1896M Queen Victoria Veil Sovereign Uncirculated

Description

The 1896M Veil Head Sovereign was struck at the Melbourne Mint five years before the death of Queen Victoria, deep in the long twilight of the most consequential reign in British history. By 1896 the Old Head- sometimes called the Veil Head or Widow Head – had been in use for just three years, introduced in 1893 to replace the unpopular Jubilee Head with a more dignified representation of the ageing Queen. It would prove to be the final portrait type of the Victorian sovereign series, carried through to Victoria’s death in 1901. That a coin from this issue should survive over 125 years in fully uncirculated condition is a remarkable circumstance.

Obverse: The Old Head portrait of Queen Victoria by Thomas Brock, depicting the Queen in widow’s veil and small crown, with the legend VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP and the M mintmark for Melbourne.

Reverse: Pistrucci’s St George and the Dragon with the date 1896 in the exergue, struck with the precision and depth of relief that only a coin untouched by circulation can display.

Grade: Uncirculated (UNC) An outstanding example in full mint state. Both obverse and reverse retain vibrant, unbroken original mint lustre with the distinctive cartwheel bloom of a freshly struck sovereign – extraordinary for a coin of this age. Victoria’s portrait is fully and sharply struck, the veil, crown, and legend rendered with complete crispness and no softening of any kind. The reverse is equally impressive, St George and the dragon presented in deep, undisturbed relief with every element of Pistrucci’s design intact and razor sharp. The fields are bright, clean, and reflective throughout, entirely free of wear, friction, or meaningful contact marks. The milled border is full and unbroken. A coin of this calibre represents the very top of the population for this date and mint.