| Coin | Australia Sovereign 2013 |
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The Perth Mint’s annual Australia Sovereign (also called the Australian Sovereign) is a prestigious 22-carat gold coin featuring a design inspired by historic sovereigns made at the Sydney Mint between 1855 and 1866. As the first overseas branch of Britain’s Royal Mint, the Sydney Mint was opened in 1855 to make sovereign coins from Australian gold. For the first 11 years they were distinguished from London versions by a specially prepared "colonial" design. A testament to the skill of Australia’s early minters, these highly successful issues continue to attract significant interest among modern collectors.
The coin has the same specifications as the British gold sovereign. The Perth Mint was a branch of the Royal Mint from its foundation in 1899 until 1970, when it was transferred to the government of Western Australia; it produced Imperial (pre-decimal) sovereigns between 1899 and 1931.
In 2009, the mint revived the format - initially with a design featuring the Coat of Arms of Australia, then with a replica of the reverse of the Australian Sovereign issued by the Sydney Mint between 1853 and 1870.
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| Mint | Perth Mint |
Mint Mark | Letter P |
Total Mintage | 1,750 |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits.
In small letters below the head, the artist's initials IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley).
Around the effigy is the monarch's legend, the date of issue and the value: ELIZABETH II 2013 AUSTRALIA · 25 DOLLARS ·.
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse of the coin uses historic elements of Leonard Charles Wyon’s original "Type I reverse" of the Australian Sovereign.
At centre, surrounded by a laurel wreath, the legend AUSTRALIA is crowned with St Edwards's Crown; named after Saint Edward the Confessor, it has been traditionally used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th century (with a two-century gap between 1689 and 1911).
Around above, the inscription PERTH MINT; around below, SOVEREIGN. The Perth Mint's traditional P mint mark is above the ribbon tying the wreath.
The border around the rim is beaded. |
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| Reverse Inscription |
PERTH MINT AUSTRALIA SOVEREIGN |
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| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | Gold Content (Troy oz): 0.2354
Finish: proof.
Packaging: wooden display case within a themed shipper, with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
Perth Mint Item ID: 13T46AAA
Issue price: AU$ 650.00 |
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