BRITISH SOVEREIGN GOLD COINS
The British Sovereign Gold Coin
91.67% Purity / 22 Karat / Gold Content – 0.2354 Troy Oz. / Diameter 22.05 mm
The rare coins that are the British Sovereign Gold Coins were first issued in 1489 under King Henry VII and to this day remain a numismatic icon among investors and rare coins collectors alike. The obverse side of these rare coins features a picture of Queen Elizabeth II encircled with the phrase “By the Grace of God, Queen” in Latin. The reverse side of these rare coins features an image of Saint George on horseback slaying a mythical dragon.
BRITISH SOVEREIGN TIMELINE
British Sovereign Gold Rare Coins, dating back to 1489 were first issued under King Henry VII until 1604 when they were discontinued under the rule of James I. It was not until George III took the throne that the British Sovereigns were re-introduced in 1604.
British Sovereigns remained in production in large quantities until WWI. That is, when the UK came off of the gold standard. From WWI to 1932 these rare coins were minted solely at the following mints: Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Bombay, Ottawa, and Pretoria. The final regular issue was minted in 1932 at the Pretoria branch.
It was not until 1957 that Sovereigns were issued again. British Foreign Policy in the Middle East decided it would use British Sovereigns as payment for trade. Until 1982, all Sovereigns were produced as bullion coins. At that point, until 1999, the rare coins were produced only as proofs. Finally in 2000, Sovereigns were again minted as bullion rare coins.
ABOUT THE COIN
An estimated number of one billion British Sovereigns have been minted to date. However, a majority of these rare coins have gone through the re-coining process several times due to wear and tear. Specifically in the Victorian times, many British Sovereigns were removed from circulation for this reason. Furthermore, coins that fell below the minimum weight standard were handed in for full weight coins in return in 1891. Consequently, this recycled gold was used to re-mint Sovereigns.
Modern British Sovereign coins are still struck in the original 22-karat alloy that was first used in 1817. These rare coins are now minted at the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales.
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