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 -$10,800$17,600$31,400$48,400$96,700
1856 - No dot -$251$1,130$2,510$25,100$40,200
1856 - Dot -$234$403$1,390$3,720$9,200
1857 -$234$234$245$691$3,640
1858 -$234$234$234$691$3,640
1858 - Sovrreign --$7,400$11,300--
1859 -$234$272$289$1,190$5,900
1859 - 9/8 ---$264$1,460$7,900
1860 -$276$402$829$2,350$10,900
1860 - 6/5 --$377$804$2,360$14,100
1861 -$234$234$298$691$3,380
1861 - 1/0 ---$4,270$7,000$14,600
1862 -$234$234$276$1,200$4,960
1863 -$234$234$276$1,280$5,600
1864 - Arabic 1 -$234$234$264$1,060$5,500
1864 - Roman 1 --$2,390$4,020$6,700$14,800
1865 -$234$234$396$1,170$4,390
1866 -$234$234$345$1,000$4,140
1871 --$234$234$300$1,400
1872 --$234$234$295$1,370
1873 --$234$234$354$1,160
1875 --$234$234$327$2,440
1877 - Narrow Ribbon --$234$234$452$1,520
1877 - Wide Ribbon --$234$234$471$3,010
1879 --$234$234$452$1,930
1880 - Cross Buried --$234$234$383$1,990
1880 - Cross not Buried --$234$283$659$4,830
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried -$234$234$257$465$2,060
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried -$234$234$276$904$6,800
1881 - Melbourne -$234$234$383$888$6,900
1882 - Sydney -$234$234$345$779$6,000
1882 - Melbourne - Near G -$234$234$234$270$2,460
1882 - Melbourne - Far G -$234$234$234$270$515
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried --$234$234$234$825
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried --$234$234$433$3,090
1884 --$234$234$396$3,770
1885 --$301$410$854$4,140
1886 - Sydney --$234$234$239$1,060
1886 - Melbourne --$234$283$888$5,500
1887 - Young head - Sydney --$234$234$234$862
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB ---$234$234$452
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB ---$234$234$421
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB ---$234$234$446
1887 - Young head - Melbourne --$234$345$1,730$7,400
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB ---$234$234$425
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB ---$234$234$603
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB ---$234$234$484
Variety MS-60 MS-62 MS-63 MS-64 MS-65 MS-66 MS-67
1855 $231,800------
1856 - No dot $67,400$75,400-----
1856 - Dot $25,800$37,700-----
1857 $6,600$11,300$15,300$19,300$23,600--
1858 $8,000$16,800$21,200$25,600$41,400--
1858 - Sovrreign -------
1859 $13,100$21,100$29,100$37,200$57,800--
1859 - 9/8 $29,200$33,700$45,700$57,800$69,100--
1860 $26,800$33,400$41,200$49,000$71,600--
1860 - 6/5 $34,600$44,200$51,000$57,800$74,100--
1861 $10,400$19,000$24,200$29,500$52,100--
1861 - 1/0 $32,300$40,200-----
1862 $12,600$20,300$26,600$32,900$56,500--
1863 $12,600$19,500$25,200$30,900$54,000--
1864 - Arabic 1 $12,500$19,100$24,700$30,300$53,400--
1864 - Roman 1 $32,300------
1865 $16,300$25,000$32,300$39,700$60,800--
1866 $15,500$18,700$22,000$39,900$62,800--
1871 $8,200$13,700$14,300$20,800$25,600--
1872 $8,600$15,100$18,600$22,100$26,800--
1873 $9,300$16,200$20,900$25,600$30,600--
1875 $9,100$12,400$20,500$25,100$30,100--
1877 - Narrow Ribbon $9,400$16,100$20,600$25,100$30,000--
1877 - Wide Ribbon $10,000$17,300$21,900$26,400$30,000--
1879 $8,000$14,600$18,600$22,600$27,000--
1880 - Cross Buried $9,300$18,300$22,000$25,600$29,800--
1880 - Cross not Buried $11,500$19,600$24,200$28,800$33,200--
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried $9,600$17,600$21,900$26,300$30,700--
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried $16,000$28,100$33,800----
1881 - Melbourne $16,000$23,600$28,800$33,900$38,900--
1882 - Sydney $14,600$18,500$22,400$33,900$38,900--
1882 - Melbourne - Near G $7,200$13,900$16,600$19,300$23,000--
1882 - Melbourne - Far G $4,500$9,400$11,700$14,100$16,700--
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried $4,140$9,300$11,500$13,700$16,800--
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried $9,300$15,800$16,200$24,700$29,500--
1884 $11,100$13,900$20,800$23,600$27,800--
1885 $9,000$16,600$21,100$25,600$30,100--
1886 - Sydney $5,400$10,400$13,500$16,600$21,000--
1886 - Melbourne $13,200$20,100$24,600$29,100$35,400--
1887 - Young head - Sydney $4,350$9,300$11,600$13,800$17,200--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB $1,140$2,260$3,050$3,830$5,200--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB $969$2,010$2,670$3,330$4,360--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB $1,030$2,140$2,890$3,640$4,710--
1887 - Young head - Melbourne $20,800$26,600$34,300$42,000$52,400--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB $1,050$2,200$3,010$3,830$4,930--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB $2,090$3,640$4,740$5,800$7,100--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB $1,100$2,260$3,110$3,960$5,100--

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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