1823 Gold Sovereign


The 1823 Gold Sovereign

The 1823 Sovereign is a much sought after coin due to its low mintage.

Benedetto Pistrucci’s famous portrayal of St George and the dragon is depicted on the reverse.

King George IV’s Bare Head can be seen on the obverse of the coin. Note the spelling on the legend as GEORGIUS IIII.

Sovereigns issued from 1817 to 1837 are often described as ‘Early King’ sovereigns. King George III, King George IV and King William IV are all depicted on sovereigns minted during these years.

Image credit: The Royal Mint.


Mintage: 616,770 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The Royal Mint.
Remember 1823 ?
The Monarch is George IV. Prime Minister is Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool (Tory).
The US President is James Monroe (DR-Virginia) who gives his famous Monroe Doctrine speech outlining a new policy forbidding European interference in the Americas and setting American neutrality for any future European conflicts. The Royal Academy of Music opens. Charles Macintosh patents his famous waterproof coat. By popular legend, William Webb Ellis invents rugby. The Oxford Union (Oxford United Debating Society) is established.
George IV (1820-1830)
Public domain image from wikipedia.orgGeorge IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover following the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten years later. George IV had previously ruled as Prince Regent from 1811-1820 due to his father's mental illness.

George was married to Caroline of Brunswick and they had a daughter, Princess Charlotte, who died following the birth of a stillborn child. As the second son of George III (Prince Frederick) was childless, following the rules of the monarchy on his death George was succeeded by his brother, William IV.

Note that on coin, George IV is often written as Georgivs IIII.
Category: Sovereigns
The 1823 Gold Sovereign is an example of the Gold Sovereign and is one of the most ubiquitous of all coins and much sought after by both coin collectors and bullion investors. Sovereigns have been minted since 1817 (in Britain 1817-1917, 1925 and 1957 on). At coins fairs you often hear the dealers refer to these coins as Sovs.

Besides being minted in Britain, Sovereigns have been made in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth), India (then Bombay, now Mumbai), Canada (Ottawa) and South Africa (Pretoria) although these regional mints have not made sovereigns since 1932 (although India has produced some recently in a private mint partnership with the Royal Mint). The non-British coins carry a small mintmark ('S','M','P','I','C' or 'SA') just above the date. This 1823 Gold Sovereign was minted at The Royal Mint.

The Obverse is the Monarch's head (George IV) and the Reverse is most often St George and the Dragon, although other backs have been used and are of interest to collectors. The Reverse often gives the Sovs a new term, like "ShieldBacks".

Specifications for the Gold Sovereign
 
  • Weight: 7.9881g
  • Diameter: 22.05 mm
  • Thickness: 1.52 mm
  • Purity: 22 carat = 91.67% (11/12ths gold, 1/12th copper. Adding copper makes the coin more scratch and dent resistant)
  • Gold Content: 113 grains = 7.3224 g = 0.2354 troy ounce
  • Face value: £1 = 20 shillings
  • Monarch: George IV

History

Up until 1604 there was a coin called the English gold sovereign and in 1816 when there was the "Great Recoinage" the name was revived. At that time standard gold (22 carat) was valued at £46 14s 6d per troy pound; this meant a £1 coin needed to weigh 123.2744783 grains or 7.988030269 g. The weight is still the same today.

As a historical note: to maintain the Gold Standard, in 1816 the value of silver was set at 66 shillings for one troy pound and silver coins were only legal for denominations up to £2.

The first sovereigns carried the head of King George III and the famous George and the Dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci (29 May 1783 – 16 September 1855), an Italian engraver who became chief medallist at the Royal Mint.

With high value coins such as the 1823 Gold Sovereign, collectors and bullion investors often worry about forgeries but actually gold coins are very difficult to forge due to gold's unique properties of density and colour. Gold is extremely dense and to use another metal and gold-plate it would result in a coin that is under-weight, over-diameter or half as thick, something that would be spotted very easily. More difficult to spot would be a bullion coin melted down and re-cast as a highly collectable date, but an expert can usually tell these too. You should always use reputable dealers.

Which Mint: The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company. 

Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, during the period 1279-1812 it was generally referred to as The Tower Mint as it was housed at the Tower of London. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton.

Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history.

The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.
If you don't see a coin in the list below try the Sovereigns page on eBay UK
As an eBay Partner, We may be compensated if you make a purchase.

List items on:

1823 George IIII Two Pound Double Sovereign Gold Coin
1823 George IIII Two Pound Double Sovereign Gold Coin
£ 1,700.00
1823 King George IV Gold £2 Double Sovereign w/ Clasp
1823 King George IV Gold £2 Double Sovereign w/ Clasp
£ 1,200.00
1823 Two Pound Double Sovereign Gold Coin George IV
1823 Two Pound Double Sovereign Gold Coin George IV
£ 2,150.00
KING GEORGE THE IIII 1823 GOLD £2 SOVEREIGN...
KING GEORGE THE IIII 1823 GOLD £2 SOVEREIGN...
£ 3,250.00
1823 Two Pound Double Sovereign Gold Coin George IV | Vintage Gold Jewellery
1823 Two Pound Double Sovereign Gold Coin George IV | Vintage Gold Jewellery
£ 1,025.00
KING GEORGE THE IIII 1823 GOLD £2 DOUBLE SOVEREIGN
KING GEORGE THE IIII 1823 GOLD £2 DOUBLE SOVEREIGN
£ 4,950.00
George IV Gold Double Sovereign 1823
George IV Gold Double Sovereign 1823
£ 2,190.00

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