During the nineteenth century very little gold coinage circulated in Canada. The majority consisted of US gold coins, with a few Sovereigns found around Halifax where British troops were stationed. When gold was discovered in the Yukon in 1900, the Canadian government sought the right to mint Sovereigns. The following year, the Canadian House of Commons resolved to fund a branch of The Royal Mint in Ottawa. Building work finally began in 1905 and the first coins were struck three years later. The minting of Sovereigns was never extensive and by the time it came to an end in 1919, fewer than 1 million had been struck. The Canadian government retained a branch of The Royal Mint until the option of striking Sovereigns ceased to be realistic. In 1931, the mint in Ottawa ceased to be a branch of The Royal Mint.