A rare early Victorian coin less than a millimetre thick sold at auction for a "phenomenal" £1,600, auctioneers said. The 1838 gold half sovereign, with a diameter of 19.3mm, was handed for sale ...

The small crown is 4.5 inches wide, and is made of 11 gold-mounted sapphires surrounded by silver-mounted diamonds. Goldsmith Joseph Kitching made the crown for £415, with a brooch to match.

Queen Victoria’s miniature diamond crown was designed in 1870. Today it forms part of the crown jewels, which can be viewed in the Jewel House at the Tower of London.

"Depicting the young queen, this 1838 coin was the first half sovereign minted for Victoria," said specialist Phil Bridge. "A huge amount of coins were lost due to being scrapped for bullion when ...