AndrewSL76 Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Good morning! Hope all are well? I recently bought a really nice 1875 Half. I am struggling a little to confirm whether it is a London or Sydney issue. It’s ridiculous but I just can’t work out if it is a die number (5) or a mint mark (S) under the shield. There is no dot on the reverse which I believe applies to both the Sydney and London version. Are there any other major distinguishing features? Am I missing something key? I have consigned to PCGS recently as a London coin as it would fill a gap for me (!) but would equally be happy if it came back as a Sydney Mint coin. Picture attached. Sorry that it’s not great. Taken before it was consigned and I took a double take on the issue of it possibly not being a London issue. Thanks for any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 23 hours ago, AndrewSL76 said: Good morning! Hope all are well? I recently bought a really nice 1875 Half. I am struggling a little to confirm whether it is a London or Sydney issue. It’s ridiculous but I just can’t work out if it is a die number (5) or a mint mark (S) under the shield. There is no dot on the reverse which I believe applies to both the Sydney and London version. Are there any other major distinguishing features? Am I missing something key? I have consigned to PCGS recently as a London coin as it would fill a gap for me (!) but would equally be happy if it came back as a Sydney Mint coin. Picture attached. Sorry that it’s not great. Taken before it was consigned and I took a double take on the issue of it possibly not being a London issue. Thanks for any help! Really need to get it under a good microscope to tell that if S and 5 is similar on halves. On fulls its normally 5 and 3 that's the issue Do you have a loupe? Try photographing through it if so. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 On 2/10/2022 at 8:01 AM, AndrewSL76 said: Are there any other major distinguishing features? Am I missing something key? I think there are some differences in legend letter positions on the obverse. Might be worth having a close look, although they may be the same as both have the third larger head. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewSL76 Posted March 8, 2022 Author Share Posted March 8, 2022 I had already sent this to PCGS when I had an about take and sudden realisation that the 5 I thought was a 5 could actually be an S….so I haven’t been able to take further pics with a loupe! I think Steve is right about the lettering - it is the same. The only defining feature that I can find is the S/5! The more I look at the pictures I have, the more I am convinced it’s a Sydney. Still no news from PCGS on this one. It was received on 7 Feb and has been ‘not yet assigned’ since then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewSL76 Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 The coin has been assigned and it seems to be being processed as a Great Britain coin. So that is (in theory) that question solved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewSL76 Posted July 3, 2022 Author Share Posted July 3, 2022 The batch I sent to PCGS came back on Friday. This one ended up with a designation of AU50 as a Sydney coin!! Oh well! It will be in the next Coin Cabinet auction! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRIAN GREER Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 if it has a mint mark it is not a London struck coin...in other words, on London struck sovereigns there is no mint mark....and...you will never find a die number where the mint mark goes...therefore this coin is not a London struck coin....... since the mint marks looks like a 5 it must be a Sydney since that is the only mint mark that might be confused with a 5...................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewSL76 Posted July 3, 2022 Author Share Posted July 3, 2022 51 minutes ago, BRIAN GREER said: if it has a mint mark it is not a London struck coin...in other words, on London struck sovereigns there is no mint mark....and...you will never find a die number where the mint mark goes...therefore this coin is not a London struck coin....... since the mint marks looks like a 5 it must be a Sydney since that is the only mint mark that might be confused with a 5...................... Please read the whole thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRIAN GREER Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 I did read the thread before responding............your pictures are great....the problem simple......it is a Sydney without doubt. google sovereign mint marks and you will find some really good explanations on mint marks. it does not matter if we make a mistake in the descriptions in our submissions......almost always the graders will correct us at some point in the review process........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewSL76 Posted July 4, 2022 Author Share Posted July 4, 2022 Thanks, Brian, I have a good understanding of mint marks on half sovereigns and die numbers. Your comments are understood and well received but do not seem to match with my own understanding. I hope you do not mind me asking you to go a bit further with sharing your knowledge. Some London half sovereigns have die numbers. As far as I am aware, the 1875 was issued with many die numbers including one with a 5. The die number is located where the mint mark would be for, for example, the Sydney coin. See the attached picture for an 1877 London example with a die number 155. You seem convinced by what you are saying about half sovereigns which is causing me to challenge what I assumed to be good/correct knowledge. Are you saying that there were no half sovereigns minted in London during 1875 with a die number in the same location as the mint mark for the Sydney minted coins? Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRIAN GREER Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 ok...I think I understand the problem better...............first I am no expert on old stuff.....my interest is in Elizabeth II primarily. as I read Marsh, now that I think I understand your question, it is more complex than I thought and you have just cause to question...I was certainly wrong and incomplete in what I wrote. if you have received the graded coin, did it have research documentation in the package...??? if not, and you want to pursue this, you can provide more documentation and challenge the certification(I have had to do it twice and now have a third to send for reconsideration). am I right that the worth of the coin is at stake...an S or an R2...??? I guess I am, in the end, no help..............I look forward to the resolution. Eric at drake sterling in australia is pretty good with sovereign problems. again, sorry for underestimating the problem. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewSL76 Posted July 5, 2022 Author Share Posted July 5, 2022 Thanks for this response, Brian. The worth of the coin is always an issue, but on this occasion it is about building a set and filling in gaps! I don’t really collect branch mint coins so will be moving this on. I have the coin in hand now and the mark/die number is not sharp so could easily go either way…..I will just leave as is. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRIAN GREER Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 good luck............ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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