Sovereign (St George), Coin Type from United Kingdom - detailed information

Circulation gold sovereigns were struck with a milled edge. A plain edge indicates a special issue ("specimen", later called "proof") which was not legal tender.

In 1916 the [Australian] Commonwealth Treasury ordered Melbourne to pay for gold by cheque instead of in gold coin. In 1922 arrangements were made with Melbourne that it should coin gold whenever the bullion held reached 200,000 pounds. This seems to have occurred only every six months, the coin being held to back issues of Commonwealth paper money. This did not meet the needs of the Gold Producers Association; it would appear that they were able to employ the Perth Mint for their needs. Melbourne coins of the early 1920s are very rare, most having been deposited against paper money issues [thus stayed with the bank and never entered circulation]; Perth Mint coins of the era remain common.

In ten of the first twelve years of its existence, the Royal Mint branch in Ottawa (like other branches of the mother facility in London) struck sovereigns of identical design and specifications as the corresponding English issues. They can be distinguished by the "C" mint mark located beneath St. George's horse and just above the date on the reverse. Issues struck during World War I were primarily used to help pay for war materials that England purchased from the US, saving the risk of sending gold coins minted in London across the Atlantic.

Composition: 0.9167 gold, 0.0833 copper.