1916 George V Melbourne Mint Gold Sovereign

1916 George V Melbourne Mint Gold Sovereign

This 1916 George V Gold Sovereign was struck at the Melbourne branch of The Royal Mint during the First World War. Produced to the traditional sovereign standard in 22-carat gold, it forms part of Australia’s historic branch-mint sovereign series.

The obverse features Bertram Mackennal’s bare-headed portrait of King George V facing left, surrounded by the Latin royal legend. The reverse carries Benedetto Pistrucci’s iconic depiction of St George slaying the dragon, with the date 1916 below and the distinctive “M” mintmark identifying production at the Melbourne Mint.

A total of 1,272,634 sovereigns were struck at Melbourne in 1916. The issue comes from a period when gold sovereign circulation in Britain had largely disappeared during the First World War, while overseas branch mints continued producing sovereigns. Today, the 1916 Melbourne issue combines Australian minting heritage, historic interest and the enduring appeal of the classic gold sovereign.