1836 Sovereign with "N" in shield

The early sovereign series is replete with unusual errors and varieties. One of the most dramatic occurs on the 1836 sovereign, where a handful of coins exhibit a stray “N” in the lower-left quadrant of the shield. Whether the addition of the errant N onto the dies was an accident or intentional is not known. What is clear, however, is that fewer than twenty coins are known, making the “N in shield” variety one of the rarest currency-issue sovereigns across the entire sovereign series. If you collect William IV sovereigns or are a sophisticated collector seeking a major British rarity, the present coin, photograph above, makes an ideal addition to your collection.