1856 Sydney Mint Half Sovereign with pattern reverse

Varieties on Australia’s gold coins are widely collected. One of the rarest is the 1856 half sovereign struck with a pattern reverse die. The pattern reverse has several distinctive differences next to the reverse design used on the circulating coins, with the most identifiable being a missing berry above the “L” of “HALF”. There are other differences around the shape of the wreath and placement of the leaves; there are also two or three berries to the left and right of the ribbon on the pattern reverse that are not present on the standard design. The number of coins that were minted is not known, but fewer than a dozen examples have been sighted. If you are a serious half sovereign collector seeking to truly complete a set of half sovereigns, the 1856 half sovereign with pattern reverse is an essential coin.