1872 Victoria Gold Full Sovereign Melbourne Mint Saint George Coin

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1872 Victoria Gold Full Sovereign Melbourne Mint Saint George Coin Obverse

Buy a 1872-M Sovereign St George

1872 Melbourne mint gold Sovereigns, struck with a St George reverse (S 3857, Marsh 94 - S). These 22-carat gold coins are some of the first to be issued by the Melbourne branch of the Royal mint, which opened in this year. This was the second Australian branch mint to be opened, following Sydney, which was established in 1855. For the first decades of its operation, the Melbourne mint struck Sovereigns with two different reverse designs. These coins are the Saint George variant which features the classic image of England's patron saint slaying a winged dragon, created by Benedetto Pistrucci. This is paired with the youthful portrait of Queen Victoria by William Wyon, a tiny 'M' below the bus,t which identifies a Melbourne mint Sovereign.

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Description Specification Summary

William Wyon's Young Head With M Mintmark

1872-M Sovereigns feature a variation of William Wyon's Young Head portrait of Queen Victoria, facing left. The inscription reads 'VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIAR: REG: F: D:' and a small 'M' mintmark can be clearly seen below the bust, which displays 'buried' 'W.W.' initials to the thin truncation.

Saint George And The Dragon Reverse

Benedetto Pistrucci's instantly-recognisable St George and the dragon design features on the reverse of these coins, the saint's horse showing a long tail. The date (1872) is shown below with the artist's 'B.P.' initials to the right.

Melbourne Mint Gold Sovereign Specifications

Melbourne mint Sovereigns are struck to the same strict specifications as their London counterparts in 22-carat gold, following guidelines established back in 1817. These coins weigh approximately 7.98 grams.

1872 Melbourne Sovereign Mintage Figures

In its first year of operation, the Melbourne branch of the Royal Mint struck 'full' Sovereigns with both a shield reverse and a Saint George design. The total mintage was a low 748,180, with the shield back coins known to be the rarer issue, though the specific number of each type struck is unknown.

Buying Historic Branch Mint Sovereigns

Historic branch mint Sovereigns remain popular with collectors looking to complete date sets and those interested in the early history of Australian coinage. Our 1872-M Saint George Sovereigns are individually graded and authenticated and ready to add to your cabinet.

Browse the range: Melbourne Mint Gold Sovereigns