Only the Pretoria Mint issued sovereigns in 1932, the Melbourne and Perth Mints having stopped the previous year. This was not only the last gold sovereign issued for George V, it was the last sovereign made by a branch of the Royal Mint outside of Britain and the last sovereign to be issued for a quarter of a century. The sovereign 1932 is a British gold coin minted in Pretoria in South Africa. Almost 1 million gold sovereign coins were struck this year. Minted under the reign of Goerges V, the 1932 King George V Small 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 |
| S.A. | Pretoria, South Africa | 1.066.680 |
| Total | 1.066.680 |
| 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. |
| Pretoria | Type: bullion coin. Production Years: 1817–present. Legal tender in the United Kingdom, value £1 = 20 shillings. | 1932 with 1.066.680 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; 1932 and B.P. in exergue. |
How to grade a Sovereign 1932.
Discerning collectors examining a Small Head Georges V sovereign will check various main points when grading this obverse. Due to the smaller portrait, there is a larger portion of the fields exposed on the Small Head than on the Large Head. This coin is more prone to having bag marks in the fields as a result. All of the same high points as on the Large Head portrait should be examined.
- 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.