|
A gold coin (19 mm diameter with milled edge) featuring a young head of Queen Victoria facing left, hair filleted; around, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA, below, 1882. On the reverse, a garnished shield, crowned and lined, around, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID:DEF:. |
|
|
| Obverse | |
|---|
Head of Queen Victoria facing left wearing ribbon in her hair; around, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA; below, 1882.
On Sydney Mint coins, obverse 2 by Marsh: The bust is slightly larger than on earlier coins, the Queen's hair is noticeably nearer to the G in GRATIA, and the small strand of hair that came out from behind the bun has been removed.
Melbourne Mint coins: Fifth or Fourth obverse.
No designer's initials W.W. at the truncation of the Queen's neck (unlike on full sovereigns). |
|
|
| Reverse | |
|---|
Crowned and garnished shield quartered with the arms of England (1 & 4), Scotland (2) and Ireland (3); around, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:.
A small dot is shown just above the centre of the crossed lines that divide the Ensigns Armorial (unlike coins before 1859).
Below the shield is the mint mark, M for Melbourne Mint or S for Sydney Mint. |
|
| Reverse Inscription |
BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF: |
|---|
|
| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
|
| Notes | The "ordinary" Sydney Mint coins for this year are taken to be S-3862E (or McD 23a).
The "ordinary" Melbourne Mint coins for this year are taken to be S-3863B (or McD 24a), which carry the "Fifth young head" obverse, while the variety has the "Fourth young head" (Spink 3863A, McDonald 24).
References to additional information:
[Book] Marsh, Michael A. The Gold Half Sovereign. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Coins, 1982. pp. 13-40. |
|---|
|
Search for United Kingdom: Half Sovereign 1882 on eBay 