Sell 1879 Victoria Young Head St George Sovereign London Mint
1879 London St George sovereign: 20,013 mintage, R4 rarity. Circulated £2,250–£3,850; AU55 £5,500+. Authentication, auction data & selling options.
Typical UK collector & dealer range for circulated examples
Get Your Free Coin Valuation
Zero seller fees. Insured UK courier or private London & Manchester appointment.
Market Valuation & Pricing Notes
Lowest mintage Victorian St George reverse currency sovereign (Marsh 90 R4). Struck in a single day, December 1879. Raw VF–EF examples trade £2,250–£3,850; NGC/PCGS AU53–AU55 £5,500–£5,800; AU58 £5,750+. Superb gem (MS63+) extremely rare. London Coins records 114–137 auction lots sold since 2003. Bullion floor ~£680 (Nov 2026 spot).
Physical Authentication Checkpoints
Our specialists verify these exact specifications when appraising your 1879 Victoria Young Head St George Sovereign London Mint:
- Weight 7.988 g ± 0.05 g on calibrated jewellery scale
- Diameter 22.05 mm
- Milled/reeded edge sharp, uniform, no seam
- Non-magnetic (rare-earth magnet test)
- Obverse: Young Head left, WW on truncation, legend VICTORIA D:G BRITANNIAR REG F:D
- Reverse: St George & Dragon right, long horse tail, date in exergue, small B.P. upper right
- No mintmark below horse (London issue)
- Die axis typically 6h (medal alignment)
- PCGS/NGC slab verification for graded pieces
Coin Specifications
- Catalogue ID
- GB-1879-SOV-LON-YH-SG
- Denomination
- Sovereign
- Issue Year
- 1879
- Rarity Tier
- Key Date Gold
- Mintage
- 20,013
- Weight
- 7.988 grams
- Metal Composition
- 22-carat crown gold (91.67% Au, 8.33% Cu)
Common Fakes & Variant Confusion
Confused with 1879 Melbourne (M) or Sydney (S) mint St George sovereigns; shield-reverse 1879 London is a pattern (extremely rare, not currency). Counterfeits fail weight/magnet/edge tests. Cleaned coins receive 'Details' grades and trade at 30–70% discount to straight-graded peers. Verify mintmark absence — London issues carry no letter.
Best Ways to Sell Your 1879 Victoria Young Head St George Sovereign London Mint
Compare liquidation routes in the UK, or sell directly to Finacforce with zero auction commission.
Specialist numismatic auction (Spink, Baldwin's, Noonans)
Highest net for key-date gold; 10–15% seller commission; 3–6 month timeline; attracts specialist bidders paying 30–100% above eBay for high-grade material
BNTA specialist dealers (Sovereign Rarities, Allgold Coins, UK Coinage)
Faster settlement (days); competitive buy prices near wholesale; immediate liquidity; may offer 5–10% below auction hammer
eBay UK (slabbed PCGS/NGC only)
Global reach; 12.8% final-value fee + 30p; 14-day return risk; best for certified AU55+ with population data
Bullion dealers (BullionByPost, Atkinsons, Chards)
Same-day cash; only for damaged/low-grade at 95–99% melt; numismatic premium lost
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