Sovereign Rarities Ltd
Auction 8 15 Feb 2023
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Victoria (1837-1901), gold Sovereign, 1872, no die number, third young filleted head left, W.W. raised on truncation for engraver William Wyon, date below, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA, rev. crowned quartered shield of arms, laurel wreath surrounding, emblems below, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:, edge milled, 8.00g (Bentley 253; Marsh 47; S.3852C). Cleaned with many surface marks, good very fine.
Calendar year mintage 13,486,708.
The Latin legends translates on obverse as "Victoria by the Grace of God," and on the reverse "Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith."
This calendar year output figure at the Mint represents the pinnacle of production in the 19th Century. No higher figure was achieved for the gold Sovereign for more than 30 years after this. It is also a good two and a half million more than the next most prolific production year of the London Mint in the 19th Century. This could go some way to explaining why this variety of Sovereign appears without the usual die numbered reverse. It may have been left off intentionally or neglected to be added, but we consider a more likely explanation being the re-employment of an older die from storage from the non-die numbered period.
Calendar year mintage 13,486,708.
The Latin legends translates on obverse as "Victoria by the Grace of God," and on the reverse "Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith."
This calendar year output figure at the Mint represents the pinnacle of production in the 19th Century. No higher figure was achieved for the gold Sovereign for more than 30 years after this. It is also a good two and a half million more than the next most prolific production year of the London Mint in the 19th Century. This could go some way to explaining why this variety of Sovereign appears without the usual die numbered reverse. It may have been left off intentionally or neglected to be added, but we consider a more likely explanation being the re-employment of an older die from storage from the non-die numbered period.