Obverse: identify the front

George V faces left, bareheaded, with a mustache and beard. The surrounding abbreviated royal legend includes GEORGIVS V. This 1912 example illustrates Bertram Mackennal’s first sovereign portrait; it does not illustrate the smaller effigy used on 1929–1932 issues.

Reverse: identify the back

St George and his horse face right above the dragon. The complete 1912 date is below the ground line on the paired reference. Inspect any small mint letter separately; the horse-and-dragon design is shared by other sovereign denominations and monarchs.

History and purpose

The Royal Mint’s first-and-last set identifies 1911 and 1932 as this sovereign group’s endpoints. Its museum describes the end of everyday gold circulation during the First World War, interruptions in London production and continued branch minting. These changes in circulation history do not turn a sovereign into a one-ounce bullion coin.

How to identify this variant

Start with George V’s left-facing bare head and full sovereign size: approximately 22.05 mm with 7.98805 g nominal standard mass. Compare both faces and the date. A matching portrait on a 19.30 mm half sovereign represents a different gold quantity even when the reverse looks similar.

Understanding its metal content

The calculation is 7.98805 g × 11 ÷ 12 = approximately 7.322379 g fine gold. Divide that result by 31.1034768 to obtain approximately 0.235420 troy oz. Eleven-twelfths is the 22/24 carat fraction; the database stores a rounded decimal fraction and a fine-weight override calculated from the rational standard. The remainder is alloy metal, not extra gold. This is nominal content, not an assay of a worn or mounted specimen.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

The type range is 1911–1932, with production varying by mint and year. Royal Mint references identify the smaller portrait beginning in 1929 and continuing through 1932. Branch marks and portrait size are useful attribution details; do not infer continuous London production or identify a restrike’s actual striking year from its inscribed date alone.

Melt value versus collector value

A particular mint, portrait type, date or state of preservation may matter to a collector. The library supplies gold-content calculation and representative photographs, not a date-by-date rarity ranking. Retain certification and provenance if present; the reference photo’s appearance is not a grade for your coin.

Authenticity and condition

Read the legend, complete date and any mint mark, then compare the horse, dragon, physical dimensions and measured mass. Neither a familiar monarch nor a gold-colored surface is sufficient. A suspicion of clipping, mounting or reproduction calls for individual evaluation before selecting a nominal calculator record.

Selling this coin

Keep full and half sovereigns separate and list dates and visible mint marks. Include close views of the monarch and the date beneath St George. Explain unusual portrait or marking differences in the appraisal request; the theoretical gold total is separate from a buyer’s offer.

Sources and calculation methodology

The original 1870 schedule records the historical denomination standard; the 1971 schedule gives the same metric standard and eleven-twelfths gold fraction. The issuer’s coin pages use shorter display weights, which are retained as rounded references rather than substituted into the standard calculation. Historical legislation is cited for specifications, not current legal or tax advice. Design and date sources are recorded separately from photograph rights. No approved live gold-price feed is configured, so dollar melt values remain unavailable. Collector prices and buyer offers require separate evaluation.

Common questions

References

• Royal Mint: exact photographed denomination and design context — identity; dates first 1911 and last 1932 from narrative, not inconsistent first-coin table; design Mackennal portrait and Pistrucci reverse; fineness 22 carat; rounded weight 7.98 g; diameter 22.05 mm (checked 2026-10-10)
• Historical Coinage Act 1870: first schedule — identity; weight 7.98805 g historical metric standard; fineness eleven-twelfths; denomination standard, not a current legal claim (checked 2026-10-10)
• Original Coinage Act 1971: Schedule 1, gold standards — weight 7.98805 g; fineness eleven-twelfths fine gold; rational fine-weight calculation; PDF page 10 (checked 2026-10-10)
• Royal Mint: 1929 Melbourne smaller-head sovereign — identity; design smaller second portrait by Mackennal; dates smaller head 1929–1932; no price, grade or rarity claims adopted (checked 2026-10-10)

Issue-year references

• PCGS: British George V sovereign dates
• PCGS: Australian George V sovereign dates
• NGC: South African small-head sovereign dates through 1932

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-10. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.

Related coins

Edward VII Gold Sovereign

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

United Kingdom • 22-carat gold: eleven-twelfths gold and one-twelfth alloy metal

Issue years: 1902–1910

Fine gold: 0.235420 troy oz

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British Gold Sovereign — 1959 Elizabeth II

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

United Kingdom • 22-carat gold alloy

Issue years: 1959

Fine gold: 0.235400 troy oz

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