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![1859 Gold Half Sovereign Victoria Young Head Shield London Chards image reverse]()
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![1859 Gold Half Sovereign Victoria Young Head Shield London Chards image obverse]()
obverse
1859 Gold Half Sovereign Victoria Young Head Shield London
The 1859 gold half sovereign was the second half sovereign to be issued bearing the second (larger) young head portrait of the queen. The full sovereign had featured the second young head portrait of Queen Victoria since 1848. However, the half sovereign continued to be made with the first and smallest young head portrait of the queen until 1858.
See the rest of the 1859 Sovereign Collection.
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The half sovereign was first introduced in 1544 during the reign of Henry VIII. Half sovereigns continued to be produced until 1604. At this point they were discontinued (as were gold sovereigns). The first reform coinage sovereigns and half sovereigns were minted in 1817 following the Coinage Act of 1816.
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 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
| Metal | Gold |
| Diameter | 19.3mm |
| Weight / Size | Half |
| Gold Weight Troy Ounces | 0.118 |
| Fineness / Carat | 0.917 / 22 |
| Mintage Figure | 2,203,813 |
| Date | 1859 |
| Spink Reference | 3859A |
| Obverse Designer | William Wyon |
| Reverse Designer | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Issuing Monarch | Victoria (1837-1901) |
| Mint / Brand | The Royal Mint |
| Country | United Kingdom |
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.
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