1883 Melbourne Shield Reverse Sovereign - PCGS MS62

Australia, 1883 Melbourne Shield Reverse Sovereign -

Like the 1880-M shield sovereign I just listed, the 1883-M shield sovereign is another one of those sovereign dates that just doesn’t turn up. It is the fourth-rarest date across the shield sovereign series and one of the more desirable dates to own across the sovereign series overall, particularly in Mint State. PCGS has only graded five examples in Mint State (August 2013), while NGC has graded only three. The coin photographed above is graded PCGS MS62 and has particularly attractive eye appeal. The fields are proof-like, while the strike is so good that the so-called “kiss curl” is visible. (The kiss curl is an errant wisp of hair in front of Queen Victoria’s ear. On only the most well-struck Young Head sovereigns is this curl of hair visible.) Overall, the coin photographed above is one of the nicer examples I’ve owned in the last few years, and is only bettered by the PCGS MS63 example I had in stock a few months ago. Rare this nice, and an ideal addition to a shield sovereign set.