I tried to do some research on the web but couldn't find out what this might be worth. I have no idea. It is supposed to be unusual because it is marked "c" for canada but I looked on the coin for this mark and didn't see the "C". Anyone know what this might be worth? I'm sorry the pictures aren't that great; I'm beginning to realize how difficult it is to get good pictures of coins because the lens shadow is always in the way.....
The "C" should be on the date side above the 9 and 0 (zero) in 1909. The "C", 9 and 0 form an equilateral triangle. Look for it hidden in the ground line below the horse's right rear hoof.
vaule for you If it was a c mint ottawa it is worth up to 4000 pounds book price Now the other mints book price is 125 pounds but with a look at ebay they are makeing 200 pounds hope this helps Dave
I don't see the "C" above the 9 and 0. I don't see any letter above the date...I wonder if this means that it is a fake...I will have to post some better pictures because I noticed after I posted these that they are very small and they don't show much detail. I will post some new pics when I can. Thanks for all your help!!!
Okay, I looked with a 10X loupe and there is no identifiable mint mark on this piece....It must have been bumped or gotten scratched in that area or something. I know where it is supposed to be but it isn't legible. Underneath his head are, I believe, the letters "D S" and on the other side, beside the date mark, there are the letters "S.P" Maybe these are mint marks?
Then your coin is a gold Sovereign from Great Britain. I cannot read the text of the certificate but without the "C" it is not Canadian. Any chance you can post the cert's text verbatim? It might help solve the D S and S.P. issue. It might actually be B.P. Also, the Westminster case is another clue that this is British.
Yes, I thought the text would show up in the pic but the pic is too small. I will also try to take better pics when I get a chance. The card says: A year after Edward VII came to the throne, matt proof sovereigns were struck for 1902 cased sets. Ordinary specimens were minted for each year of his reign after that at the London, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney mints. Coins were struck at the Ottawa mint during 1908,1909, and 1910. These are unusual as they have the mintmark 'C' for Canada rather than the city. The portrait of Edward VII on these sovereigns was designed by George William de Saulles and the reverse has Pistrucci's St. George and Dragon. Specifications Diameter: 22mm Weight: 7.9881g Metal: 22 Carat Gold Minting Year: 1902-1910 Obverse: Edward VII Reverse: George and the Dragon Stephen R. Allen Managing Director 1775
I hope that wasn't sold to you as a 'Canada' mint sovereign because if you have, you have been done and you need to get your money back. If not, its not a bad example of a London Mint Edward VII Sovereign. Only the Canadian issues of the sovereign are rare for this reign...
Thank You for the info. I don't remember how it was described when I bought it a few years ago. I don't think I was taken but I'm not sure....I'm just glad to know what exactly it is - the certificate is a little misleading; but as someone pointed out to me, it would obviously be a British coin because it is in a Westminster box....that fact completely slipped my mind.
Westminster is a private coin-marketing company based in Britain that sells various coins (usually overpriced tat) from all over the world. Not just British ones. Westminster is not connected to the British government or any official body withing the UK. (Having said that, the Royal Mint, which IS an official British government body isn't above selling overpriced tat from all over the world itself, but I digress). If you want to collect coins, I would avoid the coin marketing companies who target the unknowledgable, and buy either at coin fairs or from proper numismatists who are members of professional numismatic organisations such as the BNTA, the ANA or the IAPN. They usually charge a much fairer price for what they sell, because they deal with customers who are often even more knowledgable than they are in their chosen specialist fields, and simply wouldn't get away with overcharging the way the likes of Westminster do..
PS, the intrinsic worth of a gold sovereign at today's prices is about £140, containing just short of a quarter of an ounce of pure gold (0.2354 oz) if you want some sort of idea of what your coin is worth....
B.P. are the initials of the engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, the one who designed the George and the Dragon reverse. DeS are the initials of DeSalles, the engraver of the Edward VII effigy. Yes, it's a London mint sovereign - common, but worth bullion. The 1908C has a mintage of 636. I was fortunate enough to obtain one via eBay a few years back - graded SP55 by PCGS. The "C" is in the field under the dragon, above the "9" and "0" of the date.
