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£12,700£22,600£34,900£69,700
1856 - No dot -£289£815£1,810£18,100£29,000
1856 - Dot -£289£291£1,010£2,690£6,600
1857 -£289£289£289£498£2,630
1858 -£289£289£289£498£2,380
1858 - Sovrreign --£5,300£8,100--
1859 -£289£289£289£860£4,260
1859 - 9/8 ---£289£1,050£5,700
1860 -£289£290£598£1,690£7,900
1860 - 6/5 --£289£579£1,700£10,100
1861 -£289£289£289£498£2,440
1861 - 1/0 ---£3,080£5,100£10,500
1862 -£289£289£289£869£3,010
1863 -£289£289£289£924£4,030
1864 - Arabic 1 -£289£289£289£761£3,940
1864 - Roman 1 --£1,720£2,900£4,800£10,700
1865 -£289£289£289£842£3,160
1866 -£289£289£289£724£2,460
1871 --£289£289£289£1,010
1872 --£289£289£289£988
1873 --£289£289£289£833
1875 --£289£289£289£1,760
1877 - Narrow Ribbon --£289£289£326£1,090
1877 - Wide Ribbon --£289£289£340£2,170
1879 --£289£289£326£1,390
1880 - Cross Buried --£289£289£289£1,460
1880 - Cross not Buried --£289£289£475£3,480
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried -£289£289£289£335£1,490
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried -£289£289£289£652£4,890
1881 - Melbourne -£289£289£289£640£4,980
1882 - Sydney -£289£289£289£494£4,300
1882 - Melbourne - Near G -£289£289£289£289£1,770
1882 - Melbourne - Far G -£289£289£289£289£371
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried --£289£289£289£594
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried --£289£289£312£2,230
1884 --£289£289£289£2,720
1885 --£289£295£616£1,950
1886 - Sydney --£289£289£289£761
1886 - Melbourne --£289£289£640£3,940
1887 - Young head - Sydney --£289£289£289£621
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB ---£289£289£326
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB ---£289£289£303
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB ---£289£289£321
1887 - Young head - Melbourne --£289£289£1,250£5,300
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB ---£289£289£306
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB ---£289£289£435
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB ---£289£289£349
Variety MS-60 MS-62 MS-63 MS-64 MS-65 MS-66 MS-67
1855 £167,100------
1856 - No dot £48,600£54,300-----
1856 - Dot £18,600£24,400-----
1857 £4,750£6,600£9,100£13,900£17,000--
1858 £5,800£12,100£15,300£18,500£29,900--
1858 - Sovrreign -------
1859 £9,400£15,200£21,000£26,800£41,600--
1859 - 9/8 £21,100£24,300£33,000£41,600£49,800--
1860 £19,300£24,100£29,700£35,300£51,600--
1860 - 6/5 £24,900£31,900£36,800£41,600£53,400--
1861 £7,500£13,700£17,500£21,300£37,600--
1861 - 1/0 £23,300£29,000-----
1862 £9,100£14,700£19,200£23,700£40,700--
1863 £9,100£14,000£18,200£22,300£38,900--
1864 - Arabic 1 £9,000£13,800£17,800£21,800£38,500--
1864 - Roman 1 £23,300------
1865 £11,700£18,000£19,800£28,600£43,800--
1866 £11,100£13,500£15,800£28,800£45,300--
1871 £5,900£9,900£10,300£15,000£18,400--
1872 £6,200£10,900£13,400£15,900£19,300--
1873 £6,700£11,700£15,100£18,500£22,000--
1875 £6,600£9,000£14,800£18,100£21,700--
1877 - Narrow Ribbon £6,800£11,600£14,800£18,100£21,600--
1877 - Wide Ribbon £7,200£9,900£15,800£19,000£21,600--
1879 £5,800£10,500£13,400£16,300£19,500--
1880 - Cross Buried £6,700£13,200£15,800£18,500£21,500--
1880 - Cross not Buried £8,300£14,100£17,400£20,700£23,900--
1881 - Sydney - Cross Buried £6,900£12,700£15,800£18,900£22,100--
1881 - Sydney - Cross not Buried £11,500£20,300£24,400£28,400---
1881 - Melbourne £11,500£17,000£20,700£24,400£28,100--
1882 - Sydney £10,500£13,400£16,200£24,400£28,100--
1882 - Melbourne - Near G £5,200£10,100£12,000£13,900£16,600--
1882 - Melbourne - Far G £3,240£6,800£8,500£10,100£12,000--
1883 - Sydney - Cross Buried £2,990£6,700£8,300£9,900£12,100--
1883 - Sydney - Cross not Buried £6,700£11,400£11,700£17,800£21,200--
1884 £8,000£10,200£12,000£13,800£20,000--
1885 £6,500£12,000£13,400£14,800£21,700--
1886 - Sydney £3,900£5,900£9,700£12,000£15,100--
1886 - Melbourne £9,500£14,500£17,700£21,000£25,500--
1887 - Young head - Sydney £3,140£6,700£8,300£10,000£12,400--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - SS JEB £820£1,660£2,200£2,760£3,730--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Normal JEB £699£1,450£1,920£2,400£3,150--
1887 - Jubilee head - Sydney - Close JEB £739£1,540£2,080£2,630£3,400--
1887 - Young head - Melbourne £15,000£19,200£24,700£30,200£37,800--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - SS JEB £759£1,570£2,170£2,760£3,550--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Normal JEB £1,510£2,630£3,420£4,210£5,100--
1887 - Jubilee head - Melbourne - Close JEB £622£1,630£2,240£3,470£3,640--

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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