The gold sovereign came into existence in 1489 under King Henry VII. From 1816 to the present the specifications have been constant (7.9881 grams of 917 fine (22 kt) gold, 22.05 mm. diameter), helping to make these among the world’s most popular gold coins. The beautiful classic reverse design by Benedetto Pistrucci features Saint George slaying a dragon.
Production at the Royal Mint stopped in 1917, although some were minted again in 1925.
The branch mints continued to produce sovereigns, Ottawa in Canada until 1919, Bombay in India in 1918, Sydney Australia until 1926, Melbourne and Perth Australia until 1931, and Pretoria South Africa until 1932.
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British Empire Sovereigns Page
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