Minted in 1908 in London, and at the Canadian and Australian branch mints in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney under the reign of Edward VII, almost 22 million gold sovereign coins were minted (originally a circulating coin, now a bullion coin). The 1908 Edward VII Sovereigns (1902-1910) 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).
| 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 Australia and Canadian mints. | Type: bullion coin. Production Years: 1817–present. Legal tender in the United Kingdom, value £1 = 20 shillings. | 1908 with 21,702,217 bullion coins. |
| Mintmark | Mint | Mintage |
| C | Ottawa, Canada | 646 |
| L | London, United Kingdom | 11,729,006 |
| M | Melbourne, Australia | 3,080,148 |
| P | Perth, Australia | 4,875,617 |
| S | Sydney, Australia | 2,017,000 |
| Total sovereign minted in 1908 | 21,702,217 |
All Canadian gold sovereigns were manufactured in small numbers, they are highly collected. But The 1908-C sovereign have a super low mintage of only 646 pieces. The 1908 Canada Mint sovereign is the rarest of all the dates of the Canada Mint issues.
| Reverse : | Benedetto Pistrucci. Matte background with matte relief of bust of Edward VII. Legend EDWARDVS VII D:G: BRITT: OMN: REX F:D: IND: IMP: |
| Obverse : | George William De Saulles– Matte background with relief of Saint George killing the dragon. 1908 BP. |
Only one portrait was used on the sovereigns of Edward VII, from 1902 to 1910 inclusive. The engraving of his hair is in fairly low relief, and tends to very quickly show signs of wear. Contact marks and wear that would be focused on a small surface area on another sovereign is spread over a wide portion of Edward’s portrait
How to buy a Gold Sovereign 1908.
When collectors examine the Edward VII obverse, there are a certain number of points which are examined closely for strike & wear.
- The forehead, eyebrow and upper cheek;
- The jaw line running from below the ear to the tip of the chin;
- The vertical line running from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock;
- The area on Edward’s head just below his bald patch, running from the back of his head to the top of his forehead;
- 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.