This Sovereign was struck in 1881, the same year that the Natural History Museum first opened in London. This coin was produced at the height of the Victorian era when the worldwide reach of the Sovereign was at its peak. Sovereigns were primarily produced in Australia at this time using locally mined gold.

Stuck in 22 carat gold, it features Queen Victoria’s Young Head portrait on the obverse, which was her favourite portrait for coinage. The queen liked the design so much that it was struck on coins for 47 years. The Young Head portrait was created by William Wyon RA, chief engraver at The Royal Mint. The reverse features Benedetto Pistrucci’s iconic St George and the dragon design.