Gold Sovereign

The sovereign has always been accepted as a trusted and reliable means of exchange and valued Worldwide as it is produced to strict standards. These being:

Weight: 7.99 grams
Composition: 22 carats
Size: 22mm diameter
Thickness: 1.52mm

The obverse (front) of the coin features an image of the British king or queen ruling from the time of the coin being issued. The reverse (back) is the famous image of St. George killing a dragon.

It was first minted in 1489 under the reign of Henry VII, and was struck in 23 carat gold and weighed 15.55 grams. It was called a sovereign because it pictured the king enthroned on the obverse (front), it has a image of a Tudor rose with a shield in the centre of the reverse (back) of the coin.

It continued to be struck in various sizes and finesse until the rule of James I. In 1604 James I issued a lighter sovereign of 22 carats. This was the last time they were struck until 1817!

In 1817 under the rule of George III, the great Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci designed the iconic image of St George and the Dragon. This is essentially the modern coin we all know and recognise today.

The modern Sovereign is struck in 22 carat gold, it’s 22mm diameter and weighs 7.98 grams of gold. So that gives it a fineness of 916.6 (millesimal), an actual gold content of 7.315 grams and in Troy Ounces it weighs 0.2354 of an ounce.

Courtesy of Northeast Numismatics www.northeastcoin.com

Investing in Gold

Investing in gold has long been a seen as a safe bet. Due to economic changes, banks folding, currencies loosing value, many people have often seen it as a stable or lucrative investment. Indeed gold coins and gold in general have proven to be solid place to store some wealth as there is always in demand and so they are easy to sell.

These coins make a great investment as they are struck in nearly pure gold. They have are always struck to very specific standards, these include size, weight and gold finesse. They are struck by the Royal Mint have also been around for a long time and are globally accepted and recognised.

Sovereigns are also struck in various sizes which are the Five, Two (Double), Half and most recently a Quarter Sovereign. This means no matter what your budget, you should be able to find one of a size and a cost to suit you.

Other Gold Coins

Various countries issue other types of gold coins. For instance Canada issue the Maple Leaf, China the Panda and South Africa the Krugerrand. You may find some of the design of these better suit your tastes. Most are minted (struck) bearing different designs each year and often collectors like to collect each design.