Outbreak to Armistice and The Sovereign

Five historic Sovereigns struck in each year of the First World War

In 2014 The Royal Mint began a five year programme of commemoration that would mark the centenary of the First World War and continue until 2018. This set of five historic Sovereigns charts the course of the conflict from outbreak through to armistice. Presented together, the story of the 'Great War' is retold through the currency of the era - a golden age for Britain and The Sovereign, plunged into a terrible darkness. Respected and admired, 'the chief coin of the world' would play a vital role in bolstering Britain's finances, but one that would come at a price, as the coin was sacrificed for the demands of total war with an economy pushed to the brink.

Dwindling production, government requisition and melting down by profiteers mean that some Sovereigns are only available in limited numbers today. The war heralded the end of a circulating gold coinage, but this set of Sovereigns recalls the end of an era in British coinage and pays tribute to those who sacrificed so much - from factory and farm to battlefield. Presented together in a Royal Mint case complete with a booklet on this pivotal time for The Sovereign, this is a unique piece of history.