What happended in 1881?
In UK, Monarch is Queen Victoria. Prime Minister is William Ewart Gladstone (Liberal). It is time of the First Boer War. 1881 is a census year in the United Kingdom. The Natural History Museum opens in London. In fiction, Sherlock Holmes meets Dr John H. Watson for the first time (later told in Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet).
In USA, For the second time in American history (after 1841), the USA had three Presidents in one calendar year starting with Rutherford B. Hayes, then on March 4th James A. Garfield (who died in September after being shot), and on September 19th Vice-President Chester A. Arthur took over the Presidency. Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company. It's a memorable year for Western fans: The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral occurs in Tombstone, Arizona; Billy the Kid is shot and killed by Pat Garrett; and Sioux Chief Sitting Bull leads in the Indian Wars.
In USA, For the second time in American history (after 1841), the USA had three Presidents in one calendar year starting with Rutherford B. Hayes, then on March 4th James A. Garfield (who died in September after being shot), and on September 19th Vice-President Chester A. Arthur took over the Presidency. Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company. It's a memorable year for Western fans: The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral occurs in Tombstone, Arizona; Billy the Kid is shot and killed by Pat Garrett; and Sioux Chief Sitting Bull leads in the Indian Wars.
| Obv | Rev | Cat | Coin |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  | Sovereigns | 1881 Gold Sovereign Melbourne - Shield |
 |  | Sovereigns | 1881 Gold Sovereign Melbourne - St George |
 |  | Sovereigns | 1881 Gold Sovereign Sydney - St George - Victoria |
 |  | Half-Crowns | 1881 Halfcrown - Victoria |
 |  | Morgan Dollars | 1881-O Morgan Dollar |
 |  | Morgan Dollars | 1881-S Morgan Dollar |