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Coin and Paper Money Collecting/Gold Victorian Brittish coin

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Expert: - 1/27/2010


Question

coin
I have inheritated a neckless in which there is a coin that reads:  VICTORIA D : G : BRITANNIAR : REG: F : D :
On the front is a womans head, I guess she is Victoria, under her there is a tiny marking that kind of looks like an M, but I am not sure. On the back side there is a knight killing a dragon and the year 1876.
The coin is in a perfect condition, I think, and it is not a problem to remove the neckless frame of the coin.
I dont intend on selling, but I would like to know its story and value.

Answer
Hi Yoav,
You have a 22 karat gold sovereign from Australia. Your coin was minted in Melbourne, although these were simultaneously minted in Sydney as well. Condition is extremely important to the value of these coins, which are fairly common with some wear and very rare in true mint condition.
Now, the problem with mounted coins is that it's very hard to find them without some visible signs of having been mounted. Even if they are carefully removed, the initial process of being mounted often leaves marks in the the soft gold metal. If the coin were removed and remained perfect, the value would upwards of $1,000. However, if there were any damage or traces of mounting, the value could drop as low as $400.
It is hard to see from the picture, but there appears to be minor wear to some of the high points, such as the rider's forehead, breast and knee area, as well as the horse's shoulder area. These areas are all flattened, which would not be the case on a mint condition coin. If this is indeed wear, combined with the mounting, would drop the value to right around the bare gold bullion. At the current market, that would be $275 to $300.
Thanks for the question! =)

    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 9Clarity of Response = 9Politeness = 10
    CommentThank you very much for the ellaborate answer and your time. I will try and find out how bad is the dammage to the coin, hope its not as bad as it seems. ;) Anyway, toda raba and shalom...=)


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Dmitry Livshits

Expertise

My specialty is world coins from the 18th to 20th centuries, primarily non-US foreign coins and related areas such as errors and exonumia (tokens, medals, etc.). I can answer questions relating to identification, grading, selling, preservation and evaluation of such items. In addition to catalog value, I can give you the practical market value and trends for specific types of coins. I will also take questions regarding counterfeits (both modern and antique) and on how to identify them. I am NOT knowledgeable in paper money/banknotes, ancient or "shipwreck" coins. Thank you.

Experience

Collector of world coins since early childhood. Access to a variety of auction records and reference material. You can also find me on Facebook.

Education/Credentials
A.S. in Psychology (2006), B.A. in Forensic Psychology (2008), M.A. in Forensic Psychology (2011).

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