United Kingdom • 1 pound sterling
Victoria Young Head Gold Sovereign uses the 22-carat sovereign standard, eleven-twelfths gold. At nominal standard mass 7.98805 g, fine gold is approximately 7.322379 g or 0.235420 troy oz. This is the full sovereign with Victoria’s young-head portrait and the standard British shield or St George reverse. A half sovereign, an earlier large Tudor sovereign and a distinct Sydney-type reverse are not identified by this photograph.
When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.
These young-head dates cover London-type shield and St George reverses, including later Australian branches. The distinct early Sydney Mint reverse needs its own identification and is not used to fill this profile’s gaps. Multiple reverses and portraits overlap in 1871 and 1887.
Formula: specified fine-metal troy ounces × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.
The museum specimen shows a young, uncrowned Victoria facing left. Her hair is gathered behind her head, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA surrounds the portrait and 1838 appears below. William Wyon’s portrait differs from the small crown and longer drapery of the later Jubilee head.
A crowned shield of the Royal Arms stands inside a wreath. The surrounding Latin legend names the queen, and floral emblems occupy the lower field. This 1838 shield reverse is representative of an early variety. Later young-head sovereigns also used St George and the dragon, so a different reverse does not automatically mean a different denomination.
Victoria’s sovereign coinage began in 1838. The young-head portrait continued until the Jubilee design arrived in 1887. The Royal Mint Museum describes the return of St George and the dragon in 1871; shield and rider reverses therefore need separate attribution within this portrait period.
Confirm the full-sovereign size and mass before using the gold figure. These faces do not print a large ONE POUND denomination, and the related half sovereign can look similar in an unscaled photograph. Use the issuer reference of about 22.05 mm and the nominal sovereign standard together with the portrait, reverse and date.
The calculation is 7.98805 g × 11 ÷ 12 = approximately 7.322379 g fine gold. Divide that result by 31.1034768 to obtain approximately 0.235420 troy oz. Eleven-twelfths is the 22/24 carat fraction; the database stores a rounded decimal fraction and a fine-weight override calculated from the rational standard. The remainder is alloy metal, not extra gold. This is nominal content, not an assay of a worn or mounted specimen.
The 1838–1887 span is the portrait period, not a list of annual mint/reverse combinations. Both young-head and Jubilee-head coins can be dated 1887. Branch-mint marks, shield details and die variations are separate checks. The distinctive early Sydney design requires its own issue attribution and must not be assumed to match this London-type photograph.
The 1838 museum coin is a first-year visual example, not a rarity or grade assigned to another piece. Preserve dates, marks, original surfaces and any provenance. A shared sovereign gold standard does not make a circulated shield coin and a special collector issue equally valued.
Compare both faces, the complete Latin legends, date, physical size and mass. Record the edge instead of assuming that a face photograph shows it. Patterns, replicas and jewelry mounts can complicate identification; have uncertain pieces evaluated without cleaning, filing or removing a mount yourself.
Describe the lot as full Victoria young-head sovereigns and distinguish shield from rider reverses where possible. Include a measured diameter, both-side photos, any mint mark and packaging or holder details. A nominal gold total is useful for classification but does not establish an accepted purchase offer.
The original 1870 schedule records the historical denomination standard; the 1971 schedule gives the same metric standard and eleven-twelfths gold fraction. The issuer’s coin pages use shorter display weights, which are retained as rounded references rather than substituted into the standard calculation. Historical legislation is cited for specifications, not current legal or tax advice. Design and date sources are recorded separately from photograph rights. No approved live gold-price feed is configured, so dollar melt values remain unavailable. Collector prices and buyer offers require separate evaluation.
No. The photographed 1838 example has a shield. The Royal Mint Museum records the return of St George and the dragon in 1871, so reverse attribution matters within the same portrait period.
No. At the documented sovereign standard it contains approximately 0.235420 troy oz nominal fine gold. A quarter-ounce bullion coin is a different amount and needs its own record.
Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-10. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United Kingdom • 22-carat gold: eleven-twelfths gold and one-twelfth alloy metal
Issue years: 1838–1839, 1841–1853, 1855–1867, 1869–1887
Fine gold: 0.117710 troy oz
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United Kingdom • 22-carat gold: eleven-twelfths gold and one-twelfth alloy metal
Issue years: 1887–1893
Fine gold: 0.235420 troy oz
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