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  • 1859 Gold Sovereign Victoria Young Head Shield London 25610
    Reverse
  • 1859 Gold Sovereign Victoria Young Head Shield London 25611
    Obverse
  • 1859 Gold Full Sovereign Victoria Coin Graded EF Reverse
    Reverse EF
  • 1859 Gold Full Sovereign Victoria Coin Graded gVF Obverse
    Obverse gVF
  • 1859 Gold Sovereign Victoria Young Head Shield London 25610
  • 1859 Gold Sovereign Victoria Young Head Shield London 25611
  • 1859 Gold Full Sovereign Victoria Coin Graded EF Reverse
  • 1859 Gold Full Sovereign Victoria Coin Graded gVF Obverse
Estimated UK Delivery
£6.00
Stock status
4 Grades Available
Product ID
6138

1859 Gold Sovereign Victoria London Mint

The 1859 gold sovereign is the twelfth date for the Queen Victoria "second head" shield sovereign. This second type of Victoria sovereign was issued from 1848 to 1872, has a slightly larger head in lower relief, and the reverse legends are repositioned. 

Interestingly, there were no variations on the 1859 sovereign from The Royal Mint but George Frederick Ansell created a sovereign from rejected gold alloy, which he managed to rework and make increadibly tough. 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. See the 'Ansell' sovereign here.

See the rest of the 1859 Sovereign Collection.

Photographs shown may not be the actual coin and may differ in terms of grade, die numbers, design flaws and other minor details.

from £721.38

(VAT Exempt)
Totals are approximate until metal prices are confirmed on the next LBMA fix.

More Info

Price List

Sold Prices

Terms & Delivery

More Info

Hammered gold coins called 'sovereigns' had been minted on and off between 1489-1604, whereupon James I (VI) changed the name of the 20/- gold piece to a 'Unite'. The reform coinage sovereign of 1817 onwards was issued as a normal circulation type coin, and also as a proof. 

Obverse

Designed by William Wyon, Chief Engraver, the obverse features the second (large) young head portrait facing left of the young Queen at just 18 years old. This larger bust fills more of the area of the coin and shows Victoria's hair held by a double fillet and gathered into a loosely knotted bun. The initials W.W. are set incuse on the truncation. 

The inscription reads

VICTORIA DEI GRATIA

and the date (1859) appears below the portrait. 

Reverse

The reverse of the 1859 sovereign was designed by engraver, Jean Baptiste Merlen. It features the shield design, which is mounted by a crown. It also has a branch of laurel leaves on either side. The branches are tied, with a ribbon in a bow, below the shield.

Beneath this, the reverse displays the thistle, rose and shamrock (symbolising the unity of Scotland, England and Ireland) with a small flower stop on each side.

The inscription reads

BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:

completing the monarch's legend, which begins on the obverse.

Specification

MetalGold
Diameter22.05mm
Weight / SizeFull
Gold Weight Troy Ounces0.235
Fineness / Carat0.917 / 22
Mintage Figure1,547,603
Date1859
Spink Reference3852D
Obverse DesignerWilliam Wyon
Reverse DesignerJean Baptiste Merlen
Mint / BrandThe Royal Mint
CountryUnited Kingdom
Price List
ObverseReversePriceAvailability
FineVF£667.58Out Of Stock
aVFVF£821.38Out Of Stock
gFineVF£821.38In Stock
aFinegFine£721.38In Stock
gVFVF£921.38In Stock
aVFgVF£871.38In Stock
Sold Prices
Date Obverse Reverse Price
01 September 2020 aVF VF US$867.28
23 February 2021 Fine VF £477.23
26 November 2024 aVF VF £823.17
Terms & Delivery

Terms of Sale - Key Points

You can find more information on payment and identification requirements.

Bullion coins are provided as is and on occasion may have some minor scratches or edge knocks. These are not regarded as faulty or damaged goods as their precious metal content and value as a bullion coin is not affected. Any coin sold for a value less than a 180% intrinsic is considered a bullion coin.

Gold investment products are VAT free. Silver investment products are inclusive of VAT at the current rate unless otherwise stated.

All investment products are based on the live precious metal price. Prices will be fixed once the item has been added to the basket and recalculates just before checking out. 

If your product is not a graded coin and is considered a bullion item, it should be noted that these are bought and sold on low premiums over their precious metal content and not solely for aesthetic purposes; therefore, some products may have edge knocks and/or marks. These edge knocks and marks do not alter the specifications of the coins.

Please note that all investment products are exempt from the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and therefore customers do not have the right to cancel their order once the order has been accepted. If customers no longer wish to go ahead with their investment purchase, there is an option to sell the products back to Chard (1964) Ltd instead. View our current buy back prices.

View our full Terms & Conditions.

Delivery Information

We aim to dispatch orders within 48 hours of receiving cleared funds. Our standard delivery methods are as follows.

Orders over £60 - Fully Insured Delivery.

  • Within the UK and BFPO - Next day fully insured and tracked. Delivery starts from £6. 

Orders under £60

  • Within the UK and BFPO - Royal Mail 2nd Class. Your order will normally arrive within 2-3 working days. Delivery starts from £3.50.

If you wish to have your order sent by an alternative method (e.g., Saturday Guaranteed) please contact +441253343081 for more information. Please note, we will not dispatch high value orders over a bank holiday weekend.

For international delivery, please check with your local customs office for more information on custom duty and taxes.

Full delivery information can be found by clicking here.

Postal Insurance

We offer fully insured delivery on all special delivery options. We do need to pass on the cost of this insurance as it soon adds up shipping high value gold and silver products. 

  • Orders under £1500 there is no additional fee.
  • Orders over £1500 we charge a fee in order to cover the increasing costs of insurance. For every £1500 we apply a £1 fee. 

If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to call the showroom on +441253343081 and one of our team can discuss your purchase.