Gold Sovereigns

1884 Melbourne Mint, Australia

22 Carat Gold
Shields comprise between a mere 15% & 20% of the total amount struck. Although the exact number of shields & St George reverses struck each year would have fluctuated, it is a general rule that shields are the scarcer of the two types.
The shield design was used on Australian sovereigns between 1871 and 1887, and the design described below was adapted slightly from that first seen on the new coinage of King George IV in 1825.
Interestingly, the vast majority of, if not all shield sovereigns struck were exported to India. Evidently, there were some objections there to the St George reverse design on religious grounds. St George being the patron saint of England, in their opinion his image on coinage nigh constituted idol worship - taboo in a number of Eastern religions. Another less sensational explanation for the use of this reverse type in India is that “the people there had become accustomed to that pattern.”

1884M Melbourne Mint Shield Gold Sovereign Reverse
1884M Melbourne Mint Shield Gold Sovereign Obverse
Mintage
2,942,000

Young Head , Shield Reverse.
At the time when William Wyon's design was introduced, the nation was in its infancy. Australia had a growing gold mining industry, a land boom was in progress, the future looked bright for the fledgling nation. Needless to say, a sovereign during this period had a high value indeed, accounting for at least half a week’s wages for the average man.
The first portrait for Queen Victoria was the "Young Head", which was used on sovereigns from 1938 to 1887 inclusive. It was refined and modified a number of times during this period. In the case of Shield reverse the date appears below Victoria's portrait ( With St George, the date appears on the reverse. ) The design can best be described by the Master of the Royal Mint, when writing to Queen Victoria regarding its proposal in 1837:
“.... the Ensigns Armorial of the United Kingdom .... Contained in a plain shield, surmounted by the Royal Crown and encircled with a Laurel Wreath, with the inscription BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID DEF, having the united Rose, Thistle and Shamrock placed under the shield.".
The nature of this design is such that shield sovereigns tend to be marginally concave on the reverse - because it is to a small extent protected by the rims.
It can be difficult to accurately distinguish between different grades. For the same reason, shields are generally well struck. As with all coins however, some small differences will occur.
From top to bottom, some of the more prominent points however are:
  • The orb at the peak of the crown, the gems directly below this point, and the cross directly below the gems;
  • The diamonds across the base of the crown, and also the fur directly at the base;
  • The edge and separators of the shield;
  • The upper edges of certain leaves comprising the surrounding wreath;
  • The faces on the lions in the upper left and lower right quartiles of the shield;
  • The bust and torso of the angel in the lower left quartile of the shield.

Specifications

Sources
Composition: 91.67% Gold
8.33% Copper
Gold Content: 0.2354 oz
Edge: Reeded
Weight: 7.9881 grams
Size: 21.5 mm
Reverse: Jean Baptiste Merlen
Obverse: William Wyon
Chard Gold Sovereigns Andrew Crellin of Sterling & Currency

The Sovereign
Daniel Fearon & Brian Reeds
2001
17 Windmill Drive
Croxley Green, Hertfordshire
United Kingdom
Token Publishing
The Gold Sovereign
Golden Jubilee Edition
Michael A Marsh
2002
25A St Neots Rd
Hardwick
Cambrigeshire CB3 7QH
United Kingdom

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