Sharing a beauty

[refero]

While waiting for my memorial poof to get home (.......) i share with you today my lovely 1867 Sidney mint sovereign. As representative for the Sidney sovereigns it was to me quite straightforward to pick 1867; it is (with 1840 but Sidney started only in 1855) the only year where London shield sovs are missing; a perfect year then to fill this way,....

It is slabbed NGC as AU58 and it took me several years to find the right compromise between grading and price

[dicker]

Nice.  

Supply of these in the U.K. is much tighter than in Australia if anyone is looking for one.  I have seen roughly compatible examples a bit cheaper in Australia.

Best

Dicker
 

 

[LawrenceChard]

1 hour ago, refero said:

While waiting for my memorial poof to get home (.......)

Really?

😎

[Britannia47]

3 hours ago, refero said:

While waiting for my memorial poof to get home (.......) i share with you today my lovely 1867 Sidney mint sovereign. As representative for the Sidney sovereigns it was to me quite straightforward to pick 1867; it is (with 1840 but Sidney started only in 1855) the only year where London shield sovs are missing; a perfect year then to fill this way,....

It is slabbed NGC as AU58 and it took me several years to find the right compromise between grading and price

I’ve always liked this portrait by Leonard Wyon with the Banksia in the hair, replacing his cousin James’ depiction of 1855/56.

 Nice coin. Well done!

[flyingveepixie]

14 hours ago, LawrenceChard said:

Really?

😎

I knew you'd say that! 😂

[LawrenceChard]

15 hours ago, Britannia47 said:

I’ve always liked this portrait by Leonard Wyon with the Banksia in the hair, replacing his cousin James’ depiction of 1855/56.

 Nice coin. Well done!

I read that too quickly the first time, and thought it was about a portrait by Banksy!

I wonder if his first name is Robin?

😎

[oooootini]

35 minutes ago, LawrenceChard said:

I wonder if his first name is Robin?

It is...🤫

[Britannia47]

1 hour ago, LawrenceChard said:

I read that too quickly the first time, and thought it was about a portrait by Banksy!

I wonder if his first name is Robin?

😎

Banksia as you well know is named after Sir Joseph Banks, the colonial botanist, who collected several species in 1770 whilst sailing with Captain Cook. Slight digression now re. Alloys used by the Sydney mint. 
Francis Miller patented the gas chlorine method of removing the silver from gold ore in 1867, which before made the sovereigns look more yellow than those from the London mint. So in 1868/69 both Mints started experimenting - Sydney using more copper, and London using more silver. Marsh 53A  ‘yellow gold’ 1869, and in Sydney Marsh 373&374 using ‘Yellow gold’ & ‘Red gold’ respectively. However, Steve Hill/Marsh now refers to ‘Yellow gold’ as being alloyed with 8.33% silver. I’ve always thought that ‘yellow gold’ was a mix of copper & silver, with just a small amount of silver needed to bring out the yellow. Also I’ve always thought that using all silver is technically ‘green gold’! 
To illustrate this, the photo shows 2x 1870 ‘Australia’ and a Proof 2005. Using a grey photo exposure card to get the best colour exposure possible would you agree that the proof has a slight greenish hue to it? I had it tested by Bairds sometime ago who confirmed it contained 8.33% silver.

 

 

[LawrenceChard]

56 minutes ago, Britannia47 said:

Banksia as you well know is named after Sir Joseph Banks, the colonial botanist, who collected several species in 1770 whilst sailing with Captain Cook. Slight digression now re. Alloys used by the Sydney mint. 
Francis Miller patented the gas chlorine method of removing the silver from gold ore in 1867, which before made the sovereigns look more yellow than those from the London mint. So in 1868/69 both Mints started experimenting - Sydney using more copper, and London using more silver. Marsh 53A  ‘yellow gold’ 1869, and in Sydney Marsh 373&374 using ‘Yellow gold’ & ‘Red gold’ respectively. However, Steve Hill/Marsh now refers to ‘Yellow gold’ as being alloyed with 8.33% silver. I’ve always thought that ‘yellow gold’ was a mix of copper & silver, with just a small amount of silver needed to bring out the yellow. Also I’ve always thought that using all silver is technically ‘green gold’! 
To illustrate this, the photo shows 2x 1870 ‘Australia’ and a Proof 2005. Using a grey photo exposure card to get the best colour exposure possible would you agree that the proof has a slight greenish hue to it? I had it tested by Bairds sometime ago who confirmed it contained 8.33% silver.

 

 

Banksia? yes I read up on it some years ago.

The flowers do look rather phallic.

I would say "green gold" is more jargon than technically correct.

I did Niton test 2005 Australian Perth Mint sovereigns, proof and bullion, some time ago, and published the results here on TSF, but faile to find them in a 30 second search.

I can remember that my tests showed zero copper, and 8.33% silver.

😎

[SidS]

On 21/02/2023 at 15:11, LawrenceChard said:

The flowers do look rather phallic.

😎

So if Vicky wears them in her hair it makes her a nob head then? 😁