The sovereign 1917 is a British gold coin minted in London, also struck at the Australian branch mints in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney; Ottawa in Canadian Branch and Pretoria at the South Africa Mint. Almost 8 million gold sovereign coins were struck this year. The 1917 King George V Large Head Gold Sovereigns, (originally a circulating coin, now a bullion coin) are now VAT free in UK and provided they were minted after 1817 and a legal tender coin, free from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents. They also are VAT free in European Union, the sovereigns meeting the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 (special scheme for investment gold).
| Mintmark | Mint | Mintage |
| L | London, United Kingdom | 1.014.714 |
| C | Ottawa, Canada | 58.875 |
| M | Melbourne, Australia | 934.469 |
| P | Perth, Australia | 4.110.286 |
| S | Sydney, Australia | 1.666.000 |
| Total | 7.784.344 |
| Diameter (mm) | Weight (gr) | Thickness (mm) |
| 22,05 mm | Gross weight: 7,99 Gr Fine Gold: 7,32 Gr – 0.2354 troy ounce. | 1,52 mm |
| Edge and Orientation. | Millesimal fineness. | Composition. |
| ➣ Reeded / Milled ➣ Medal alignment ↑↑ | 22 carats; 917 ‰ | 91.67% gold and 8.33% Copper. |
| Mint and Mintmark | Financial Features | Mintage. |
| « The Royal Mint » London and South Africa, Canadian and Australia mints. | Type: bullion coin. Production Years: 1817–present. Legal tender in the United Kingdom, value £1 = 20 shillings. | 1917 with 7.784.344 bullion coins. |
| Reverse: | Portrait by Edgar Bertram Mackennal. Matte background with matte bust of King George V facing left. Legend GEORGIVS V D.G.BRITT:OMN:REX F.D.IND:IMP Translated from Latin: George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India. |
| Obverse: | St George on horseback slaying the dragon right; 1917 and B.P. in exergue. |
How to grade a Sovereign 1917.
Discerning collectors examining a large Head Georges V sovereign will check various main points when grading this obverse:
- 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;
When collectors examine a sovereign with the St George reverse, there are a certain number of points which are examined closely for strike & wear. From top to bottom, they are:
- The crest of St George’s helmet;
- St George’s chest, together with the strap & pin fastening his cloak;
- The bridle as it crosses the horse’s neck;
- The muscle separation in St George’s upper thigh;
- The horse’s forequarters & rump;
- The “bloodline” in the sword;
- The upper band across St George’s boot;
- The dragon’s torso below its neck.