About the 1872 Gold Sovereign Victoria Young Head Shield London Mint
13,486,708 bullion sovereigns were minted In 1872.
The obverse design is by William Wyon and the reverse by Jean Baptiste Merlen .
Young head sovereigns are always popular. This particlar issue is easily sourced.
Spink Ref: 3853B. Marsh: 47/56
Front: Hover to enlarge
Back: Hover to enlarge
High grade examples of this coin are sought after by collectors.
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Locating the die number on shield sovereigns, 1863 - 1874.
Further Information
The 1872 shield sovereign is part of the 'die number' series. If you look on the reverse (shield) side of the coin, the die number can be found in-between the rose and the wreath, at the base of the shield.
The range of die numbers does vary from year to year. Referring to Michael Marsh's book, The Gold Sovereign, 110 dies have been recored for 1872. It is entirely plausible that more die numbers existed, they simply haven't been found or recorded yet.
It should also be noted that some shield sovereigns minted in 1872 don't carry a die number.
There are no official records that separate the mintage figures for London mint 1872 shield and St. George sovereigns. Therefore, the mintage number quoted includes both types.
Details
| Label | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bullion Mintage | 13,486,708 |
| Obverse Design | Victoria (Young Head) |
| Obverse Text | VICTORIA DEI GRATIA |
| Reverse Design | Shield |
| Reverse Text | BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID:DEF: |
| Axis | The 1872 Shield Sovereign is struck on a reverse die axis. |
