Australian Half Sovereign 1862, Coin from New South Wales - detailed information

A gold coin (19 mm diameter with milled edge) featuring a head of Queen Victoria facing left and wearing a wreath of banksia with the date 1862 below. The reverse features the word AUSTRALIA below a royal crown within a wreath of laurel and with the words SYDNEY MINT above and HALF SOVEREIGN below.

Although bearing the date 1862, records in London indicate the '1862' half sovereigns were all struck in 1863.

Head of Queen Victoria facing left and wearing a wreath of banksia which is plaited, the date 1862 below.; around, VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIAR: REG: F: D:

At centre within a laurel wreath AUSTRALIA under a royal crown; above, SYDNEY MINT; below, HALF SOVEREIGN.

Half sovereigns bearing the date of 1963 were all struck in June 1863. The mintage figure was 150,000; the higher figure normally reported for 1863 reflects the use of 1862 dated dies in 1863. Renniks 1965 and later catalogues list mintage of 348,500.

In this case, the number of coins bearing the date 1862 would be 198,500 and not 210,000 as listed in catalogues.