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The 1918 sovereign is one of the most interesting gold sovereigns ever.
the London mint didn’t produce any sovereigns that year. Only commonwealth sovereigns were produced. In 1918, sovereigns were minted in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney in Australia, as well as in Ottawa, Canada, and Bombay, India. Sovereigns from the Ottawa mint in Canada are notably scarcer than those from other mint. Produced at the Bombay mint under the authority of the Royal Mint in London. During WWI, due to the German naval blocus, shipping gold was too risky, but gold sovereign was needed overseas to support the war effort. As an emergency; the royal Mint set a Mint facility in Bombay to avoid shipping gold coins to Asia; entering in production in 1918.
Most 20th-century sovereigns, including those from 1918, are typically valued at melt price plus a small premium. While there are a few rare exceptions, the majority aren’t highly collectible due to their large mintages. These coins were primarily trade coins, meaning they were used as everyday currency when they were minted.
1918 Sovereigns Mintage
| Mintmark | Mint | Mintage |
|---|---|---|
| C | Ottawa, Canada | 106,570 |
| I | Bombay, India | 1,294,372 |
| M | Melbourne, Australia | 4,809,493 |
| P | Perth, Australia | 3,812,884 |
| S | Sydney, Australia | 3,716,000 |
| Total | 13,739,319 |
1918 George V Gold Sovereign : Sydney Mint.
1918 George V Gold Sovereign : Perth Mint.
George V gold Sovereign 1918-I MS63 PCGS.
- 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.
- As always, the rims and fields;
Bombay 1918 sovereigns : the “emergency” sovereign.
Identifying a Jeweler’s Copy: Gold Purity and Authentication Tip
It’s most likely a jeweler’s copy, given the marks on the obverse, but it’s still probably 21-22k gold. In the Middle East, it was common to produce fake sovereigns, often made with high-purity gold. The “R21” marking on the face could be a jeweler’s signature added after the coin was set in the bezel. To confirm its authenticity and gold content, you’d need to visit a shop that offers Sigma or XRF testing. While the coin itself is likely 22k gold, the bezel is often lower in purity, sometimes closer to 14k.
In the video by Lawrence Chard, he provides a detailed explanation of how to spot a fake 1918 sovereign, focusing on a particularly bad counterfeit example. Here’s a summary of the key points he makes to identify a fake:
- Mint Date Error: The London Mint didn’t produce any sovereigns in 1918, so if a coin bears this date with a mint mark from London, it’s an immediate red flag. Sovereigns were last produced by the London Mint in 1917 and resumed only in 1925.
- Weak Date Numerals: The fake coin shows irregular and weak date numerals, particularly the “8,” which is faded at the top and bottom.
- Engraving and Details:
- Crude Dragon: The dragon design is poorly engraved, lacking sharpness and detail compared to a genuine coin, which looks much more precise and fierce.
- Head Engraving: The engraving of the monarch’s head is clumsy and lacks detail, especially in areas like the folds of the neck and the hair. The genuine coin shows much more depth and sharpness.
- Lettering: The fake coin features crude and poorly defined letters, particularly in areas like “I” and “R,” which appear misshapen. On a real coin, the letters are sharp and clean.
- Edge and Bruises: The fake coin shows visible signs of damage, such as edge bruises and indentations from mount claws, likely due to rough handling.
- Coin Field Quality: The flat parts of the fake coin (the fields) are uneven and wavy, whereas the fields on a genuine coin should be flat, smooth, and well-defined.
- Color Difference: The fake coin appears much yellower, while the genuine sovereign has a more reddish-gold hue typical of authentic gold sovereigns.
- Gold Content: Surprisingly, the gold content of the fake coin was too high, measured between 950 and 955 parts per thousand, compared to the expected 916–917 parts per thousand for a genuine sovereign.
By examining these factors—engraving quality, color, gold content, and specific mint date errors—you can effectively spot a counterfeit 1918 sovereign.