1881 Melbourne Shield Reverse Sovereign - PCGS MS63

Australia, 1881 Melbourne Shield Reverse Sovereign -

Every so often, you’ll find a coin that just leaps out at you. It might be its proof-like surfaces, its sharp strike, its beautiful design, or its impressive size. Whatever the reason, a true collector isn’t going to be able to resist. That’s how I felt when I saw the 1881-M shield sovereign on offer here, photographed above. It’s genuinely one of the nicest shield reverse sovereigns I’ve ever had in stock—better in appearance than some MS64s. Take a look at the images: The open fields are proof-like and reflective, the Queen’s hairlines are sharp, and the Irish harp, on the reverse, is particularly bold. (The Irish harp, within the bottom left quadrant of the shield, can sometimes be weakly struck.) If you’re more into numbers, load up the PCGS Population Report. This coin is one of only three examples graded by PCGS in Mint State, and is the single-finest to boot (11/14). I doubt that there’ll be too many examples finer than this one. Price-wise, the closest comparable I could find in recent times was the example from the Quartermaster auction. That coin was described as “Brilliant Uncirculated”, but would have graded up MS62 with PCGS, in my view. It sold for $13,188. If you’re looking for an 1881-M for your shield sovereign set or are after a good-looking type coin for your type set, this is your coin. Certainly rare. Ex-Bentley sale, September 2012, lot 750.