1881 Victoria Gold Full Sovereign Sydney Mint Saint George Coin

Young Head Portrait With 'S' Mintmark

The obverse of these 1881 coins features William Wyon's Young Head portrait of Queen Victoria, with an 'S' mintmark below for Sydney, Australia, and an inscription reading 'VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIAR: REG: F: D:'.

Saint George And The Dragon Reverse

The reverse shows Benedetto Pistrucci's classic depiction of the legend of Saint George and the dragon. The date (1881) appears below. The artist's 'B.P.' initials are missing the field to the right of the date on this issue.

Sydney Sovereign Struck In 22-Carat Gold

'Full' Sovereigns like these ones are struck in 22-carat gold to a strict specification, established in the early 19th century. These coins weigh approximately 7.98 grams and measure 22.05 millimetres from milled edge to milled edge.

1881-S Sovereign Mintage Figures

Records show that 1,360,000 gold Sovereigns were struck at the Sydney branch of the Royal Mint in the 1881 calendar year. The majority of these coins were issued with the Saint George design, but some rare 1881-S Sovereigns feature the royal shield design.

Collecting Branch Mint Sovereigns

Branch mint gold Sovereigns are a challenging and rewarding focus for the dedicated numismatist. Earlier Young Head issues are particularly fascinating due to the use of two distinct portraits and the number of known variants.

Browse the range: Sydney Mint Gold Sovereigns