Sovereign Coins - most reputable gold coins for sale
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For over 500 years British sovereign coins have been one of the most recognized and popular forms of currency throughout the world. Sovereign coins are acknowledged by numismatists, gold dealers and financiers as the most reputable and dependable of gold coins for sale.
Sovereign coins have become almost more than a form of currency over the duration of their production. They are highly sought after by investors as they are guaranteed to contain .2354 ounces of pure gold, and their sale is non-reportable to the tax department. British gold sovereigns were carried in survival kits by Allied pilots during World War II, and by American pilots as emergency currency during the Iraq War.
Sovereign Coins - a rich history
British sovereign coins were first minted in 1489 in honour of King Henry VII, with a value of one pound sterling. Over half a millennium the iconic coins have been produced during the reigns of almost all British monarchs, including a 2002 special edition to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Her namesake, Elizabeth I, is known for producing sovereigns with a particularly high gold content of 99.4 per cent.
Produced in the famous Tower of London mint, through the years sovereigns were also minted in Ottawa, Canada; Bombay, India; Sydney, Australia; and Pretoria, South Africa. In 1816 the British mint moved from the Tower of London to Tower Hill, and the presses for this famous coin were changed. Enter the famous design which still graces the reverse of the sovereign coin – St. George slaying the dragon by Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci.
Britain needed gold bullion to finance its efforts during World War I. Bank notes were subsequently introduced into circulation, and gold sovereigns gradually ceased to be used as everyday currency. Production of the coins stopped in 1917, but was started again sporadically until regular production resumed in 1974. In 1989 a special sovereign coin was minted to commemorate the 500 th anniversary of the coin. Inspired by the original 1489 design, it showed HM Queen Elizabeth II seated on a throne, like Henry VII had been all those years ago.
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