GOLD SOVEREIGNS: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

One of the greatest attributes of the Sovereign was its reliability. The specifications you see below were the same whether the coin was minted in 1871 or 2001, in Sydney or London.

Each of the branch mints were under the direct supervision of the Royal Mint, and the coins they produced had to conform to the very high standards of weight, fineness, and design laid down for the British sovereign.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Diameter: 22mm

Weight: 8.0 grams

Face value: twenty shillings

Metal: Gold

Purity: 22 carats (.9167 fine)

Years of issue: 1817 to the present

Mints of issue: London, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Ottawa, Bombay, Pretoria