1887 jubilee half soveriegn?

[Guest PJ]

I wonder if anyone can tell me anything about this coin. It is about the size of a half soveriegn, gold in colour.Dated 1887.I has a Victoria Jubilee head on front and words "victoria dei gratia britt regina fd". Nothing unusal so far...On the reverse is a quartered shield with a crown above surrounded by a garter with words " honi soit qui mal y pense" . The date 1887 at the bottom and no other embelishment outside the garter. The other odd thing is that it seems to be enamelled in Royal BLue, Light blue, red and yellow. Oh yes and milled edges. Anyone...starter for 10?

[Chris Perkins 228]

It's a sixpence. Silver, not gold.

Enamaling Jubilee year coins was very popular back then.

[Guest pj]

Moo...Do you know what the gold colouring would be?I have had this coin for at least 40 years and it has not tarnished one bit.

[Guest PJ]

Moo... of course you are right after a little more searching the net I see it was the withdrawn type. I see how it might be mistaken for a half soverign! guess its not worth a mite! (pun)

[Chris Perkins 228]

It was probably just coloured or plated in gold at the time, possibly to be passed off as a sovereign (which people were actually hung for doing).

More an item of jewellery now though, not a collectable coin.

[Guest PJ]

Thank you for the info. What a roller coaster of a day. I decided this morning to research this coin. So from a gold half sovriegn(finally spelt correct?) to a worthless piece of jewellery in just afew hours. Anyway I am please the mystery is over an I can put it back in my little pot of,(funnily enough) silver threepenny bits for a while longer.

To be fair it should not have been so disappointing as I did withhold a litte information. The sixpece was mounted in a watch chain fob. .

Nice to talk to you.

[Chris Perkins 228]

it's 'Sovereign' and it's also common for them to have been soldered, pierced or otherwise mucked around with.

I wonder how many people think they have gold coins, that are not in fact gold. I get asked a lot about this kind of thing, so I imagine it's very widespread...Usually from family chinese whispers, where someones great great nan said the coin was gold, and no generations thought to check.