Victoria gold 1/2 Sovereign 1855-SYDNEY XF Details (Cleaned) NGC, Sydney mint, KM1, Marsh-380 (R7), McDonald-002. Mintage: 21,000. Type I portrait. Reeded edge. Found by a metal detectorist at Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, February 2020. The single rarest date of the Sydney 1/2 Sovereign series, and likely one of the most difficult of the entire Victorian 1/2 sovereign series. Standing as the first emission of the newly established Royal Mint branch at Sydney, the 1855 carries a mintage of only 21,000--a fantastically low figure and substantially below the following year, when 478,000 were struck--only a small handful of which have survived down to the present day, with Marsh's R7 rating suggesting fewer than 4 to 8 known. While this figure may be a bit low, a survey of both grading services' population reports reveals only 12 total certified, of which this is the finest at NGC and certainly among the upper tier of known survivors, few escaping low VF grades and excessive circulation. A fantastic discovery piece as such, and sure to fill a hole in even the most serious sovereign collection.

HID09801242017

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