1878-S Victoria Shield Full Sovereign NGC AU58 – Sydney Mint
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CGT & VAT exempt for UK residents
14-day return policy
A genuine survivor, not a registry chaser. This 1878-S sovereign was struck at the Sydney Mint 148 years ago and has been independently certified NGC AU58 — About Uncirculated, carrying real mint lustre with only light friction on the high points consistent with brief handling before it went into a collection. A coin this age was never going to top a modern registry set, and it doesn't need to: what you're buying is honest history, guaranteed authentic, at a fair price for the grade.
The Sydney Mint Shield Sovereign
The Sydney Mint opened in 1855 and became a full branch of the Royal Mint in 1871. That year, for the first time, the Deputy Master was given a choice of two reverse designs to strike concurrently: the familiar St George and the Dragon, or the crowned shield reverse by Jean Baptiste Merlen — a wreathed shield of the Royal Arms flanked by small rosettes, with the legend BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID:DEF. Both designs ran side by side at the Sydney and Melbourne mints through 1887. The obverse carries the Young Head portrait of Queen Victoria by William Wyon, Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint, with his initials W.W. on the truncation of the neck. The small "S" mint mark identifies this piece as Sydney-struck rather than London.
Grade & Condition
NGC AU58 sits just below Mint State — this coin retains strong original lustre with only the faintest trace of rub on the highest design points. It's a genuinely well-preserved example for a 19th-century branch-mint sovereign that saw real circulation.
Specifications
| Grade | NGC AU58 |
| Mint | Sydney (S mint mark) |
| Monarch/Portrait | Victoria, Young Head |
| Reverse | Shield (Merlen) |
| Diameter | 22.05mm |
| Weight | 7.98g |
| Fineness | 22 carat (.9167) |
| Gold content | 0.2354 troy oz |
| Mintage | ~1.27 million sovereigns struck at Sydney in 1878 across both shield and St George reverse combined — individual mintage by reverse type was not separately recorded |
Tax Status
As UK legal tender, this sovereign is 100% VAT-free and exempt from Capital Gains Tax under HMRC manual CG78308 — the exemption applies to all Sydney, Melbourne and Perth branch-mint sovereigns exactly as it does to London-struck coins.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Delivery Information
We offer free insured delivery across the UK on all orders. Every coin is carefully inspected, securely packaged, and sent using Royal Mail Special Delivery - a fully tracked, next-day service that requires a signature on receipt.
All parcels are shipped discreetly and fully insured for peace of mind.
We currently do not ship internationally. Orders can only be delivered to the UK address provided at checkout, and we’re unable to send to PO Box addresses.
We aim to dispatch all orders within one business day of receiving cleared payment. Once your order has been dispatched, you’ll receive tracking details so you can monitor its progress.
Returns Policy
For non-bullion items (such as proof coins, graded coins or accessories), we’re happy to accept returns within 14 days of receipt if you feel your coin is not as described and provided the item is returned in its original condition, please contact us and we’ll be glad to help.
If an item is returned for reasons other than being not as described, return postage will be the responsibility of the buyer.
Important Notes
- All returns must be pre-authorised by our customer service team.
- Please use a tracked and insured service when sending items back to us, as we cannot accept liability for goods lost or damaged in transit.
- For full details, please see our Terms & Conditions or contact us directly with any questions.
At Sovara Coins, your security is our priority. To protect both our customers and ourselves from fraud, we currently accept debit card and bank transfer payments only.
- Debit card payments are processed securely through our trusted payment provider, giving you instant confirmation at checkout.
- Bank transfer payments are also welcome and full instructions will be provided during the checkout process.
Please note that we do not accept credit cards. This policy helps us keep prices competitive and ensures all transactions remain low-risk and fully traceable.
For your protection:
- Billing and shipping addresses must match.
- On higher-value orders, we may request ID verification before dispatch. This is a quick process and helps keep your purchase safe.
Every payment method we accept is fully secure, encrypted and protected. Once payment is confirmed, your order will be prepared for dispatch within one business day.
Yes. Every NGC-certified coin has a unique certification number visible on the slab label. You can verify the grade, coin details and population data at NGCcoin.uk using the cert number shown.
The NGC census records how many examples of each coin have been graded at each level. A Top Pop coin means no other example has achieved a higher grade — making it the finest certified specimen in existence for that issue.
Yes. If you have existing graded sovereigns you'd like to trade towards a purchase, contact us for a bespoke cost-to-change valuation.