Georgivs Coin Value

What Does Georgivs Mean on a Coin

Georgivs represents the Latin nominative form of George. The item engravers adopted this classical nomenclature to maintain continuity with medieval European minting customs.

The full inscription typically reads Georgivs V Dei Gra coin – George V by the Grace of God. This phrase continues a tradition established by earlier British rulers who placed Latin legends on circulating currency.

The obverse:

Britt Omn Rex	Britanniarum Omnium Rex
Fid Def	Fidei Defensor
Ind Imp	Indiae Imperator

The reverse:

Often featured local symbols (like the Kangaroo or the Springbok), and the legends were sometimes abbreviated, the titles were sometimes different to fit the specific minting laws of those territories.

Georgivs Gold Coin History

The history of Georgius gold coins is essentially a narrative about the decline of the gold standard.

Although the inscription is found on various denominations, it is most famously associated with the Gold Sovereign.

George V

George V’s reign marked the last time gold sovereigns actually circulated as common currency in the British Empire. Before World War I, gold sovereigns were the primary currency for high-value transactions.

When the war broke out in 1914, the British government asked citizens to exchange their gold for paper Treasury Notes to fund the war effort. By 1917, gold had almost entirely vanished from domestic circulation in London.

While production slowed in London, the Georgivs gold ones continued to be struck in massive quantities at branch mints closer to gold mines:

Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney
Ottawa
Pretoria
Bombay (India – only for the year 1918)

Attention: A quirk of history occurred when the UK briefly returned to the Gold Standard in 1925.

George VI

At that time, there was a Great Depression in the UK due to the unstable economic situation. A special four-piece set issued for his coronation in 1937 was minted.

These sets included gold pieces in denominations of sovereigns, two-pound, and five-pound ones.

“Reign of George V witnessed the end of the sovereign’s life as a circulating coin. Gold in daily use had always been an expensive luxury but the demands of wartime finance... made a circulating gold coinage completely unfeasible”.
– Modern Sovereign
The Royal Mint Museum

Georgivs Coin Value Today

Contemporary value depends on four variables: precious metal content, mintage figures, condition, and provenance.

Type	Value
Georgivs V coin	$1,100–$1,200
1917 London Sovereign	$13,300–$15,800+
Proof Sovereign	$5,700–$6,900
1937 Gold Set	$15,200–$21,500

Popular Georgivs Coin Types

Gold Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns

Struck in 22-carat gold, these pieces weigh 7.98 grams with 0.2354 troy ounces of fine gold.

Crowns and Florins

Certain images are on the reverse sides of items from 1927 and florins from 1911–1936. For example, cross-shaped shields with crowns and other medieval heraldry.

Bronze Pennies

Heaton Mint and Kings Norton Mint produced pennies under contract during wartime exigencies.

FAQ

How Much Is George V Coin Worth?

Sovereigns typically trade at prices close to their melt value. For sovereigns with common dates, the usual price range is $450–500. Silver crowns and bronze pennies show a wider variation: their prices extend from $35 to $8,000. The final amount for each coin depends on two factors — its rarity and its grade.

What Is Georgivs Coin?

When collectors buy and sell sovereigns, they usually set prices that are close to the melt value of the metal. Sovereigns with dates that appear frequently in the market tend to trade in the $450–500 range.

Which George V Pennies Are Rare?

The 1918–1919 pennies from the Heaton Mint are the rarest, with the 1926 modified effigy and 1933 pattern pennies also highly prized; authentication is vital due to forgeries.

What Does Georgivs Mean on a Coin?

Georgivs is Latin for George, used to uphold numismatic tradition, while Georgivs V Dei Gra coin value affirms the monarch’s divine right within British constitutional doctrine.

How Much Gold Is in a King George Coin?

A sovereign holds 0.2354 troy ounces of fine gold in 22-carat alloy; half sovereigns contain half that amount, with Canadian specimen strikes occasionally reaching 23-carat purity.

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