© Heritage Auctions
© Heritage Auctions
1 Sovereign - George III
| Gold (.9167) | 7.99 g | 22.05 mm |
| Issuer | United Kingdom (United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies) |
|---|---|
| King | George III (1760-1820) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Years | 1817-1820 |
| Value | 1 Sovereign |
| Currency | Pound sterling (1158-1970) |
| Composition | Gold (.9167) |
| Weight | 7.99 g |
| Diameter | 22.05 mm |
| Thickness | 1.5 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Milled |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-09 |
| Numista | N#13171 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 68% |
Reverse
St George slaying the dragon right within Garter, legend around.
Script: Latin
Lettering: HONI · SOIT · QUI · MAL · Y · PENSE
Translation: Shame on he who thinks evil of it
Engraver: Benedetto Pistrucci
Comment
As part of the Great Recoinage Act of 1817, the gold sovereign was introduced to replace the old guinea which had been in service since the reign of Charles II.The gold standard for the sovereign was the same as for the guinea and the standard weight of a sovereign was 160/623 troy ounce (123.3 grains). The pure gold content was 113 1/623 grains (7.3224 g).
1819 dated sovereigns:
Only 3,574 sovereigns were minted in 1819, being struck on five separate occasions between August and November, and the coins were minted using gold provided by private merchants. Two hundred years after they were struck, possibly only ten of these sovereigns are known to exist.
Interesting fact
One interesting fact about the 1817-1820 George III Sovereign coin is that it was the first Sovereign coin to feature the iconic St. George and the Dragon design on its reverse, which has remained largely unchanged to this day. This design was created by the Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci and is considered one of the most recognizable and iconic coin designs in the world.
Price
| Date | Mintage | VG | F | VF | XF | AU | UNC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1817 | 3235000 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1818 | 2347000 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1819 | 3574 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1820 | 932000 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Values in the table are based on evaluations by sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only for 1 Sovereign - George III 1817-1820 coin.
