A key element of Australia’s first Gold Sovereign Series.
Struck at Australia’s first official mint, domiciled in Sydney.
Issued during the record-breaking reign of Queen Victoria.
Both obverse and reverse designed by Leonard Wyon.
Offered in highly collectable Fine to Very Fine condition.
A genuine artefact of the Australian Gold Rush – buy now!
Specifications
Metal
Gold
Country of Issue
Australia
Denomination
Sovereign
Issued By
Sydney Mint
Delivery and Shipping
For In Stock items, our estimated delivery time is 2–3 weeks within Australia and 3–6 weeks internationally.
Orders are typically dispatched within 14 days of purchase, subject to payment confirmation, stock availability and any required processing.
Every order is carefully packed by our experienced fulfilment team using secure packaging designed to help protect your collectables during transit. Tracking details will be provided once your order has been dispatched.
Queen Victoria 1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign Type II Fine-Very Fine
$1,795.00 AUD
Unit price /
Unavailable
Part of Australia’s first Sovereign Series, and struck at Australia’s first official mint, we are delighted to present the 1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign!
Although the 1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign has the highest mintage of any Type II issue, this date is still very scarce, regardless of the grade. Apart from the number of coins simply lost in the 160 years since struck, and the number dispatched to the melting pot for the intrinsic value, the 22-carat gold 1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign is tough-to-find for one other specific reason.
Although originally declared official legal tender in New South Wales only, Sydney Mint Sovereigns soon circulated in other colonies and, indeed, overseas. As a result, British authorities declared the Sydney Mint Sovereign legal tender in Britain in 1866. Transformed from Australian circulating currency to international commodity, with a huge amount of coins shipped to Britain, this change in policy contributed substantially to the scarcity of all later Sydney Mint Sovereign dates – including the 1866.
A fantastic opportunity for you to secure a genuine artefact from Australia’s golden history, the few examples of the 1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign we have in stock are in Fine to Very Fine condition. Click add to cart now!
Australia’s first official mint…
And Australia’s first sovereigns!
Australia’s key role in the history of the sovereign began following the 1850s Gold Rush. Quick to take advantage of the vast quantities of gold unearthed in the colonies, Britain established the first overseas branch of the Royal Mint in 1853, with Sydney winning the right to establish Australia’s first official mint.
The Sydney Mint was domiciled in the south wing of Sydney’s Rum Hospital. This hospital had been built from 1811 to 1816 under the stewardship of Australia’s fifth governor, the iconic Lachlan Macquarie. Officially opened on May 14, 1855, the Sydney Mint struck Australia’s first sovereign just a few weeks later, on June 23, 1855.
Both the obverse and reverse of the Sydney Mint Sovereign were designed by Leonard Wyon. Of the famous Wyon clan of engravers, Leonard gave the portrait of Queen Victoria a distinctively Australian flavour, with the monarch depicted with a wreath of banksia. One of Australia’s most distinctive coins, the words ‘SYDNEY MINT’, ‘AUSTRALIA’ and ‘ONE SOVEREIGN’ were proudly emblazoned on the reverse. Thus, this coin was not only the sole sovereign type to carry the name of the mint and the denomination, but referred to a political entity – Australia – that would not technically exist for nearly 50 years!
Authorities in Great Britain had decided that the Sydney Mint Sovereign should have designs entirely different to the traditional British sovereigns for one very specific reason. Intended to be legal tender in New South Wales only, the different designs made it easy to distinguish the allegedly ‘inferior’ colonial gold coins with their allegedly ‘superior’ British counterparts.
British authorities intended that the Sydney Mint Sovereigns would circulate only in New South Wales, but, very quickly, the coin was accepted in all other Australian colonies. Before too long, they were accepted as far afield as Britain, Hong Kong, Ceylon and Newfoundland! The great irony is that the Sydney Mint Sovereign was a victim of its own popularity. British authorities were shocked to find that colonial issues were actually preferred to Royal Mint Sovereigns!
Although supplanted by standard British designs from 1871 as a result, the Sydney Mint Sovereign will forever hold a crucial place in Australian history. Indeed, more than just a coin, the Sydney Mint Sovereign is living history – physical evidence of the Gold Rush that gripped the colony in the 1850s, and inspired the march to Federation in 1901.
Payment & Security
Payment methods
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.
NOT THE COIN YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?
Let us know what you’re searching for and our team will see if we can source it for you.
Queen Victoria 1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign Type II Fine-Very Fine
$1,795.00 AUD
Unit price /
Unavailable
Issued By
Sydney Mint
Country of Issue
Australia
Year of Issue
1866
Denomination
Sovereign
Grade
N/A
Metal
Gold
Quality
N/A
Dimensions
N/A
Mintage
2,910,000
Diameter (mm)
22.05
Brand
N/A
Scale
N/A
Release Date
N/A
Race team
N/A
ETA
N/A
Limited Edition
N/A
Part of Australia’s first Sovereign Series, and struck at Australia’s first official mint, we are delighted to present the 1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign!
Although the 1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign has the highest mintage of any Type II issue, this date is still very scarce, regardless of the grade. Apart from the number of coins simply lost in the 160 years since struck, and the number dispatched to the melting pot for the intrinsic value, the 22-carat gold 1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign is tough-to-find for one other specific reason.
Although originally declared official legal tender in New South Wales only, Sydney Mint Sovereigns soon circulated in other colonies and, indeed, overseas. As a result, British authorities declared the Sydney Mint Sovereign legal tender in Britain in 1866. Transformed from Australian circulating currency to international commodity, with a huge amount of coins shipped to Britain, this change in policy contributed substantially to the scarcity of all later Sydney Mint Sovereign dates – including the 1866.
A fantastic opportunity for you to secure a genuine artefact from Australia’s golden history, the few examples of the 1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign we have in stock are in Fine to Very Fine condition. Click add to cart now!
Australia’s first official mint…
And Australia’s first sovereigns!
Australia’s key role in the history of the sovereign began following the 1850s Gold Rush. Quick to take advantage of the vast quantities of gold unearthed in the colonies, Britain established the first overseas branch of the Royal Mint in 1853, with Sydney winning the right to establish Australia’s first official mint.
The Sydney Mint was domiciled in the south wing of Sydney’s Rum Hospital. This hospital had been built from 1811 to 1816 under the stewardship of Australia’s fifth governor, the iconic Lachlan Macquarie. Officially opened on May 14, 1855, the Sydney Mint struck Australia’s first sovereign just a few weeks later, on June 23, 1855.
Both the obverse and reverse of the Sydney Mint Sovereign were designed by Leonard Wyon. Of the famous Wyon clan of engravers, Leonard gave the portrait of Queen Victoria a distinctively Australian flavour, with the monarch depicted with a wreath of banksia. One of Australia’s most distinctive coins, the words ‘SYDNEY MINT’, ‘AUSTRALIA’ and ‘ONE SOVEREIGN’ were proudly emblazoned on the reverse. Thus, this coin was not only the sole sovereign type to carry the name of the mint and the denomination, but referred to a political entity – Australia – that would not technically exist for nearly 50 years!
Authorities in Great Britain had decided that the Sydney Mint Sovereign should have designs entirely different to the traditional British sovereigns for one very specific reason. Intended to be legal tender in New South Wales only, the different designs made it easy to distinguish the allegedly ‘inferior’ colonial gold coins with their allegedly ‘superior’ British counterparts.
British authorities intended that the Sydney Mint Sovereigns would circulate only in New South Wales, but, very quickly, the coin was accepted in all other Australian colonies. Before too long, they were accepted as far afield as Britain, Hong Kong, Ceylon and Newfoundland! The great irony is that the Sydney Mint Sovereign was a victim of its own popularity. British authorities were shocked to find that colonial issues were actually preferred to Royal Mint Sovereigns!
Although supplanted by standard British designs from 1871 as a result, the Sydney Mint Sovereign will forever hold a crucial place in Australian history. Indeed, more than just a coin, the Sydney Mint Sovereign is living history – physical evidence of the Gold Rush that gripped the colony in the 1850s, and inspired the march to Federation in 1901.
