1872 Gold Sovereign « Victoria DEI GRATIA » with St George Back.

The sovereign 1872 is a British bullion gold coin 

The sovereign 1872 is a British gold coin minted under the reign of Queen Victoria in London, also struck at the colonial Australian branch mints in Melbourne and Sydney. Almost 16 million gold sovereign coins were struck this year. The 1872 Queen Victoria “Young Head” with St George Back Gold Sovereigns, (originally a circulating coin, now a bullion coin) are now VAT free in UK and provided they were minted after 1817 and a legal tender coin, free from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents. They also are VAT free in European Union, the sovereigns meeting the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 (special scheme for investment gold). The 1872 Young Head sovereign were also minted the Shield reverses.

certain coins from 1872 often have a long tail, but some rare versions feature a short or medium tail, making them worth looking out for

sovereign 1872 Description and Mintage

1872 Gold Sovereign Minting

1872 Great Britain Sovereign Gold Coin London Mint.

Reverse: London Mint 1872 Great Britain Sovereign.

Obverse: London Mint 1872 Great Britain Sovereign.

1872 Great Britain Sovereign Gold Coin Sydney Mint.

This Sovereign was issued in 1872 and features the first portrait of Queen Victoria of England on the obverse, also known as the “Young Victoria.” The reverse shows the classic design of Saint George and the dragon. Sovereigns minted at the Sydney branch of the Royal Mint have an “S” on the reverse as a distinguishing mark.

Reverse: Sydney Mint 1872 Australia Sovereign.

Obverse: Sydney Mint 1872 Australia Sovereign.

1872 Great Britain Sovereign Gold Coin Melbourne Mint.

Australia, 1872 Melbourne St. George Reverse Sovereign – The key date in the Young Head St. George reverse sovereign series and RARE in such excellent condition. The Melbourne Mint faced significant challenges in its inaugural year, including the loss of dies sent from London on the Rangoon. While exact mintage figures for the Young Head type are unknown, it’s clear that this variety was vastly outnumbered by the Shield reverse type, possibly by as much as 10 to 1, based on surviving examples. This makes the 1872M Young Head the rarest of all standard sovereigns from either mint in the series, earning it a rare status. Unlike the Sydney coins mentioned earlier, it is unlikely to be found in bullion batches. Even low-grade very fine examples start around £700 (approximately $880 USD), while top-graded uncirculated examples can approach £4,000 (around $5,020 USD) at current exchange rates.

Reverse: Melbourne Mint 1872 Australia Sovereign.

Obverse: Melbourne Mint 1872 Australia Sovereign.

How to grade a Sovereign 1872.

A relatively flat design allows the young head obverse to show little wear. The mains point to check for strike & wear are :

• The hair juste on the double ribbon,
• The hair above the ear,
• The knotted bun area,
• The peaks of the eyebrow,
• As always, the rims and fields.

When collectors examine a sovereign with the St George reverse, there are a certain number of points which are examined closely for strike & wear. From top to bottom, they are:

• The crest of St George’s helmet;
• St George’s chest, together with the strap & pin fastening his cloak;
• The bridle as it crosses the horse’s neck;
• The muscle separation in St George’s upper thigh;
• The horse’s forequarters & rump;
• The “bloodline” in the sword;
• The upper band across St George’s boot;
• The dragon’s torso below its neck.