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![1839 Gold Sovereign Victoria Young Head First Shield London Mint Reverse Jean Baptiste Merlen]()
Obverse -
![1839 Gold Sovereign Victoria Young Head William Wyon Obverse]()
Reverse
Surcharge
from £1,100.00
Estimated UK Delivery
£7.00
Stock status
Out Of Stock
Product ID
8956
1839 Gold Full Sovereign Victoria Young Head London Mint
The 1839 gold sovereign was the second of Queen Victoria's reign and shows the first portrait of Queen Victoria known as the 'young head' designed by William Wyon
Note - at the time of writing we currently have an1839 Full Sovereign in NGC grade XF-45 that is waiting upload to our website, if you are interested plese contact us. Quote product reference 16896
1839 is one of the most difficult dates of Victoria shield Sovereigns as the non-proof circulation version is scarcer than the proof version. We believe this coin is under-rated, certainly compared with the 1838 Sovereign.
All these early shields are now in strong demand, especially in top grades, and we are always interested in buying early shield sovereigns, indeed almost all sovereigns, in mint or near mint condition.
See the rest of the 1839 Sovereign Collection.
Photographs shown may not be the actual coin and may differ in terms of grade, die numbers, design flaws and other minor details.
More Info
Price List
Sold Prices
Terms & Delivery
Related Blogs
More Info
Price List
Sold Prices
Terms & Delivery
Related Blogs
Hammered gold coins called 'sovereigns' had been minted on and off between 1489-1604, whereupon James I (VI) changed the name of the 20/- gold piece to a 'Unite'. The reform coinage sovereign of 1817 onwards was issued as a normal circulation type coin, and also as a proof.
In common with all the other dates of "first head" shield sovereigns from 1838 to 1848, the portrait is not only slightly smaller, but also in a slightly higher relief. Trying to spot the differences in detail is quite difficult, but it is very easy to sort them "by sight", because once you get used to looking at the different variations, you should be able to recognise the first head instantly.
Obverse
The obverse features the first and smallest young head portrait of Queen Victoria facing left and wearing a double ribbon in her hair.
The inscription reads
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA
and the date (1839) appears below the portrait.
Reverse
The reverse shows the square topped crowned shield design. It includes a branch of laurel at either side of the shield tied together at the bottom with a ribbon.
Beneath this, the reverse displays the thistle, rose and shamrock (symbols of Scotland, England and Ireland) with a small flower stop on each side.
The inscription reads
BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:
completing the monarch's legend, which begins on the obverse.
Specification
| Metal | Gold |
| Diameter | 22.05mm |
| Weight / Size | Full |
| Gold Weight Troy Ounces | 0.235 |
| Fineness / Carat | 0.917 / 22 |
| Mintage Figure | 503,695 |
| Date | 1839 |
| Spink Reference | 3,852 |
| Obverse Designer | William Wyon |
| Reverse Designer | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Issuing Monarch | Victoria (1837-1901) |
| Mint / Brand | The Royal Mint |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Obverse Grade | Reverse Grade | Price | Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gFine | aVF | £2,700.00 | Out Of Stock |
| Date | Obverse | Reverse | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 July 2020 | gFine | aVF | £2,700.00 |
Terms of Sale - Key Points
You can find more information on payment and identification requirements.
Bullion coins are provided as is and on occasion may have some minor scratches or edge knocks. These are not regarded as faulty or damaged goods as their precious metal content and value as a bullion coin is not affected. Any coin sold for a value less than a 180% intrinsic is considered a bullion coin.
Gold investment products are VAT free. Silver investment products are inclusive of VAT at the current rate unless otherwise stated.
All investment products are based on the live precious metal price. Prices will be fixed once the item has been added to the basket and recalculates just before checking out.
If your product is not a graded coin and is considered a bullion item, it should be noted that these are bought and sold on low premiums over their precious metal content and not solely for aesthetic purposes; therefore, some products may have edge knocks and/or marks. These edge knocks and marks do not alter the specifications of the coins.
Please note that all investment products are exempt from the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and therefore customers do not have the right to cancel their order once the order has been accepted. If customers no longer wish to go ahead with their investment purchase, there is an option to sell the products back to Chard (1964) Ltd instead. View our current buy back prices.
View our full Terms & Conditions.
Delivery Information
We aim to dispatch orders within 48 hours of receiving cleared funds. Our standard delivery methods are as follows.
Orders over £60 - Fully Insured Delivery.
- Within the UK and BFPO - Next day fully insured and tracked. Delivery starts from £6.
Orders under £60
- Within the UK and BFPO - Royal Mail 2nd Class. Your order will normally arrive within 2-3 working days. Delivery starts from £3.50.
If you wish to have your order sent by an alternative method (e.g., Saturday Guaranteed) please contact +441253343081 for more information. Please note, we will not dispatch high value orders over a bank holiday weekend.
For international delivery, please check with your local customs office for more information on custom duty and taxes.
Full delivery information can be found by clicking here.
Postal Insurance
We offer fully insured delivery on all special delivery options. We do need to pass on the cost of this insurance as it soon adds up shipping high value gold and silver products.
- Orders under £1500 there is no additional fee.
- Orders over £1500 we charge a fee in order to cover the increasing costs of insurance. For every £1500 we apply a £1 fee.
If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to call the showroom on +441253343081 and one of our team can discuss your purchase.
If you would like to read more about the gold sovereign, perhaps Britains most iconic numismatic piece we recommend the following:
The Coins of Queen Victoria - Young Head Portrait
The Sovereign - Britain's Favourite Gold Coin
William Wyon Engraver of the Victoria Young Head Portrait
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