BRITISH GOLD SOVEREIGN -OBVERSE
THE STORY BEHIND THE COIN
One of Europe’s longest-running gold coin programs still available to modern coin investors is the Gold Sovereign from Great Britain. First introduced by the Royal Mint on October 28, 1489, the original concept behind the gold sovereign was to introduce a “new money of gold,” according to the Royal Mint’s extensive history of the sovereign. The gold sovereign was not England’s first gold coin minted and released into circulation, but it did go on to become a significant symbol of the power of the Kingdom of England and modern Great Britain.
Throughout hundreds of years of coining, the Gold Sovereign has changed its obverse design fields to feature the image of the ruling monarch on the throne during the year of issue engraved onto the coins. Reverse designs have changed over time, with most coins featuring either a royal shield or the image of St. George battling the dragon. Learn all about the Gold Sovereigns of Britain below!
Brief History of the Gold Sovereign
Prior to 1489, the Royal Mint of England had issued various other gold coins for circulation within the kingdom. When the first gold sovereigns were issued during the reign of King Henry VII it instantly became the largest and most valuable gold coin ever seen to date. Like modern gold sovereigns, these original coins included the portrait of Henry VII as depicted sitting on his throne in a coronation gown.
The reverse side of the original gold sovereigns included the double rose that symbolized the union of the House of York and House of Lancaster following the Wars of the Roses. Over the centuries, the reverse and obverse design elements would change with new monarchs. In 1603 however, the practice of coining the gold sovereign died out during the reign of King James I who had unified the crowns of Scotland and England.
Modern-era gold sovereigns reemerged in 1817. The move was spurred by the defeat of Napoleon and his French Army at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The nation carried out a review of its coinage and found demand among citizens for gold coins in values of 20 Shillings and 10 Shillings over the previously-used Guineas, Half-Guineas, and Seven Shilling pieces. First issued during the final years of King George III’s reign, these gold sovereigns introduced the practice of the monarch profile portrait on the obverse and the St. George design on the reverse.
Modern Gold Sovereign Coins
Since 1817, gold sovereign coins have been issued to fill varying roles. From the original sovereigns of Henry VII to the new modern gold sovereign of King George III, most gold sovereigns prior to the 20th century were gold coins intended for use in circulation to meet economic needs as a medium of exchange. Those coins had a face value of 20 Shillings, with so-called Half-Sovereigns available with a 10 Shilling face value from time to time. The coins featured .2345 Troy oz of .917 gold content that included .083 copper and other metals to improve its resistance to wear and tear.
However, starting in 1914 the gold sovereign’s purpose was altered. From 1914 until 1978 the gold sovereign was largely issued as a trade coin by the Royal Mint and rarely used in the United Kingdom as a medium of exchange for commerce. Since 1979, the Gold Sovereign has been issued as a bullion coin with proof versions also available, both bearing a nominal face value of 1 Pound Sterling.
Design of the Gold Sovereigns
In the modern collection of Gold Sovereigns, the obverse has been the steadier of the two faces of the coin in terms of designs. The ruling monarch is always featured on the obverse face of the coin, with notable designs including:
- 1817 – Gold Sovereigns from the first modern year of issue featured a right-profile bust of King George III created by Benedetto Pistrucci. The King wears a Garter ribbon (wreath) around his head in this design.
- 1837 – The first Gold Sovereigns of Queen Victoria I’s reign included a left-profile bust of the Queen with her hair held up high in the back with a tie. The reverse design throughout much of Victoria I’s 63-year reign included a crowned shield design rather than Pistrucci’s original St. George design.
- 1902 (onward) – The most recent Gold Sovereigns cover the reigns of King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II. These coins have all featured the reigning monarch on the obverse with the St. George design on the reverse.
The reverse of most Gold Sovereigns issued since 1817, as alluded to, feature Pistrucci’s design of St. George battling the dragon. Though this image has been modified at various times or paired with other images on the reverse, it is the most consistently used design in the collection of Gold Sovereigns from the Royal Mint.
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