Sovereign 1887 Sydney, arc initials (DISH S5)

Victoria (1837-1901), gold Sovereign, 1887, Sydney, Australia Mint, Golden Jubilee style bust facing left, small crown and veil on head, pearl earring and 13 pearl necklace, J.E.B. initials arranged in a slight arc and raised on truncation with hooked J, wider truncation, initials of engraver J Edgar Boehm, first abbreviated Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, VICTORIA D:G: BRITT: REG: F:D: rev. struck en medaille, St George and dragon right, horse with short tail, broken lance to left on ground-line, tiny WWP under lance, initials of William Wellesley Pole, Master of Mint when design introduced, S mint mark at centre of ground-line, date in exergue, initials B.P to upper right, for engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, edge milled (DISH S5 R4; Marsh 138A; S.3868A). Raised die flaw on neck, light surface marks, extremely fine and extremely rare.

As with DISH variety S3, this variation is extremely hard to find. It is significant that no examples of this variation were present in either the "Bentley Collection" sold at Baldwin 2012-13 or the "Quartermaster Collection" sold at Monetarium, Australia in 2009. Despite this however, we would suggest this coins rarity should be revised to R4 from what was previously indicated in the DISH publication.

Has been previously graded by NGC as MS62 - certification 2651696-004.

Sold as part of the David Iverson Collection on the 130th anniversary of the Jubilee head Sovereign - coin JH16