{"product_id":"1899-victoria-old-head-half-sovereign-ngc-ms64-only-3-finer","title":"1899 Victoria Old Head Half Sovereign NGC MS64 – Only 3 Finer","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBusiness-strike, not proof — and rare because of it.\u003c\/strong\u003e This 1899 half sovereign is certified NGC MS64, with only three coins graded this high and just three graded finer across the entire NGC census. It never went through a proof press or a mirror-finish die; it's a circulation-strike coin from the London Mint that somehow survived 126 years in near-pristine condition. That's a different, and genuinely harder, kind of rarity than a modern proof.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVictoria Old Head, London Mint\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStruck in 1899 at the Royal Mint, London (no mint mark), this half sovereign carries the Old Head — also known as the Veiled Head — portrait of Queen Victoria, designed by Thomas Brock and introduced in 1893. The reverse is Benedetto Pistrucci's St George and the Dragon, restored to the half sovereign for this design series after decades of the shield reverse. London struck 3,361,881 half sovereigns in 1899, the overwhelming majority of which went straight into circulation and show it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy MS64 Matters Here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHalf sovereigns saw hard daily use as small-denomination currency well into the 20th century, so Mint State survivors from any date are scarce, and Mint State survivors at the very top of the census are harder still. With only three examples at MS64 and three finer recorded by NGC, this coin sits at the sharp end of what's actually available for the date — a genuinely exceptional survivor, priced as part of our Value Select range rather than the flagship proof tier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGrade\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNGC MS64\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMint\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLondon (no mint mark)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMonarch\/Portrait\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVictoria, Old Head (Veiled Head)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReverse\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSt George and the Dragon (Pistrucci)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMintage (1899, London)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3,361,881\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePopulation\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3 graded MS64, 3 finer (NGC)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDiameter\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e19.30mm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3.994g\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFineness\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e22 carat (.9167)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGold content\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e0.1177 troy oz\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTax Status\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs UK legal tender, this half sovereign is \u003cstrong\u003e100% VAT-free\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eexempt from Capital Gains Tax\u003c\/strong\u003e under HMRC manual CG78308.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ngccoin.uk\/certlookup\/4219982-042\/64\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1899 G.BRITAIN 1\/2SOV\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Royal Mint","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":60135513653582,"sku":"1899-victoria-old-head-half-sovereign-ngc-ms64","price":960.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0853\/9370\/3246\/files\/1899-victoria-old-head-half-sovereign-ngc-ms64.webp?v=1784107601","url":"https:\/\/www.sovaracoins.com\/products\/1899-victoria-old-head-half-sovereign-ngc-ms64-only-3-finer","provider":"Sovara Coins LTD","version":"1.0","type":"link"}