The sovereign 1925 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 15 million gold sovereign coins were struck in 1925, and another 900.000 reissued 1925 sovereigns minted in 1949, 1950 and 1951. The 1925 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 | 3,520,431 |
| M | Melbourne, Australia | 278,140 |
| P | Perth, Australia | 3,311,662 |
| S | Sydney, Australia | 1,837,901 |
| S.A. | Pretoria, South Africa | 6,086,624 |
| Total | 15.034.758 |
1925 Restrikes.
| Date Restrikes | Mintage |
| 1949 reissued 1925 sovereign | 138,000 |
| 1950 reissued 1925 sovereign | 318,000 |
| 1951 reissued 1925 sovereign | 430,000 |
| Total | 886,000 |
| 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. | 1925 with 15.034.758 bullion coins. 1949 with 138.000 bullion coins. 1950 with 318.000 bullion coins. 1951 with 430.000 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; 1925 and B.P. in exergue. |
1925 Gold Sovereign restrike.
The 1925 sovereign is unique amongst the sovereign series as it is the only date to have been restruck at a later date.
- 1925 sovereign minted in 1925 : 3,520,431
- 1925 sovereign minted in 1949 : 138,000
- 1925 sovereign minted in 1951 : 318,000
- 1925 sovereign minted in 1952 : 430,000
The Royal Mint in London stopped minting sovereigns for circulation in 1917, although they were again minted in 1925. They were also minted during the reign of George VI in the years 1949, 1951 and 1952 but all carry the date 1925. This caused “some consternation” at the time with collectors of that time as the 1925 London Sovereign was considered quite scarce.
The Royal Mint announced that it was to give the staff at the Mint experience in striking gold coins, but some claim that the amount struck was too high for this to be the sole purpose. Could be this was an early attempt to blunt the counterfeiting which was rife on the Continent.
There is much variation in the depth to which this portrait is struck. The points to examine when grading this obverse are: There is much variation in the depth to which this portrait is struck.
How to grade a Sovereign 1925.
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.