Gold Sovereigns

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Victoria Type Set of British Gold Sovereigns

One excellent way to collect gold sovereigns is to ignore dates, and collect type coins. For example, there are three different portraits types and two different reverse designs of Victoria sovereigns, although there were over sixty different dates. It's not necessary to collect every one of the years from 1838 to 1901, just three or four coins would suffice to illustrate the main types.
Some type collectors may wish to acquire two specimens of some types, so that they can display the obverse and reverse (head and tail) side simultaneously.

Victoria Sovereign Types
The three main obverse types on Victoria sovereigns are the young head, sometimes called the "bun" head, jubilee head, and old head, also called widow head.
The two different reverse types are the shield design, and St. George and the dragon.

  • Young Head Shield Reverse
    The young portrait of Victoria was used from her first coins of 1838 until 1887 for gold and silver coins, but continued in use until as late as 1895 on some bronze coins.
    The shield reverse on sovereigns was used from 1838 to 1887, although St. George reverse types were also produced from 1871 to 1887 on young head sovereigns, both designs being produced simultaneously.
    The date appears under the head on all young head shield reverse sovereigns of Victoria.
  • Young Head St. George & Dragon Reverse
    To many people, St. George slaying the dragon epitomises the gold sovereign. It certainly is a very famous and well recognised design. Introduced to the British coinage in 1817, it was the work of the famous Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci. St. George was originally used as a reverse design on five pound pieces, two pounds, sovereigns and crowns of George III, was continued on the two pounds, sovereigns and crowns of George IV, but was replaced by a shield design from 1825 / 1826. Various shield designs continued during the reign of William IV, and the first coinage of Victoria.
    From 1871, St. George reappeared on the gold sovereign, and from the 1887 jubilee issues, also on crowns and half sovereigns.
    The date is on the reverse side on all St George reverse sovereigns of Victoria.
  • Jubilee Head
    For Queen Victoria's golden jubilee year of 1887, a new design was produced for all gold and silver coins, showing Victoria wearing a small coronet. Although the jubilee head coin issues are now very popular, they were much criticised at the time.
    Jubilee sovereigns were struck from 1887 to 1893 inclusive.
    For the year 1887, three different designs of sovereign were issued, young head shield, young head St. George, and jubilee head.
    All jubilee sovereigns have the St. George & dragon reverse design.
  • Old Head
    Also called the veiled or widow head, this last design change was introduced in 1893 and continued through until 1901. It shows a more mature portrait of Victoria wearing a crown and a veil.
    All Victoria old head sovereigns use the St. George reverse design.
    During the year 1893, both jubilee and old head sovereigns were issued.
Victoria Type Set Offer
Our Victoria gold sovereign type set includes four sovereigns, one of each type:-
Young head shield reverse.
Young head St. George reverse.
Jubilee head.
Old head.

Prices & Availability

Fine - VF

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VF

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VF - EF

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EF

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So Called Jubilee Mint Victoria Type Collection - a set from a fellow coin dealer made to sound official using a misleading name.

Postage and Packing
We recommend Registered (Special Delivery) at £9 per order.

Other Types

There are two major varieties of the young head, from 1838 to 1848 the portrait was slightly smaller than the later young head designs of 1848 onwards. Collectors wishing to acquire both main types of young head shield types can purchase them separately.
There were also many minor varieties of the young head portrait, with the engravers initials WW incuse or raised.
When the branch mints were opened from1871, the mintmarks, S for Sydney, M for Melbourne, Australia, were placed between the wreath and the floral emblem on the reverse of shield sovereigns, or under the head on young head St. George sovereigns.
From the jubilee issues, the mintmark was placed on the ground above the date on the reverse.

Guarantee
All our coins are guaranteed genuine, and we try to grade reasonably conservatively. For customers ordering by post, we want you to be delighted when you receive your coins. We thrive on repeat business and recommendation.

Kings Type Collection - Edward VII and George V

Elizabeth II Type Collection

Complete Sovereign Type Collection


Obverse of 1838 Victoria Young Head Sovereign
Young Head

Reverse of 1838 Victoria Young Head Shield Sovereign
Shield Reverse

St. George & Dragon on reverse of 1887 Victoria Jubilee Head Sovereign
St. George & Dragon Reverse

Jubilee Head
Jubilee Head

Old Head
Old Head

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E-mail: Contact Us The URL for our main page is: https://goldsovereigns.co.uk