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 -$10,600$17,300$31,000$47,700$95,300
1856 - No dot -$248$1,110$2,480$24,800$39,600
1856 - Dot -$231$398$1,370$3,670$9,000
1857 -$231$231$241$681$3,590
1858 -$231$231$231$681$3,590
1858 - Sovrreign --$7,300$11,100--
1859 -$231$268$285$1,180$5,800
1859 - 9/8 ---$260$1,440$7,800
1860 -$272$396$817$2,320$10,800
1860 - 6/5 --$371$792$2,330$13,900
1861 -$231$231$294$681$3,340
1861 - 1/0 ---$4,210$6,900$14,400
1862 -$231$231$272$1,190$4,890
1863 -$231$231$272$1,260$5,500
1864 - Arabic 1 -$231$231$260$1,040$5,400
1864 - Roman 1 --$2,350$3,960$6,600$14,600
1865 -$231$231$390$1,150$4,320
1866 -$231$231$340$990$4,080
1871 --$231$231$296$1,380
1872 --$231$231$291$1,350
1873 --$231$231$349$1,140
1875 --$231$231$322$2,400
1877 - Narrow Ribbon --$231$231$446$1,500
1877 - Wide Ribbon --$231$231$464$2,970
1879 --$231$231$446$1,900
1880 - Cross Buried --$231$231$378$1,960
1880 - Cross not Buried --$231$279$650$4,760
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried -$231$231$254$458$2,030
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried -$231$231$272$891$6,700
1881 - Melbourne -$231$231$378$875$6,800
1882 - Sydney -$231$231$340$768$5,900
1882 - Melbourne - Near G -$231$231$231$266$2,430
1882 - Melbourne - Far G -$231$231$231$266$508
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried --$231$231$231$813
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried --$231$231$427$3,050
1884 --$231$231$390$3,710
1885 --$297$404$842$4,090
1886 - Sydney --$231$231$235$1,040
1886 - Melbourne --$231$279$875$5,400
1887 - Young head - Sydney --$231$231$231$849
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB ---$231$231$446
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB ---$231$231$415
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB ---$231$231$440
1887 - Young head - Melbourne --$231$340$1,710$7,300
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB ---$231$231$418
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB ---$231$231$594
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB ---$231$231$477
Variety MS-60 MS-62 MS-63 MS-64 MS-65 MS-66 MS-67
1855 $228,500------
1856 - No dot $66,500$74,300-----
1856 - Dot $25,500$37,100-----
1857 $6,500$11,100$15,100$19,100$23,300--
1858 $7,900$16,600$20,900$25,300$40,900--
1858 - Sovrreign -------
1859 $12,900$20,800$28,700$36,600$57,000--
1859 - 9/8 $28,800$33,200$45,100$57,000$68,100--
1860 $26,400$32,900$40,600$48,300$70,600--
1860 - 6/5 $34,100$43,600$50,300$57,000$73,000--
1861 $10,200$18,700$23,900$29,100$51,400--
1861 - 1/0 $31,800$39,600-----
1862 $12,500$20,100$26,200$32,400$55,700--
1863 $12,500$19,200$24,800$30,500$53,200--
1864 - Arabic 1 $12,300$18,800$24,300$29,800$52,600--
1864 - Roman 1 $31,800------
1865 $16,100$24,600$31,900$39,100$59,900--
1866 $15,200$18,500$21,700$39,400$61,900--
1871 $8,100$13,500$14,100$20,600$25,200--
1872 $8,400$14,900$18,300$21,800$26,400--
1873 $9,100$16,000$20,600$25,300$30,100--
1875 $9,000$12,300$20,200$24,800$29,700--
1877 - Narrow Ribbon $9,300$15,800$20,300$24,800$29,600--
1877 - Wide Ribbon $9,800$17,100$21,500$26,000$29,500--
1879 $7,900$14,400$18,300$22,300$26,600--
1880 - Cross Buried $9,100$18,100$21,700$25,300$29,400--
1880 - Cross not Buried $11,400$19,300$23,800$28,400$32,700--
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried $9,400$17,300$21,600$25,900$30,300--
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried $15,800$27,700$33,300----
1881 - Melbourne $15,800$23,300$28,400$33,400$38,400--
1882 - Sydney $14,400$18,300$22,100$33,400$38,400--
1882 - Melbourne - Near G $7,100$13,700$16,400$19,100$22,700--
1882 - Melbourne - Far G $4,430$9,300$11,600$13,900$16,500--
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried $4,080$9,200$11,300$13,500$16,500--
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried $9,100$15,600$16,000$24,400$29,000--
1884 $10,900$13,700$20,600$23,300$27,400--
1885 $8,900$16,300$20,800$25,300$29,700--
1886 - Sydney $5,300$10,300$13,300$16,300$20,700--
1886 - Melbourne $13,000$19,800$24,300$28,700$34,900--
1887 - Young head - Sydney $4,290$9,200$11,400$13,600$17,000--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB $1,120$2,230$3,000$3,780$5,100--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB $955$1,980$2,630$3,280$4,300--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB $1,010$2,100$2,850$3,590$4,640--
1887 - Young head - Melbourne $20,500$26,200$33,800$41,400$51,600--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB $1,040$2,170$2,970$3,780$4,860--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB $2,060$3,590$4,670$5,800$7,000--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB $1,080$2,230$3,060$3,900$4,980--

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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