1885 Melbourne Half Sovereign

All Australian young head half sovereigns are difficult to obtain in high grades, even in circulated grades like AU55. The coin photographed above is the equal-second finest 1885M half sovereign graded by PCGS, and is a tough date to boot, with only a handful of pieces graded by PCGS across all grades (4/21). This particular example has good hairlines, and there are flashes of residual lustre in the devices. If you’re chasing a superior young head half sovereign for a type set but don’t want to pay five figures for a mint state example, this is your coin.