1852 Adelaide Pound Type II PCGS MS63

Like the 1813 Holey Dollar and Dump coins, the Adelaide Pounds were crudely struck. Standard sovereigns were struck from dies manufactured in London, where Tower Hill had had centuries of experience minting and producing the Empire’s specie. The dies for the Adelaide Pound, however, were engraved by a local die sinker, Joshua Payne, and the coins themselves were struck in Adelaide on local machinery by inexperienced mint staff. The first batch of coins were struck on high pressure, quickly cracking the reverse die (and producing the famous Type I Adelaide Pound). A second reverse die, with a somewhat modified design, was hastily prepared and the coins struck were minted at far lower die pressure so as to avoid another mishap. The resulting coins were softly struck, often with crumbling edges and a poorly-formed crown. The coin photographed above, while not unpleasant to the eye, is similarly poorly struck, with rounded edges, weak crown, and planchet aberrations in the fields, possibly related to metal flow. Conversely, the fields are otherwise free from major bag marks, thus accounting for its above-average grade of PCGS MS63. The lustre is also fully intact, and cartwheels as the coin is rotated beneath a light. I spent some time determining at what level I should price this coin, as it is technically superior to the PCGS MS62 example that I currently have in stock, but obviously inferior to it in strike. I therefore decided to price it at a discount to what I believe a fully-struck MS63 should sell for. In any case, it is an attractive specimen with decent eye appeal, and a pleasing example of what many consider our first gold coin. Please call +61 421 229 821 or 1800 832 328 to discuss. 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). Like the 1813 Holey Dollar and Dump coins, the Adelaide Pounds were crudely struck. Standard sovereigns were struck from dies manufactured in London, where Tower Hill had had centuries of experience minting and producing the Empire’s specie. The dies for the Adelaide Pound, however, were engraved by a local die sinker, Joshua Payne, and the coins themselves were struck in Adelaide on local machinery by inexperienced mint staff. The first batch of coins were struck on high pressure, quickly cracking the reverse die (and producing the famous Type I Adelaide Pound). A second reverse die, with a somewhat modified design, was hastily prepared and the coins struck were minted at far lower die pressure so as to avoid another mishap. The resulting coins were softly struck, often with crumbling edges and a poorly-formed crown. The coin photographed above, while not unpleasant to the eye, is similarly poorly struck, with rounded edges, weak crown, and planchet aberrations in the fields, possibly related to metal flow. Conversely, the fields are otherwise free from major bag marks, thus accounting for its above-average grade of PCGS MS63. The lustre is also fully intact, and cartwheels as the coin is rotated beneath a light. I spent some time determining at what level I should price this coin, as it is technically superior to the PCGS MS62 example that I currently have in stock, but obviously inferior to it in strike. I therefore decided to price it at a discount to what I believe a fully-struck MS63 should sell for. In any case, it is an attractive specimen with decent eye appeal, and a pleasing example of what many consider our first gold coin. Please call +61 421 229 821 or 1800 832 328 to discuss.