1902 Gold Sovereign Sydney

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M J Hughes Coins are always interested in buying and selling coins like the 1902 Gold Sovereign Sydney. Selling to me means that you do not have to pay sellers fees, Paypal fees or any other transaction fees. I will give you an immediate offer and pay you the same day. Single coins or entire collection. If you have something and want to sell then please email us or telephone us.

The 1902 Gold Sovereign. Sydney Mint.

Mintage: 2,813,000 (may include coins issued as part of a set). Minted at The Sydney Mint.
In the Year: 1902
The Monarch is Edward VII, who has his Coronation at Westminster Abbey. Lord Salisbury retires as Prime Minister due to ill health and is succeeded by his nephew Arthur Balfour. Lord Salisbury will be the last person to have sat in the House of Lords as Prime Minister. The first Borstal youth detention centre is opened at Borstal, Kent. Second Boer War continues, and not always well for Britain. Manchester United Football Club is formed by John Henry Davies in a name change from Newton Heath. In the Discovery Expedition, Scott, Shackleton and Wilson reach the furthest southern point ever eached by man up until then, south of 82°S. The British Army adopts a dark khaki replacing the traditional red coat. Marmite is first produced. Arthur Conan Doyle publishes The Hound of the Baskervilles, Rudyard Kipling Just So Stories and Beatrix Potter Tale of Peter Rabbit with her own colour illustrations.
General Description: Sovereigns
The 1902 Gold Sovereign Sydney is an example of the Gold Sovereign and is one of the most ubiquitous of all coins and much sought after by both coin collectors and bullion investors. Sovereigns have been minted since 1817 (in Britain 1817-1917, 1925 and 1957 on). At coins fairs you often hear the dealers refer to these coins as Sovs.

Besides being minted in Britain, Sovereigns have been made in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth), India (then Bombay, now Mumbai), Canada (Ottowa) and South Africa (Pretoria) although these regional mints have not made sovereigns since 1932. The non-British coins carry a small mintmark ('S','M','P','I','C' or 'SA') just above the date. This 1902 Gold Sovereign Sydney was minted at The Sydney Mint.

The Obverse is the Monarch's head (Edward VII) and the Reverse is most often St George and the Dragon, although other backs have been used and are of interest to collectors. The Reverse often gives the Sovs a new term, like "ShieldBacks".

Specifications for the Gold Sovereign
 
  • Weight: 7.9881g
  • Diameter: 22.05 mm
  • Thickness: 1.52 mm
  • Purity: 22 carat = 91.67% (11/12ths gold, 1/12th copper. Adding copper makes the coin more scratch and dent resistant)
  • Gold Content: 113 grains = 7.3224 g = 0.2354 troy ounce
  • Face value: £1 = 20 shillings
  • Monarch: Edward VII

History

Up until 1604 there was a coin called the English gold sovereign and in 1816 when there was the "Great Recoinage" the name was revived. At that time standard gold (22 carat) was valued at £46 14s 6d per troy pound; this meant a £1 coin needed to weigh 123.2744783 grains or 7.988030269 g. The weight is still the same today.

As a historical note: to maintain the Gold Standard, in 1816 the value of silver was set at 66 shillings for one troy pound and silver coins were only legal for denominations up to £2.

The first sovereigns carried the head of King George III and the famous George and the Dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci (29 May 1783 – 16 September 1855), an Italian engraver who became chief medallist at the Royal Mint.

With high value coins such as the 1902 Gold Sovereign Sydney, collectors and bullion investors often worry about forgeries but actually gold coins are very difficult to forge due to gold's unique properties of density and colour. Gold is extremely dense and to use another metal and gold-plate it would result in a coin that is under-weight, over-diameter or half as thick, something that would be spotted very easily. More difficult to spot would be a bullion coin melted down and re-cast as a highly collectable date, but an expert can usually tell these too. You should always use reputable dealers.

Which Mint: The Sydney Mint
The Sydney Mint in Sydney, Australia, is the oldest public building in the Sydney Central Business District. It stopped making gold sovereigns about 1926.
The Monarch: Edward VII (1901-1910)
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. Edward was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Edward married Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863.

Five Pound, Two Pound and Crowns were only released in 1902. The 1902 Proof set for the Coronation is unusual in that it had a Matt finish. Gold Sovereign mintages were high during the reign of Edward VII, averaging more than 10 million per year which makes them fairly common even today.
Country of Origin: Australia
Australia is a country and continent surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. Australia used pounds, shillings and pence until 1966, when it adopted the decimal system with the Australian dollar divided into 100 cents. The 1oz Silver coins are a particular favourite with collectors around the World and feature the famous Australian animals such as Kookaburra, Kangeroo and Kaola.

M J Hughes Coins are interested in buying your 1902 Gold Sovereign Sydney! Selling to me means that you do not have to pay sellers fees, Paypal fees or any other transaction fees. I will give you an immediate offer and pay you the same day. Single coins or entire collection. There are a number of ways you can sell to us:
 

 Visit our Shop in Alton

We have a town centre shop called 'M J Hughes Coins' at 27 Market Street, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 1HA. See a details of opening times and how to get there on the Visit our Shop page.
 

 Post to Us

Most people who sell to us prefer to post via Royal Mail Special delivery, which is a guaranteed, signed-for, insured delivery. Usually we will make payment the same day. For details of how to send to us see How to Post to Us
 

 Meet in Person

We understand not everyone has access to transport to come to us, or get to the Post office. If you have a sizeable collection we are happy to do a home visit to you. We also attend various Coin Fairs every month. If you prefer this way, please see How to Meet Us page.

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