1831 Gold Sovereign

The 1831 Gold Sovereign

The 1831 sovereign was the first sovereign to be issued during the reign of King William IV.

There are three variations of the 1831 sovereign. The SCBC 3829 shows the top of the ear narrow and rounded, with nose pointing to 'N' in Britanniar and a fine border. The 3829A is similar but the artists initials in the truncation show WW without stops.

In the 3829B the top of the ear was made broad and flat; the King's nose points towards the second 'I' in Britanniar; and the Obverse beading is coarser.

A Proof was also issued in 1831.

King William IV’s portrait can be seen on the obverse of the coin, designed by William Wyon.

A crowned shield of the Royal Arms can be seen on the reverse of the coin, designed by Jean Baptiste Merlen.

The sovereign is made of 22 carat gold, and weighs 7.98 grams. It contains 0.2354 ounce of fine gold.

Only 598,547 sovereigns were struck in 1831. It is very unlikely that all of these still exist today, as many have been melted down over the last two centuries.

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: M J Hughes Coins