1848 Victoria Gold Full Sovereign Second Larger Head Coin

Second Larger Young Head Portrait

These coins feature the second, larger-type Young Head portrait of Queen Victoria, designed by Royal Mint engraver William Wyon. The date (1848) is shown below with the inscription above reading 'VICTORIA DEI GRATIA'. The larger bust fills the field, Victoria's hair brushing the legend.

Jean Baptiste Merlen's Shield Reverse

The reverse shows a crowned and quartered shield of royal arms within a wreath of laurels, tiny national flowers below, together with an inscription that reads 'BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:'. This classic Sovereign reverse was designed by Jean Baptiste Merlen.

What Are Sovereigns Made From?

Gold 'full' Sovereigns like these 1848 coins are struck in 22-carat gold to a specification established in 1817. These coins measure just over 22 millimetres in diameter and weigh approximately 7.98 grams.

Mintage Figures For 1848 Sovereigns

Recrods show that 2,246,701 gold Sovereigns were produced by the Royal Mint in 1848, a figure that includes both the large head variety coins and the scarcer small head 1848 variety.

Collecting Early Victorian Gold Coins

Early Victorian gold Sovereigns are a fascinating area of focus for serious numismatists looking to complete a complex series. Shield-back Sovereigns are generally scarcer than their later St George reverse counterparts and are sought-after for this reason.