1859 Ansell Sovereign

Among the rare shield sovereigns, the 1859 Ansell sovereign stands out as one of the rarest. Minted in limited quantities, this variety was struck from an Australian gold alloy that required a unique experimental treatment to render it suitable for coinage. While the original mintage totaled 167,539 coins, only a few dozen are known to exist today, mostly in circulated condition. The present coin comes from an old English collection, acquired through the English collector’s Australian-based son. It ranks amongst the finest Ansell sovereigns to emerge onto the market in recent years and is the best example we have ever handled. Scarce in any condition and exceptionally rare in AU58, it is tied for the third-highest grade awarded by PCGS (3/25).