British
Gold Sovereigns
In 1816 the gold British Sovereign was first
introduced, and as the British Empire expanded
under Queen Victoria during the 1800’s,
this coin came to be the world’s most widely
distributed gold coin. Minted originally in London,
the Sovereign came to be minted all over the
world as Australia and South Africa came to be
large gold producers. Mints in Pretoria, Bombay,
Ottawa, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney turned out
hundreds of millions of Sovereigns during the
late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Because of the huge output of gold Sovereigns
at that time,
and the fact
that they have been traded and hoarded all over
the world ever since, these roughly nickel-sized
gold coins are available today at bullion
prices. Although
these coins are sometimes promoted as ‘scarce" and
marked up
outrageously
by numismatic sales companies, in fact, they
are currently available at bullion prices. These
handsome coins
portray the reigning monarch on one side, and
Pestrucci's St. George and the Dragon on the
other side.
Gold Sovereigns were struck in the traditional
22karat (.917 fine gold) as were most gold coins
made for circulation. The coins weigh 8 grams
and contain just under a quarter-ounce of gold
(.2354 troy ounce)
As an international gold coin, the gold Sovereign
has no equal. Whether in Cairo, Hong Kong, Beijing,
Moscow, or nearly any spot on the globe, this
coin commands instant recognition. |
