BRITISH COINS, MILLED GOLD SOVEREIGNS, Victoria, Gold Sovereigns (3), 1884S, 1885S, 1887S, short tail with bp variety, second young head of third style left, letter S below, higher on first coin, w.w. complete truncation in relief, rev St George slaying dragon with sword, horse with short tail, date in exergue, bp with indistinct stops (Bentley 690, 691, 693; McD 166, 168, 172; QM 109, 112, 118; Marsh 121, 122, 124; KM 7; Fr 15; S 3858E). All with scuffs and surface marks, first about very fine, the second very fine, the third good very fine. (3)
Calendar year mintages 1,595,000; 1,486,000; 1,000,000 respectively, includes shield reverse design pieces.
This 1885 reverse die has a different treatment to the 1884 in the preceding lot, the thin strand spur of hair halfway up the tail is angled more outward with a thin short strand above it, unlike the 1884 which is less angled and a mere stump of hair above. The tail terminates in three strands of hair at the bottom and to the left of this is a strand of shorter hair and folded towards the three strands at termination.
This 1887 reverse has the same tail arrangement as the 1884.
One of only two gaps in the date run of the Hemisphere Collection is the 1886 S St George reverse, this gap remained as the collector was oblivious to one existing in preparing a want list for the collection. The other gap is the exceedingly rare 1920 Sydney mint piece.
A total of 26,929,000 Sovereigns emerged from the Sydney mint dated from 1871 to 1887 with the Young head obverse be they shield or St George reverse pieces.
Estimate: £650-850