1872 Melbourne Shield Sovereign struck en médaille PCGS AU53
Unlike the British shield back sovereign, there aren’t too many varieties in the Australian shield sovereign series. The manufacture of shield sovereigns by Sydney and Melbourne was mostly well executed. One well-known exception is the overdate of 1872, of course. A lesser-known, and rarer, 1872 variety exists where a small number of coins was struck with the obverse and reverse dies misaligned, producing a reverse rotated 180 degrees from the correct orientation. Despite being recognised for at least fifteen years, this rotation variety is still known by only around a dozen specimens. All recorded coins show evidence of obverse die clash, strongly suggesting that a single die pair was responsible. In any grade, it is a genuinely scarce coin. The present coin is certified by PCGS as a problem-free AU53. It is one of only two we have handled, and one of roughly five we have seen publicly offered over the past two decades. If you collect Australian sovereign varieties and want a piece that only a handful of collectors can realistically own at any one time, this is the one. Professional Coin Grading Service is the global leader in coin authentication and grading. With over 60 million coins graded and counting, PCGS is trusted by collectors, dealers, and investors to certify authenticity, protect value, and elevate market confidence. This is a direct conversion of the 70-point PCGS grade to a 10-point scale, intended to present the grade in a more intuitive format for newer collectors. It is not our personal opinion or an attempt at regrading the coin to a different standard. To understand how the 70-point scale converts to a 10-point scale, [click here](https://drakesterling.com/en/page/the-ten-point-coin-grading-scale).