1904 Perth Edward VII Half Sovereign Very Fine Rare

Description

The 1904P Edward VII Half Sovereign is among the most challenging coins in the entire Australian half sovereign series — a date and mint combination whose rarity is well established in the numismatic literature and whose appearance in any grade commands immediate and serious collector attention. The Perth Mint, which had opened in 1899 as the third and final Australian branch of the Royal Mint, struck half sovereigns in relatively modest numbers across the Edwardian series, and the 1904 issue represents one of the lowest mintage entries in the Perth Mint half sovereign canon. That an example should be presented in Very Fine condition — well above the worn circulated pieces that constitute the great majority of surviving examples – makes this an offering of genuine importance.

Obverse: The right-facing portrait of King Edward VII by George William de Saulles, with the legend EDWARDVS VII DEI GRA BRITT OMN REX FID DEF IND IMP and the P mintmark for Perth — the mark of Australia’s newest and most westerly mint, still less than a decade into its operation at the time of striking.

Reverse: The crowned shield reverse design used on Edwardian half sovereigns, with the quartered royal arms within a decorated shield and the date 1904 below — a design whose heraldic formality sits in pleasing contrast to the confident Edwardian portrait on the obverse.