The last colonial Sovereign

In the second half of the nineteenth century, demand for The Sovereign surged. Branch mints were established across the world to meet the increased demand. One of these six branch mints was located in Pretoria, South Africa. At the height of production in 1928 just over 18 million Sovereigns were struck there, each with the mint mark ‘SA’ to differentiate them from the equivalent coins struck back in London.

1932 signalled the end of The Sovereign as a circulating coin – the last year that Sovereigns were struck by any of the branch mints. This original 22 carat gold Sovereign was one of the last sovereigns produced for circulation. It features the SA mint mark on the reverse, beneath Benedetto Pistrucci’s St George and the dragon, and the portrait of George V by Bertram Mackennal on its obverse.