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Decimalisation, or Decimal Day as it is most known, occurred in 1971 after the pre-decimal system was deemed too complicated with pounds, shillings and pence. Initially, the plan was to make the new decimal currency into cents and dollars (known more in the USA), but this was reconsidered, and pounds and pence were the chosen coinage.
Then in 1817, the ‘new sovereign’ made its debut with a newly imagined design featuring St George slaying the dragon. The new design was created by Italian gem engraver Benedetto Pistrucci and was destined to become one of the world’s most loved coin designs.
In Britain, the original grading scale classed every coin as either ‘Fine’ or ‘Extremely Fine’ – these were the only options. As times changed, extra steps were added into that scheme: ‘Good’ and ‘Very Good’, both below Fine, and ‘Very Fine’, below Extremely Fine. That created five grading steps, which was even further expanded over time by dealers by adding ‘Almost’ or ‘Good’ to any of those grades, with ‘Almost Fine’ being less than Fine and ‘Good Fine’ being better than Fine, but less than ‘Almost Very Fine’.
For over one hundred years this was the grading scheme in Europe, and it didn’t include the grade ‘Uncirculated’, for the simple reason that it was considered that any coin that came from circulation couldn’t be ‘uncirculated’.
This year marks the 80th Anniversary of Dunkirk Evacuation, code-named Operation Dynamo; the evacuation of Allied soldiers during World War II from the beaches of Dunkirk.
The operation commenced after large numbers of British, Belgian and French troops were stopped and surrounded by German troops during the six-week Battle of France. The rescue and evacuation lasted almost two weeks between 26th May and 4th June 1940.
With the Gold Sovereign being one of the most sought after coins, for its sheer beauty and resilience, we thought this was the perfect time to delve a little deeper into the history of the sovereign, looking at where it first began and how it has become what we know today.
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