1879 Melbourne St George Reverse Sovereign - PCGS MS64

Australia, 1879 Melbourne St George Reverse Sovereign -

McD 157a, medium tail. It takes a continuous stream of good luck over an extended period of time for a coin to survive in decent grade. For a Victorian gold sovereign—the workhorse of the Empire’s economy—to survive in pristine mint state is even more miraculous. It should therefore be no surprise that the coin photographed above, graded PCGS MS64, is the single-finest example of this date and variety combination, the equal-finest of the date, and the equal-second finest across the entire Young Head St George reverse series. Make no mistake: This coin is rare, and one of the nicest Victorian sovereigns I’ve had in stock for years. In fact, it’s only the second MS64 Australian Young Head St George reverse sovereign I’ve listed on the site since October 2011, and one of the few that I’ve seen on the market in such high a grade. Aesthetically, the coin is overflowing with eye appeal: The surfaces are reflective and proof-like, Queen Victoria’s kiss curl is fully struck up, and St George is as muscular and defined as ever I have seen him on a sovereign. Rare this nice, and an essential Set Registry coin.