Sovereign (1 Pound Sterling) Gold Coin (Great Britain)

Sovereign gold coin

Important dates & details of the Sovereign gold coin (1 pound sterling):

• Face value: 1 pound sterling
• Diameter: 22.05 mm
• Thickness: 1.52 mm
• Gross weight: 7.988g
• Alloy: 917/1000 (22 carat)
• Fine weight gold: 7.322 g
   

The gold coin Sovereign with the specifications still valid today was first minted in London in 1817 under the English King George III. It thus replaced the guinea that had been in use until then, although the gold content of the Sovereign was a little higher.
The obverse shows the portrait of the British sovereign at the time of minting and, since 1953, the face of Queen Elizabeth II, which has changed again and again over the course of many years. The reverse of the pieces, which are now traded as bullion coins, shows St. George on horseback fighting a dragon.

The Sovereign gold coins were minted in very large quantities due to the fact that the British Empire spanned the globe in earlier times, so that they are still among the most popular bullion coins worldwide. The large mintage numbers mean that most pieces are traded on the basis of their pure gold content. However, there are also a large number of extremely rare sovereigns that can be found by collectors at numismatic auctions (link to numismatics here).
 

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