1926 Sydney Specimen Sovereign - PCGS SP66

Australia, 1926 Sydney Specimen Sovereign -

The branches of the Royal Mint in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth occasionally issued proof and specimen coins to VIPs, government officials, or for the national archives. After the decision was made to close the Sydney Mint in 1926, officials took the opportunity to celebrate what was effectively the end of an era—the shuttering of Australia’s first official mint. To that end, a series of coins were struck in specimen and proof quality, including a run of specimen sovereigns from 1920 to 1926 and some larger gold proofs dated 1887.

The coin photographed here is one of those specimens, a sovereign dated 1926. The number struck is not known, but only a handful have appeared on the market in the last decade. They are distinct from the currency issues, and have a very different appearance: The fields are satin smooth, while the strike is practically perfect; there are also specific die markers that are present only on the specimen coins. If you’re a collector of valuable Australian coins, and have been looking for a desirable and historically important rarity to add to your collection or portfolio, this is your coin.