British Colonial - Sydney: 1857-1870
Sydney Mint Sovereign - Queen Victoria

On 1856 October 22nd Australia Gold Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns were legalised for use in Ceylon by Proclamation of Queen Victoria. It was revoked by proclamation on 1869 June 18th with the introduction of Decimal currency for Ceylon.

SPECIFICATIONS
DenominationSovereign
MetalGold 0.916
AlloyAg/Cu 0.41
Diameter21.9 mm
Thickness1.4 mm
Weight Legal7.99 gms
Weight7.96 gms
ShapeRound
EdgeMilled
Die-Axis180°
MintRoyal, Sydney
18xx_australia_victoria_1s_au_obverse 18xx_australia_victoria_1s_au_reverse
Obverse : Young Head of Queen Victoria to left. Hair bound and collected up into a knot behind with a wreath of native Bamksia part of which drops down the face, curls below the bottom of the ear and returns to the knot. Around along periphery legend VICTORIA D:G: BRITANNIAR:REG:F:D: . Mint Year at bottom below the truncation
Reverse : The AUSTRALIA across the center with a small crown above. A branch of oak leaves on either side joined at the bottom by a knotted bow. SYDNEY MINT at top and ONE SOVEREIGN at the bottom along periphery.

YearMintageYearMintage
1857  499K18642,698K
18581,101K 18652,130K
18591,050K 18662,911K
18601,573K 18672,370K
18611,626K 18681,117K
18622,477K 18691,202K*
18631,255K 18701,220K
* No coin with 1869 is known. Assumed to have been Minted with date 1868.

The 1856 October 16th Proclamation of Queen Victoria was only published in The Ceylon Government Gazette No. 3,044 of July 25, 1857; The year of this coin.

The 1857 to 1870 Australia Sovereigns had Second Type of head engraved by L. C. Wyon. Older 1855 and 1856 Sovereigns of First Type had larger head engraved by James Wyon, as used in the Sovereign Minted in London.

According to Sir Robert Chalmers these enactments were ineffectual ; the Indian rupee remained the local standard of value, though its legality rested solely on the Governor's Minute of 26th September 1836.

Ref: The Gold Sovereign. by M. A. Marsh.
1999, Cambridge U.K., 2nd ed. 118pp. Illustr. colour

The Sovereign was scanned at 600 dpi and displayed at 300 dpi It was obtained in USA around 2000.