1860 Sydney Mint Sovereign - PCGS MS62

Australia, 1860 Sydney Mint Sovereign -

Along with the 1858 Sydney Mint, the 1860 Sydney Mint is the key date of the Sydney Mint series and one of the hardest dates to acquire in MS62 or better. Over the last five years, I’ve sighted maybe half a dozen 1860s in Mint State, with most probably grading MS60 or MS61. The date is without a doubt rare. The example I have here came from a small hoard in India, according to the previous owner. The coin was part of a Sydney Mint sovereign collection that was put together over a thirty-year period, and was allegedly acquired from a London dealer through a mailing list. According to the previous owner, the coin has not been on the market since its purchase. PCGS recently certified it MS62. In this grade, the coin is the equal-finest certified by PCGS and one of only nine graded Mint State (6/14). The coin itself is outstanding, with minimal bagging in the fields and fresh cartwheel bloom. For variety or error collectors, the coin was struck by an obverse die with a re-entered 0 in the date. On the whole, the specimen is one of the nicest Sydney Mint sovereigns I’ve seen, and certainly the best 1860 Sydney Mint currently on the market. (Grade-wise, it is comparable to the Quartermaster specimen, which sold for $46,000 in 2009.) VERY RARE this nice, with probably only a handful in existence in this state of preservation. Catalogues $46,000 in UNC.