1878 Victoria Gold Full Sovereign Melbourne Mint Coin

Portrait Of Queen Victoria By William Wyon

A small 'M' mintmark appears below William Wyon's Young Head portrait of Queen Victoria on the reverse of these Melbourne mint coins. The artist's initials are seen 'buried' in the truncation of Victoria's neck. The inscription reads 'VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIAR: REG: F: D:'. 

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.

22-Carat Gold Melbourne Mint Coins

Like all modern milled Sovereigns, early issues from the Melbourne mint are struck in 22-carat gold and measure just over 22 millimetres from milled edge to milled edge, the same as their London and Sydney mint counterparts. These coins weigh approximately 7.98 grams.

Mintage Figures For 1878-M Sovereigns

2,171,457 gold 'full' Sovereigns were minted in Melbourne in 1878. These coins all feature the St George and the dragon reverse while in other years, both Pistrucci's design and a shield reverse were issued concurrently.

Collecting Branch Mint Sovereigns

Branch mint Sovereigns are a rewarding area of collecting with early Victorian issues of the Melbourne and Sydney mints, prooving an especially complex subject with extensive types and varieties to acquire. Out 1878-M Sovereigns are a great addition to any cabinet and are individually authenticated and graded by our specialists.

Browse the range: Melbourne Mint Gold Sovereigns