Information about legend: GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:

Translated from Latin: George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.

This legend was displayed on British and colonial coinage between 1911 and 1936 during the reign of King George V. By long-standing tradition, the legends of ruling British monarchs are rendered in Latin. On coinage, these are abbreviated because of the limited space available. Below, you can find a list of the individual coins that had it on their obverse.

Note: spelled as "GEORGIVS V. DG. BRITT: OMN: REX. FD. IND: IMP:" on the 1935 "Rocking Horse" (modern St George) crown.

The "BRITT OMN" part is sometimes translated as "of all the Britons" (people), similar to how earlier monarchs were styled kings "of the English"; however, this can only be said of a title like "BRIT REX" - King of the British - which implies "all the British".

In 1868, a book by C. W. Dilke popularised the phrase "Greater Britain" to mean Britain and all its colonies. This may have led to the proposal of the title "King of all Britains", in the last years of the 19th century, by the Earl of Rosebery. The Oxford English Dictionary provides two quotes:

1897 Earl of Rosebery in Daily News 5 July 4/5 : "`Regina Britanniarum' - the Queen of the Britains... She is sovereign, not of one or two, but of numberless Britains, all self-supporting."
1901 Westminster Gazette 11 Dec. 2/2: "Lord Rosebery has succeeded with his cry of "All the Britains", as the three letters "Omn" on the new coins are to testify... Our King henceforth is to be King of All the Britains."

This style may have been influenced by the Russian style of "Czar of all the Russias". It appeared on coins abbreviated as Britt. Omn.: the double T in Britt is a mark of plural, a common abbreviation on Roman coins.

King George V, Emperor of India on gold coins

United Kingdom / Sovereign 1916

This legend was displayed on British Imperial gold coinage between 1911 and 1932, after which time the pre-decimal sovereign denomination was discontinued for a time (production of half sovereigns had stopped earlier, in 1926).

It was combined with the King's "Bare Head" portrait by Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal.

Some catalogues list these coins under Australia, Canada, India and South Africa as well, since branch mints of the Royal Mint operated in those places at the time. However, they were colonies at the time and not independent countries; the coins struck there were identical to the Imperial coins, with the difference between them - a tiny mint mark - visible with only a magnifying glass, and were legal tender throughout the British Empire no matter where they were made. Consequently, they are all listed under United Kingdom on this site.

King George V, Emperor of India on silver coins

United Kingdom / Crown 1935 Rocking Horse

The legend was also displayed on British Imperial silver coinage between 1911 and 1936, as well as on the colonial coinage of various British colonies.

It was combined with the King's "Bare Head" portrait by Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal on Imperial coins and the "Crowned Bust" (also by Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal) on colonial coins.

Note the slight difference in spelling (the dots after Latin abbreviations) which occurs on this (Rocking Horse Crown) coin only.

King George V, Emperor of India on bronze coins

Australia / Halfpenny 1928

The legend was also displayed on British Imperial bronze coinage between 1911 and 1936, as well as on the colonial coinage of various British colonies.

As with the silver coins, it was combined with either the King's "Bare Head" portrait by Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal (on Imperial coins) or with his "Crowned Bust" (also by Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal) on colonial coins.

King George V, Emperor of India on modern coins

Australia / Twenty Cents 2000 (Silver, King George V)

Interestingly, the legend has also been "resurrected" on modern coins, such as an Australian series re-issuing iconic coin designs from Australia's numismatic past. The legend occurs on the reverse there, the obverse being reserved for the current monarch at the time the coin was issued.