The 1918 Indian Sovereign depicts Benedetto Pistrucci’s famous portrayal of St George slaying the dragon can be seen on the reverse of the coin. A small ‘I’ just above the date indicates the sovereign was produced in Bombay, India.
This was the only year a sovereign was struck in India. This was because in 1914 Germany were targeting boats carrying gold from South Africa to London, so gold was secretly shipped to India so they could make the sovereigns. As WWI ended in 1918 sovereign, this covert operation was no longer required so 1918 was the only year they did this.
King George V’s portrait can be seen on the obverse of the coin.
1,294,352 sovereigns were struck at the Bombay Mint in 1918.
Mintage: 1,294,352 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The Mumbai Mint, India
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George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936 and was King during World War 1. George was the second son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), and grandson of Queen Victoria. After his death he was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII. In 1919-20, the Silver price rose dramatically so .925 silver coins began to made in 0.500 siver. Gold Sovereigns were produced in large quantities early in George's reign - over 30 million in 1911 and again in 1912, although there was no bullion sovereigns issued 1918-1924 (Commonwealth mints did continue mintage).
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 1918 Gold Sovereign India was minted at The Mumbai Mint, India.
The Obverse is the Monarch's head (George V) 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 V
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 1918 Gold Sovereign India, 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.
On eBay UK:
 | 1872 Shieldback Victoria Young Head Full Sovereign die number 19 gold coin £ 659.52 |
 | Sealed Quarter Sovereign King Charles Gold Coin 2024 £ 181.68 |
 | The Royal Mint® 1963 Young QEII Full Sovereign 22ct 916.7 Fine Gold Bullion Coin £ 634.00 |
 | 22CT GOLD SOVEREIGN COIN GEORGE V 1918 MELBOURNE MINT (ol) £ 720.72 |
 | 1913 22ct FULL GOLD SOVEREIGN GEORGE V £ 644.22 |
 | Gold Sovereign coin with capsule £ 617.70 |
 | Various kind of sovereign gold coins 22ct ring ingot chain 9ct maybe a sapphire £ 20,000.00 |
 | Antique Rolled Gold Sovereign Case, SP Finest Rolled Gold, c.1910 Coin Holder £ 234.72 |
On eBay USA:
| 1872 Shieldback Victoria Young Head Full Sovereign die number 19 gold coin £ 659.52 |
| Sealed Quarter Sovereign King Charles Gold Coin 2024 £ 181.68 |
| The Royal Mint® 1963 Young QEII Full Sovereign 22ct 916.7 Fine Gold Bullion Coin £ 634.00 |
 | 1875 Sidney Mint Gold Full Sovereign £ 659.52 |
| 22CT GOLD SOVEREIGN COIN GEORGE V 1918 MELBOURNE MINT (ol) £ 720.72 |
| 1913 22ct FULL GOLD SOVEREIGN GEORGE V £ 644.22 |
| Various kind of sovereign gold coins 22ct ring ingot chain 9ct maybe a sapphire £ 20,000.00 |
| Antique Rolled Gold Sovereign Case, SP Finest Rolled Gold, c.1910 Coin Holder £ 234.72 |