Coins and Australia - Sovereign 1888 to 1931 - Australian coins price guide and values

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Sovereign - 1888 to 1931 - Price Guide

As the advancing years crept up on Queen Victoria, it was time that her portrait was updated. The resulting design by Thomas (later Sir Thomas) Brock was to become known as the Old Head design although it is probably kinder to Victoria's memory to call it the Veiled Head type. This design was struck continuously until Victoria's death in 1901 after a reign of sixty-three years.

From 1894, the shield reverse half sovereign was dropped in favour of the St. George design.

Edward VII's short reign saw an abundance of gold sovereigns and half sovereigns from all three mints.

The designer of the George V Australian silver and bronze issues, Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal, was selected to produce the obverse design for the George V sovereign and half sovereign coins. Like de Saules, Mackennal preferred a bare-headed design of the monarch for the gold series, while both men went for the more majestic crown and robes for the silver and bronze issues.

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

• Circulated
• Uncirculated

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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