Victoria 1888-S Sovereign, Sydney mint, first legend, wide gap from G: to crown

Victoria (1837-1901),gold Sovereign, 1888, Sydney mint, Jubilee bust facing left, small crown and veil on head, pearl earring and 13 pearl necklace, J.E.B. initials raised on truncation with right angled J, initials of engraver J Edgar Boehm, first abbreviated Latin legend, G further from crown, 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, date in exergue, initials B.P to upper right, for engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, edge milled, weight 8.00g (DISH S9; Hill 139A R2; S.3868).Very fine, recorded as very rare in its arrangement within the Sydney Jubilee series.

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on the obverse "Victoria by the Grace of God, Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith."

Unlike the mere five obverse dies used for the date 1887 at the Sydney branch mint, the date 1888 used many more Jubilee head sovereign dies; the vast proportion being the later second legend obverse dies. By now, all obverse dies, first and second legend, being produced by the royal mint in London and sent to Sydney had the angled J in the J.E.B. initials that was present on the master die. It is estimated that only around three to five percent of 1888 Sydney sovereigns were the first legend type as offered herewith.