Can anyone help?

I am trying to identify this coin that has been in my family for a long time. I do not know a lot about this hobby, but i would love to know exactly what it is, what it used to be worth, and what it is worth now. Any info on this coin would be much appreciated.





If you cant make it out, the date is 1897. The coin also has what looks like latin writing around the edge as well.

 

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Welcome to the forum. That looks like a British sovereign. Unfortunately, there are a lot of counterfeit sovereigns; so the odds are that yours is counterfeit.

Charlie

 

Nope dont believe it is a soverign, can you give us some idea of the size and weight? also what colour is it? as pictures can be decieving.
I have a similar object that I believe to be a privatly minted medal but am not 199% certain

De Orc :kewl:

Ps Welcome to the forum

 

Hello Bryce, and to CoinTalk.

Charlie32 is correct about there being a lot of counterfeit sovereigns, but he may be jumping the gun with his pronouncement that yours is probably one of them.

Although I'm no expert on British coinage, I can give you some information to help determine whether or not you have a genuine coin.

In the first place,it appears to be a 1/2-sovereign (10 shillings) since 3,568,000 1/2-sovereigns with St. George and the Dragon on the reverse, and that particular bust of Queen Victoria on the obverse, were minted in 1897, but there were no sovereigns minted that year according to the Standard Catalog of World Coins ("Krasue").

If genuine it is 22k gold (.917 fine) and will weigh 4 grams (unless you have an accurately calibrated scientific scale, in which case it will weigh about one ant's leg less), with a diameter of 19mm - the same as a US Lincoln cent. (If it's close to 8 grams and has a 22mm diameter (between US nickle/quarter sizes, then it is definitely a fake sovereign ).

It's face value of 10 shillings was worth approximately US$2.50 when issued, and at the present price of gold the coin has a bullion value of about $65. Catalog No. is KM#784, unless there is an imprint of one or two letters below the horse's right rear hoof that I'm not seeing in your picture. If there is a letter or two there, it indicates that it was struck in a Canadian, Indian, Australian or South African mint for use in "the colonies", and which one it comes from would affect the value.

The 2001 3rd Edition of the 19th Century Krause volume gives a catalog value of less than bullion for the Very Fine grade and below, and based on what I see in the pictures your coin would not grade any higher than that, so if genuine you could expect to sell it to a dealer for $55-60. I haven't checked EBay for completed sale information, but my guess is that it wouldn't go for more than $70 with reasonable S/H charges.

 

If it is gold and is larger than the coin descriped by satootoko then have a look at the £2 & £5 coin for that era :thumb:

De Orc

 

Thanks for the welcome, and thanks for the info guys, it is all very interesting.
De orc, i just took it and weighed it. It weighs 28.2 grams. It is 38.5mm in diameter and is 2mm thick. It is definately silver in colour not gold.
The words around the edge read, " ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI LXI DECUS" There does not appear to be any lettering underneath the hooves, but there is the letters T.B. Beneath the queens head, very small.

 

Ooops!

I guess I assumed the photo color was off, but looking at it again, I think Doug is correct, and the coin is most likely a Sterling Silver crown (5 shillings) weighing 28.2759g, and 38mm in diameter.

 

Bingo! Thanks heaps for all the help. I now know that its a victoria old head crown. I have found out heaps using google.