Victoria 1888-S Sovereign, Sydney, DISH S7, 1st legend, hooked J

Victoria (1837-1901), gold Sovereign, 1888 S, 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 raised on truncation with hooked J, 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, weight 8.00g (DISH S7 R3; Hill 139 R3; Bull EGC 1570 R3; S.3868A).Light toned with surface marks both sides, rim cut at top of obverse, almost extremely fine and very rare.

Mintage c.65,000.

The Latin legend translates as "Victoria by the grace of God, Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith."

Ongoing research and investigation since the publication of "The Jubilee Head Gold Sovereign 1887-1893" has revealed that of the six obverse Jubilee head dies with individual hooked J and with the J.E.B. initials punched on by hand and sent to Sydney in 1887; only five have ever been identified coupled with an 1887 reverse die. This 1888 Sydney coin has a small spread hooked J type J.E.B. initials that is different again to all the five individual 1887 variations. From the detailed research carried out by David Iverson at the Mint and from what has been examined in practice, we can safely conclude that only five dies were used with an 1887 reverse and for some reason the sixth one was only used later with an 1888 reverse.