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Gold Sovereigns

1911 Royal Mint Proof Gold Sovereign

22 Carat Gold

King George V saw his role as monarch as being to embody those qualities his far-flung subjects saw as their greatest strengths - diligence, dignity & duty. King George V was the only monarch whose effigy appeared on sovereigns from all seven mints. George reigned during the height of the Royal Mint's reach, but the tumultuous events of World War I, the collapse of the international monetary system and the demise of the gold standard meant that he would be the last King to grace the sovereign .

Mintage
3,764

The King George V "Large Head" obverse appeared on sovereigns during an era of change and turmoil. The effects of momentous events such as World War I and the Great Depression were felt for many decades to follow, influencing the rarity of many sovereigns. The Large Head King George V portrait is seen on many of the rarest coins ever issued as well as many of the most commonly encountered ones.

The points to examine when grading this obverse are:

The peaks of the eyebrow and upper cheek;
The fine detail in his moustache;
The broad area of hair above the ear & towards the fringe;
The neck muscle between his ear and the base of his neck.
Weakness will show in a lack of definition of the hair including beard and moustache;
The top of the ear which would show a lack of sharpness on a weak strike;
As always, the rims and fields;

Specifications

Sources

Composition:	91.67% Gold 8.33% Copper
Gold Content:	0.2354 oz
Edge:	Reeded
Weight:	7.9881 grams
Size:	21.5 mm
Reverse:	Benedetto Pistrucci
Obverse:	Edgar Bertram Mackennal

Chard Gold Sovereigns	Andrew Crellin of Monetarium.
The Sovereign Daniel Fearon & Brian Reeds 2001 Hilden Publications 17 Windmill Drive Croxley Green, Hertfordshire United Kingdom Token Publishing	The Gold Sovereign Golden Jubilee Edition Michael A Marsh 2002 25A St Neots Rd Hardwick Cambrigeshire CB3 7QH United Kingdom