3,380£5,600£11,500
1862 -£185£185£219£954£3,930
1863 -£185£185£219£1,020£4,430
1864 - Arabic 1 -£185£185£209£836£4,330
1864 - Roman 1 --£1,890£3,180£5,300£11,700
1865 -£185£185£313£925£3,470
1866 -£185£185£273£796£3,280
1871 --£185£185£238£1,110
1872 --£185£185£234£1,090
1873 --£185£185£280£915
1875 --£185£185£259£1,930
1877 - Narrow Ribbon --£185£185£358£1,200
1877 - Wide Ribbon --£185£185£373£2,390
1879 --£185£185£358£1,530
1880 - Cross Buried --£185£185£303£1,580
1880 - Cross not Buried --£185£224£522£3,830
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried -£185£185£204£368£1,630
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried -£185£185£219£716£5,400
1881 - Melbourne -£185£185£303£703£5,500
1882 - Sydney -£185£185£274£617£4,730
1882 - Melbourne - Near G -£185£185£185£214£1,950
1882 - Melbourne - Far G -£185£185£185£214£408
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried --£185£185£185£653
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried --£185£185£343£2,450
1884 --£185£185£313£2,980
1885 --£239£325£676£3,280
1886 - Sydney --£185£185£189£836
1886 - Melbourne --£185£224£703£4,330
1887 - Young head - Sydney --£185£185£185£682
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB ---£185£185£358
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB ---£185£185£333
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB ---£185£185£353
1887 - Young head - Melbourne --£185£274£1,370£5,800
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB ---£185£185£336
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB ---£185£185£478
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB ---£185£185£383
Variety MS-60 MS-62 MS-63 MS-64 MS-65 MS-66 MS-67
1855 £183,600------
1856 - No dot £53,400£59,700-----
1856 - Dot £20,500£29,800-----
1857 £5,200£9,000£12,100£15,300£18,700--
1858 £6,300£13,300£16,800£20,300£32,800--
1858 - Sovrreign -------
1859 £10,300£16,700£23,100£29,400£45,800--
1859 - 9/8 £23,100£26,700£36,200£45,800£54,700--
1860 £21,300£26,500£32,600£38,800£56,700--
1860 - 6/5 £27,400£35,000£40,400£45,800£58,700--
1861 £8,200£15,000£19,200£23,400£41,300--
1861 - 1/0 £25,600£31,800-----
1862 £10,000£16,100£21,100£26,100£44,800--
1863 £10,000£15,400£19,900£24,500£42,800--
1864 - Arabic 1 £9,900£15,100£19,500£24,000£42,300--
1864 - Roman 1 £25,600------
1865 £12,900£19,800£25,600£31,400£48,100--
1866 £12,200£14,800£17,400£31,600£49,700--
1871 £6,500£10,800£11,300£16,500£20,200--
1872 £6,800£11,900£14,700£17,500£21,200--
1873 £7,300£12,800£16,600£20,300£24,200--
1875 £7,200£9,800£16,300£19,900£23,800--
1877 - Narrow Ribbon £7,500£12,700£16,300£19,900£23,800--
1877 - Wide Ribbon £7,900£13,700£17,300£20,900£23,700--
1879 £6,300£11,500£14,700£17,900£21,400--
1880 - Cross Buried £7,300£14,500£17,400£20,300£23,600--
1880 - Cross not Buried £9,100£15,500£19,200£22,800£26,300--
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried £7,600£13,900£17,400£20,800£24,300--
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried £12,700£22,300£26,800----
1881 - Melbourne £12,700£18,700£22,800£26,900£30,800--
1882 - Sydney £11,600£14,700£17,800£26,900£30,800--
1882 - Melbourne - Near G £5,700£11,000£13,200£15,300£18,200--
1882 - Melbourne - Far G £3,560£7,500£9,300£11,100£13,200--
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried £3,280£7,400£9,100£10,800£13,300--
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried £7,300£12,500£12,800£19,600£23,300--
1884 £8,800£11,000£16,500£18,700£22,000--
1885 £7,100£13,100£16,700£20,300£23,900--
1886 - Sydney £4,280£8,300£10,700£13,100£16,600--
1886 - Melbourne £10,500£15,900£19,500£23,100£28,100--
1887 - Young head - Sydney £3,450£7,400£9,200£10,900£13,600--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB £901£1,790£2,410£3,030£4,100--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB £768£1,590£2,110£2,640£3,460--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB £812£1,690£2,290£2,880£3,730--
1887 - Young head - Melbourne £16,500£21,100£27,200£33,200£41,500--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB £834£1,740£2,390£3,030£3,900--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB £1,660£2,880£3,760£4,630£5,600--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB £868£1,790£2,460£3,130£4,000--

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.

Related numismatic tools, articles and links

Share this page:

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.