The 1925 Gold Sovereign. Melbourne Mint.Gold Sovereign of King George V minted at the Melbourne Mint, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Fairly common, and often sold for its bullion value.
The Reverse depicts Benedetto Pistrucci’s famous portrayal of St George slaying the dragon on the reverse of the coin. A small 'M' above the date indicates the sovereign was produced in Melbourne, Australia.
The edge is milled.
The Obverse shows a portrait of King George V (on the legend as GEORGIVS). The reverse was designed by Bertram Mackennal (initials B.M. on base of head).SCBC: 3999.
Image Credit: Museums Victoria.
Mintage: 3,311,662 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The Melbourne Mint
More information (monarch, year, mint, country, category) can be found below coin listings.
Below are some coins currently being offered on eBay. As an eBay Partner, We may be compensated if you make a purchase.
List items on:
 | 1925 SOUTH AFRICA KING GEORGE V GOLD SOVEREIGN - NGC GRADED MS 64 £ 700.32 |
 | 1925 gold sovereign £ 720.72 |
 | 1925-M King George V Gold Sovereign (Melbourne) £ 725.00 |
 | 1923-M King George V Gold Sovereign (Melbourne) £ 725.00 |
 | 1925 South Africa Sovereign - George V British Gold Coin*388 £ 705.42 |
 | 1925 Gold Sovereign - King George V - M £ 822.40 |
 | AUSTRALIA 1925 S SYDNEY GOLD SOVEREIGN RARE KEY DATE LOW MINT NICE UNC #03 £ 712.91 |
 | AUSTRALIA 1925 S SYDNEY GOLD SOVEREIGN RARE KEY DATE LOW MINT NICE GEM UNC #01 £ 712.91 |
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Remember 1925 ?
In the UK: The Monarch is King George V. Prime Minister is Stanley Baldwin (Conservative). Britain returns to the gold standard (and it's the gold bullion standard rather than the specie standard). John Logie Baird transmits the first (greyscale) television pictures. American giant General Motors buy Vauxhall Motors of Luton for $2.5 million.
In USA: The President is Calvin Coolidge (R-Massachusetts). Vice President from March 4 is Charles G. Dawes (R-Illinois). F. Scott Fitzgerald publishes The Great Gatsby. The Pittsburgh Pirates win their 2nd World Series Title beating the Washington Senators 4 games to 3. The First National Spelling Bee is held.
In USA: The President is Calvin Coolidge (R-Massachusetts). Vice President from March 4 is Charles G. Dawes (R-Illinois). F. Scott Fitzgerald publishes The Great Gatsby. The Pittsburgh Pirates win their 2nd World Series Title beating the Washington Senators 4 games to 3. The First National Spelling Bee is held.
George V (1910-1936)
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).
Category: Sovereigns
The 1925 Gold Sovereign Melbourne 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 1925 Gold Sovereign Melbourne was minted at The Melbourne Mint.
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 1925 Gold Sovereign Melbourne, 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 Melbourne Mint
The Melbourne Mint, Victoria, Australia, opened around 1872 and was originally a branch of the Royal Mint in London. From 1872 to 1916 the Melbourne Mint minted only gold sovereigns, but from 1927 to 1967 it produced all Australian coins.Country of Origin: Australia
Australia is a country and continent surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. Australia used pounds, shillings and pence until 1966, when it adopted the decimal system with the Australian dollar divided into 100 cents. The 1oz Silver coins are a particular favourite with collectors around the World and feature the famous Australian animals such as Kookaburra, Kangeroo and Kaola. 
On eBay UK:
 | gold half sovereign coin £ 320.00 |
 | 22CT GOLD SOVEREIGN COIN GEORGE V 1907 LONDON MINT (da) £ 720.72 |
 | 1863 Gold Victoria Full Sovereign - Shieldback £ 664.62 |
 | 1899 GB Sovereign £ 644.22 |
 | 1988 Royal Mint Gold Proof Full Sovereign £ 715.62 |
 | 1901m Gold Victoria veiled head Full Sovereign - Melbourne mint £ 639.12 |
 | Antique Rolled Gold Sovereign Case, SP Finest Rolled Gold, c.1910 Coin Holder £ 234.72 |
 | 2023 King Charles III Coronation Full Sovereign Gold Proof Coin PF70 Graded £ 750.00 |
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On eBay USA:
| gold half sovereign coin £ 320.00 |
| 22CT GOLD SOVEREIGN COIN GEORGE V 1907 LONDON MINT (da) £ 720.72 |
| 1863 Gold Victoria Full Sovereign - Shieldback £ 664.62 |
| 1988 Royal Mint Gold Proof Full Sovereign £ 715.62 |
| 1901m Gold Victoria veiled head Full Sovereign - Melbourne mint £ 639.12 |
| 1899 GB Sovereign £ 644.22 |
| Antique Rolled Gold Sovereign Case, SP Finest Rolled Gold, c.1910 Coin Holder £ 234.72 |
| 2023 King Charles III Coronation Full Sovereign Gold Proof Coin PF70 Graded £ 750.00 |
View Coins on eBay UK
View Coins on eBay USA