Need help finding reference books and historical sources for the Gold Sovereign

[jvic]

Hi,

I plan to make a video about the gold sovereign specifically the early sovereigns (1817-1837). I have all the types and a proper camera setup for the gold coins however I am lacking in historical documents and sources for the history of the gold sovereign. I do not have a Michael A Marsh book and I am waiting to purchase one if it comes out. If anyone is able to help may they provide me with online sources to the history of the gold sovereign or anywhere that allows me to purchase books that discusses the subject.

[jultorsk]

Something like this? 

http://www.spinkbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=392

(https://www.royalmint.com/our-coins/ranges/historic-coins/historic-books/a-history-of-the-sovereign-chief-coin-of-the-world-book/)

[dicker]

Hi @jvic

Marsh is the go to for me.

Some suggestions below.

Best

Dicker

 

Other Books worth considering:

(1) Striking Gold - 100 years of the Perth mint (Some Sov info, plus a rich and interesting history of the background and operations of the Perth Mint) Out of print but available on Ebay (Published by Goldcorp in 1999)

(2) The Sovereign - The World's Most Famous Coin (Published by Token in 1998) - I don't have this so don't know if it is any good....I have tried to get a copy but have not yet found one

(3) Auction catalogs: Hemisphere Sale and Bentley sale - both available online as PDF's.  Three volumes - often available on ebay

(4) Auction catalogs: The Quartermaster collection auction catalog - from a seminal auction of early Australian coinage.  I don't have one - but may be available for purchase here.  https://www.sterlingcurrency.com.au/blog/news-research/market-news/the-quartermaster-collection-australias-most-compr/

    There was also a hardback version of this catalog published but I have yet to be able to locate one

(5) A History of the Royal Mint - Free (Somewhat dry)....  https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Mint/595P_5IfT-gC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=history+of+the+royal+mint&printsec=frontcover

 

(6) A History of the Sydney Mint https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_New_History_of_the_Royal_Mint/Zz89AAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=history+of+the+sydney+mint&pg=PA513&printsec=frontcover

 

(7) I have anecdotally heard of a privately published pamphlet / small book on Sovereign errors - believed to have been produced in the early 1980's.  I have not seen this so cannot definitely confirm if it exists.  I suspect it was a small run if it does indeed exist - possibly a personal hobby book/pamphlet.  I heard about this from a gentlemen who first sparked my interest in coins - I believe he had a copy at one point.  If anyone knows about this publication / has a copy I would be very interested to hear about it!

 

(8) English Gold Coinage (Vol 1 and 2) By Maurice Bull - I have not seen VOL1 and VOL2 has just been published. Might be useful but I don't know.  Others may have a better view on its coverage of Sovereigns!

 

 

 

Websites

https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/short-history-mint

https://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/infosheets/sydney-mint/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Recoinage_of_1816

 

 

[neilsmithcoins]

It looks like the revised Marsh Sovereign book by Steve Hill, is due for release around April 15th. 

[dicker]

@neilsmithcoinsCorrect - with free shipping if ordered now.

Best

Dicker

[Sovstacker]

18 minutes ago, dicker said:

@neilsmithcoinsCorrect - with free shipping if ordered now.

Best

Dicker

Link please

[richatthecroft]

6 minutes ago, Sovstacker said:

Link please

https://www.tokenpublishing.com/shop/product/8058

[Sovstacker]

Thank you so much

[Gordon]

14 hours ago, jvic said:

I plan to make a video about the gold sovereign specifically the early sovereigns (1817-1837). I have all the types

Thats a video i would like to watch

[BullionBob]

2 hours ago, richatthecroft said:

https://www.tokenpublishing.com/shop/product/8058

That's my birthday present sorted from the Mrs! 😀

[jvic]

7 hours ago, neilsmithcoins said:

It looks like the revised Marsh Sovereign book by Steve Hill, is due for release around April 15th. 

 

6 hours ago, richatthecroft said:

https://www.tokenpublishing.com/shop/product/8058

Thank you both for telling me this. I ordered 2 books for me and my friend. Now once it arrives I can start to make the video.

[Booky586]

"The Gold Sovereign" by Marsh is the key reference work to purchase, but there are some good free sources of information in PDF format to download.

Links to Baldwins auction catalogues (already mentioned above by dicker) can be found here and contain good detailed information, especially auction nos. 73, 76, 79 and 88:

https://www.baldwin.co.uk/auction-archive/

Baldwins of St James auction catalogues, auction 32 from May 2015 is worth a look:

https://bsjauctions.com/Archives

And a great reference for Victorian Jubilee head sovereigns from Sovereign Rarities:

https://www.sovr.co.uk/media/pdf/Iverson-embedded-with-letter.pdf

https://www.sovr.co.uk/pdfs/david-iverson-jubilee-hd-half-sovs.pdf