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1859 Ansell Gold Sovereign Victoria Young Head Shield - Graded Fine aVF
In 1859, a shipment of gold coin alloy was rejected by the Royal Mint on the grounds that it was too brittle for use in striking coins.
READ MORE£5,500.00
(VAT Exempt)
(VAT Exempt)
In 1859, a shipment of gold coin alloy was rejected by the Royal Mint on the grounds that it was too brittle for use in striking coins. However, a metallurgist employed by the Royal Mint, one George Frederick Ansell, asked to be allowed to experiment with the gold in order to improve it and make it suitable for striking into coin.
Ansell Sovereigns
Ansell enjoyed considerable success in his efforts, and managed to make the alloy even tougher than that of a normal sovereign. Sovereigns struck from George Ansell's reworked gold alloy were apparently so tough, that they could not be broken by an ordinary man even when attacked with a pair of pliers (not that we would recommend trying to repeat this experiment with one!). George Ansell was rewarded for his work by a letter of thanks from the Mint Master and given a cash bonus of £100 (a considerable sum of money in those days).
An 'Ansell' sovereign struck from the reworked gold can be identified by an additional line which is visible in the rear hairband of the Queen's portrait, as seen in the photograph to the left.
Key Information
| Product ID | 10954 |
| Stock Status | Out of Stock |
Product Spec
| Metal | Gold |
| Weight/Size | Full |
| Gold Weight Troy Ounces | 0.2354 |
| Fineness/Carat | 0.917 / 22 |
| Date | 1859 |
| Obverse Designer | William Wyon |
| Reverse Designer | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Issuing Monarch | Victoria (1837-1901) |
| Mint/Brand | The Royal Mint |
| Country | United Kingdom |
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Please be advised delivery timeframes are reflective of in-stock orders where payment and any necessary identification or onboarding documents have been received.
| Delivery Option | Est. Delivery Time |
|---|---|
| Standard Delivery | 2-3 working days |
| Special Delivery | Next day (1 working day) |
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