1857 London Mint Gold Full Sovereign Queen Victoria Coin

Second Larger Young Head Portrait

The obverse of these coins features William Wyon's Young Head effigy of Queen Victoria with the date (1857) below and the words 'VICTORIA DEI GRATIA' above. This is the second, larger variant, which takes up more of the surface of the coin.

Crowned Shield Of Royal Arms Reverse

Jean Baptiste Merlen's classic quartered shield of royal arms design appears on the reverse of these 1857 coins with a crown above and an encircling wreath of laurel leaves. The inscription reads 'BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:'.

British Coin Struck In 22-Carat Gold

Like all Sovereigns, these 1859 coins are struck to a strict specification, established during the reign of King George III. Composed of 22-carat gold, they weigh approximately 7.98 grams and measure just over 22 millimetres from milled edge to milled edge.

How Many 1857 Sovereigns Were Minted?

4,495,748 'full' Sovereigns were struck at the London branch of the Royal Mint in 1857, though many fewer survive. Additional gold coins were also struck at the recently opened Sydney mint in 1857.

Collecting Early Victorian Gold Coins

Sovereigns from the first decades of Queen Victoria's reign are a fascinating area of study and collecting. With classic designs and a range of variants to collect, these coins remain popular nearly two centuries after they were first struck.