Timeline of the 200 Years of the British Gold Sovereign

200 years of the gold sovereign
The British Sovereign was first imagined in 1489 by King Henry VII, after he instructed officers of his Royal Mint to produce a ‘new money of gold’. Prior to that point, England had enjoyed circulating gold coinage for almost a century and a half, but the new coin, named a Sovereign, was to be the largest coin both in size and value.

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.

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Coin Grading – The In’s and Out’s

Coin Grading
There are a number of coin grading scales to bear in mind when looking into coins and their condition. It can be very daunting and confusing if you are unsure what you are looking for, so we have broken it all down for you, from historical grading to the present day; UK and US.

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’.

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A Beginners Guide to Coin Collecting

coin-collecting
Coin collecting – or ‘numismatics’, the technical term – can be a rewarding and enjoyable past time. Many people begin their coin collecting journey after inheriting a coin or collection from a family member, or sourcing a coin for a particular sentimental event. However you start coin collecting, it is a hobby that falls across generations young and old, and is actually said to be one of the world’s oldest hobbies.

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Dunkirk 80th Anniversary and Four Facts You May Not Know

dunkirk

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.

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Commemorative Coins

commemoratives

Commemorative coins are one of the most sought after and collected, due to their significance in history and the personal memories they can hold. Whether it is to commemorate a first, or to celebrate the anniversary of an event in history; either way adding a commemorative coin to your collection is one that you couldn’t go wrong with.

We’re going to take a look at some of the commemorative ranges and sovereigns we have available, looking back at the history behind the event and the significance it holds.

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