g Australia, Victoria (1837-1901), gold Half-Sovereign, 1875-S, Sydney Mint, third young head type A3 left, nose points nearer to O in legend, with date below, Latin legend surrounding, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA, 146 denticle border, rev. crowned quartered shield of arms, letter S below, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF: (Hill 462; Bull EGC.1618; QM250; S.3862B). Toned with light surface marks, has been slabbed and graded by NGC as UNC details cleaned, from the Schiehallion shipwreck.NGC Certification 6318313-001 with Shipwreck certification label.
Calendar year mintage 312,000.
The Latin legends translates on obverse as "Victoria by the Grace of God," and on the reverse as "Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith."
The iron-hulled barque Schiehallion was launched on the 2nd of December 1869 in Dundee by the shipbuilders Simpson & Co. With a beam of just 8.6m, and a length of 52m, she was by no means a large vessel. Destined for a life of trading between the United Kingdom and New Zealand, the Schiehallion was en route back to London from Auckland on the 13th January 1879 when it ran aground off the cost of the Isle of Wight in thick fog. Thankfully all but two of the original 29 passengers survived the wreck. The news was less good for the cargo, which included over 700 tons of gum, tallow, wool, cotton, cotton seed, silver plate, jewellery, nuts, oil, copra, and manganese. Also on board was a small number of gold Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns for the purpose of trade and exchange along the Schiehallion journey back to London.
The wreck is perhaps most famous for the act of bravery of one of the crew members, David Moore, who swam almost a mile from the wreck to the coast in extremely cold and dangerous conditions. Once on dry land, Moore pulled the two lifeboats ashore using a length of rope he'd tied around his leg during the swim. Despite this tremendous act of bravery, Moore remained a modest man, and eventually took a job in Auckland. He was nevertheless tracked down by the Royal Humane Society and awarded their Bronze Medal for bravery. He received the medal at the Theatre Royal in London on the 15th of October 1879. In addition to this, Moore was made 'New Zealander of the Year' by the Auckland Herald - the article of which is accessible online. Whilst Moore's medal is now in a museum, these Half Sovereigns offer the ability to own a piece of maritime history.