1239. All that glisters......

In this case....it is gold!

I bought this coin for my husband many years ago from an antique centre who clearly didn’t know how rare it is....we got it for only slightly more than an ordinary sovereign.....

1859 'Ansell' Gold Sovereign Victoria Young Head Shield
In 1859, a shipment of gold coin alloy was rejected by the Royal Mint on the grounds that it was too brittle for use in striking coins. However, a metallurgist employed by the Royal Mint, one George Frederick Ansell, asked to be allowed to experiment with the gold in order to improve it and make it suitable for striking into coin.
Ansell enjoyed considerable success in his efforts, and managed make the alloy even tougher than that of a normal sovereign. Sovereigns struck from George Ansell's reworked gold alloy were apparently so tough, that they could not be broken by an ordinary man even when attacked with a pair of pliers. George Ansell was rewarded for his work by a letter of thanks from the Mint Master and given a cash bonus of £100 (a considerable sum of money in those days).
An 'Ansell' sovereign struck from the reworked gold can be identified by an additional line which is visible in the rear hairband of the Queen's portrait, as seen in the photograph to the right. These sovereigns are listed as Rare 4 in Marsh (15 - 25 examples known) and are very popular with collectors of rare sovereigns.