Half Sovereign 1884, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

Young head of Queen Victoria facing left, hair filleted; around, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA, below, 1884.

Obverse 5 by Marsh: it has a lower relief and the largest bust of all varieties of the Young Head portrait. Because of this, the bun in the Queen's hair is clearly inside the legend area. The lower point of the neck truncation is in a similar position and touches the date. Thickening of the rim and toothing is also evident, which (coupled with the larger bust) gives an overall cramped impression.

No designer's initials W.W. at the truncation of the Queen's neck (unlike on full sovereigns).

Crowned and garnished shield quartered with the arms of England (1 & 4), Scotland (2) and Ireland (3); around, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:.

Mint mark (if any) below the shield. No die number.

Krause says: "Half sovereign 1884 [Royal Mint London] is much rarer than the mintage figure indicates". Marsh lists its rarity as "Normal" though.

References to additional information:

[Book] Marsh, Michael A. The Gold Half Sovereign. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Coins, 1982. pp. 13-40.