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 -£7,800£12,800£22,800£35,100£70,200
1856 - No dot -£292£821£1,820£18,200£29,200
1856 - Dot -£292£293£1,010£2,700£6,700
1857 -£292£292£292£502£2,650
1858 -£292£292£292£502£2,400
1858 - Sovrreign --£5,400£8,200--
1859 -£292£292£292£866£4,290
1859 - 9/8 ---£292£1,060£5,700
1860 -£292£292£602£1,710£7,900
1860 - 6/5 --£292£584£1,710£10,200
1861 -£292£292£292£502£2,460
1861 - 1/0 ---£3,100£5,100£10,600
1862 -£292£292£292£875£3,030
1863 -£292£292£292£931£4,060
1864 - Arabic 1 -£292£292£292£766£3,970
1864 - Roman 1 --£1,730£2,920£4,830£10,800
1865 -£292£292£292£848£3,190
1866 -£292£292£292£730£2,480
1871 --£292£292£292£1,010
1872 --£292£292£292£995
1873 --£292£292£292£839
1875 --£292£292£292£1,770
1877 - Narrow Ribbon --£292£292£328£1,100
1877 - Wide Ribbon --£292£292£342£2,190
1879 --£292£292£328£1,400
1880 - Cross Buried --£292£292£292£1,470
1880 - Cross not Buried --£292£292£479£3,510
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried -£292£292£292£337£1,500
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried -£292£292£292£657£4,930
1881 - Melbourne -£292£292£292£645£5,000
1882 - Sydney -£292£292£292£497£4,330
1882 - Melbourne - Near G -£292£292£292£292£1,790
1882 - Melbourne - Far G -£292£292£292£292£374
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried --£292£292£292£599
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried --£292£292£315£2,240
1884 --£292£292£292£2,740
1885 --£292£298£620£1,960
1886 - Sydney --£292£292£292£766
1886 - Melbourne --£292£292£645£3,970
1887 - Young head - Sydney --£292£292£292£626
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB ---£292£292£328
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB ---£292£292£306
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB ---£292£292£324
1887 - Young head - Melbourne --£292£292£1,260£5,300
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB ---£292£292£308
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB ---£292£292£438
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB ---£292£292£351
Variety MS-60 MS-62 MS-63 MS-64 MS-65 MS-66 MS-67
1855 £168,300------
1856 - No dot £49,000£54,700-----
1856 - Dot £18,800£24,600-----
1857 £4,780£6,700£9,200£14,000£17,100--
1858 £5,800£12,200£15,400£18,600£30,100--
1858 - Sovrreign -------
1859 £9,500£15,300£21,200£27,000£42,000--
1859 - 9/8 £21,200£24,400£33,200£42,000£50,200--
1860 £19,500£24,300£29,900£35,600£52,000--
1860 - 6/5 £25,100£32,100£37,000£42,000£53,800--
1861 £7,500£13,800£17,600£21,400£37,900--
1861 - 1/0 £23,500£29,200-----
1862 £9,200£14,800£19,300£23,900£41,000--
1863 £9,200£14,100£18,300£22,400£39,200--
1864 - Arabic 1 £9,100£13,900£17,900£22,000£38,800--
1864 - Roman 1 £23,500------
1865 £11,800£18,200£20,000£28,800£44,100--
1866 £11,200£13,600£16,000£29,000£45,600--
1871 £6,000£9,900£10,400£15,100£18,600--
1872 £6,200£10,900£13,500£16,100£19,400--
1873 £6,700£11,800£15,200£18,600£22,200--
1875 £6,600£9,000£14,900£18,200£21,800--
1877 - Narrow Ribbon £6,800£11,700£15,000£18,200£21,800--
1877 - Wide Ribbon £7,200£10,000£15,900£19,200£21,800--
1879 £5,800£10,600£13,500£16,400£19,600--
1880 - Cross Buried £6,700£13,300£16,000£18,600£21,700--
1880 - Cross not Buried £8,400£14,200£17,600£20,900£24,100--
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried £6,900£12,800£15,900£19,100£22,300--
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried £11,600£20,400£24,500£28,600---
1881 - Melbourne £11,600£17,100£20,900£24,600£28,300--
1882 - Sydney £10,600£13,400£16,300£24,600£28,300--
1882 - Melbourne - Near G £5,200£10,100£12,100£14,000£16,700--
1882 - Melbourne - Far G £3,260£6,800£8,500£10,200£12,100--
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried £3,010£6,700£8,300£9,900£12,200--
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried £6,700£11,500£11,800£18,000£21,400--
1884 £8,100£10,200£12,100£13,900£20,200--
1885 £6,500£12,000£13,500£14,900£21,900--
1886 - Sydney £3,930£5,900£9,800£12,000£15,200--
1886 - Melbourne £9,600£14,600£17,900£21,200£25,700--
1887 - Young head - Sydney £3,160£6,700£8,400£10,000£12,500--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB £826£1,670£2,210£2,780£3,760--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB £704£1,460£1,940£2,420£3,170--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB £745£1,550£2,100£2,650£3,420--
1887 - Young head - Melbourne £15,100£19,300£24,900£30,500£38,000--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB £765£1,580£2,190£2,780£3,580--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB £1,520£2,650£3,440£4,240£5,100--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB £627£1,640£2,260£3,500£3,670--

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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