An icon unbowed

With the war over, a shattered country was left to count the cost, emotionally and financially. Britain was heavily indebted to the United States – a financial reality that would spell the end of domestic Sovereign production. Many coins had already been requisitioned and melted down for repayment of war debt. No longer a circulating coin, banknotes were now commonly used for everyday transactions. The era of gold coinage was coming to an end. However, in branch mints around the world, limited batches were struck.

In 1919 Sovereigns were manufactured in four branch mints: Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in Australia, and in smaller numbers in Ottawa, Canada. Distinguished by their own unique mint mark placed beneath Benedetto Pistrucci’s classic St George and the dragon design, they feature the portrait of George V by Bertram Mackennal on the obverse.