The Sovereign is a coin steeped in history that dates back to the reign of Henry VII. The modern Sovereign was introduced in 1817, featuring a design depicting St George and the dragon by Benedetto Pistrucci on the reverse. Our Sovereign of the Month collection explores the stories of historic Sovereigns, starting with the 1932 Sovereign.

Struck in 22 carat gold, the reverse of the 1932 Sovereign features Pistrucci’s classic design, which has appeared on Sovereigns struck for each monarch since the reign of Queen Victoria. The obverse features a coinage portrait of George V, designed by Bertram Mackennal.

To supply a demand for The Sovereign in the late nineteenth century, a branch mint was later established in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1923. The 1932 Sovereign was struck at the Pretoria mint and this is denoted by the ‘SA’ mint mark that appears on the reverse of the coin. The year 1932 was the last year in which The Sovereign was struck as a circulating coin.