ADVERTI S EME N T F EATUR E
Centenary of remarkable one-off WWI emergency gold sovereign coin.
YOUR CHANCE TO OWN THE 1918 ORIGINAL Later
this year we
commemorate the centenary of the end of World War One, a tumultuous confl ict that changed Britain forever.
However, 2018 will
mark another important centenary - that of the 1918 gold sovereign minted in India as part of a WWI emergency gold strategy. The remarkable story of this coin, coupled with the fact it is the only one of its kind ever struck, makes it of great signifi cance to the story of victory in the war.
Many people who are interested in owning gold as a precious metal also like owning this one-off 1918 coin because it creates a ‘double dynamic’ to the value of the gold they own: not only do they own some of the world’s favourite precious metal - gold - but they own it in a form that has a high collector interest as well.
THE SOVEREIGN: BRITAIN’S GLOBAL CURRENCY
The sovereign had been fi rst minted in 1817 at the Royal Mint in London. By the outbreak of WWI the sovereign was being struck in London and also at Royal Mint branches in Sydney, Melbourne,
Ottawa converting the gold found in those territories into gold sovereigns.
The sovereign was a global currency. At one point, during the reign of Queen Victoria, the British sovereign was
official
legal tender in more than 30 nations and territories around the world, and accepted in many others.
That global acceptance was a
result of its unparalleled reliability of purity and weight. Even today, just the mention of the word ‘sovereign’ evokes feelings of pride and security in the minds of most of us.
WWI CREATES A GOLD CRISIS
The outbreak of war led to a crisis in international fi nance. Prior to 1914 large amounts of gold were shipped around the world between nations to settle trade debts. This could clearly not happen during the confl ict.
Perth and
Britain was hit hard. At the time two-thirds of all the world’s gold was being mined in South Africa. It could be shipped up the west coast of Africa into London. From 1915, the Germans were conducting stealth raids with submarines in the waters around Britain and so shipping gold was too risky.
But gold was needed in the Middle East and Asian subcontinent to support Britain’s allies there. As an emergency measure the government decided to establish a branch of the Royal Mint in Bombay to produce sovereigns right where they were needed - removing the need to ship them over long distances.
A section of the existing Bombay Mint was taken
over for the new branch of the Royal Mint. However, the new facility wasn’t ready until December 1917.
SMALL OUTPUT OF A SOVEREIGN STRUCK FOR LESS THAN ONE YEAR
Minting of sovereigns didn’t start for a further eight months, on 15th August 1918. With the war ending just a few months later, the mint was closed in May 1919. The 1918 issue sovereign was the ONLY one minted at the Bombay branch of the Royal Mint.
Only 1,295,372 coins were struck - a considerably small mintage when you consider that in the very same year the mints in Australia produced over 12 million coins.
The only coinage gold sovereign ever struck in India was produced there in 1918 as part of emergency measures brought about by WWI. This year marks the centenary of this important gold coin and a limited number of 1918 originals of the coin are available from gold specialists Hattons of London, at a saving of £100 on their usual price and with FREE P&P - but only before the closing date.* Please call for details.
was standard practice with all the coins minted outside Britain (those minted in London had no mintmark).
It’s worth reiterating that fewer than 1.3 million gold sovereigns of 1918 with the ‘I’ mintmark are the ONLY coinage era sovereigns ever struck in India - making it the ONLY one-year type in the entire history of the gold sovereign. This is a coin that all gold collectors around the world need for their collections.
UNCERTAIN TIMES RE-FOCUS MANY ON GOLD
The coins minted in Bombay appear virtually identical to their London-, Sydney-, or Ottawa-minted counterparts. They feature the portrait of King George V on one side and St George slaying the dragon on the other but with the addition of a small letter ‘I’ mintmark above the year-date. This
Recent uncertainty caused by the Brexit process have caused many in Britain to reconsider gold. It is a truly international ‘currency’ and unlike other assets that must reside within a specifi c geographic territory, it is portable and also physical.
The gold sovereign is one of the most recognised gold coins in the world. It even has a special status within Britain: it can be bought without paying any VAT. This is a coin that sits beyond the reach of the Chancellor of the Exchequer!
Own this one-off WWI emergency issue gold sovereign cased and with a Certifi cate of Authenticity, and at a £100 saving on the usual price, with FREE P&P - but only before the closing date:
CALL NOW FREE FOR DETAILS ON
Telephone lines open Mon-Fri 9.00am-5.00pm. Online at www.hattonsofl
ondon.co.uk
0800 655 6216
Offer Reference: 1216
Major credit cards accepted. Offer valid until Sun 30th Sept 2018. Your order is covered by our no-questions-asked 60 day complete satisfaction guarantee | Technical specifi cations: Coin; sovereign | Issuing authority: United Kingdom (Royal Mint Bombay) | Diameter: 22mm | Date of coin: 1918 | Weight: 7.98g
| Purity: Solid 22 carat gold | * Hattons of London reserves the right to alter or withdraw this offer before the end date | Orders by post: send name, address, cheque, P.O. or credit card details to “FREEPOST Hattons of London”| Hattons of London Ltd, Company 10718280
YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A 1918 ORIGINAL
This year marks the centenary of not just the end of WWI but also of this important gold coin. Brought about as part of WWI emergency measures, the 1918 Bombay-minted gold sovereign is the ONLY coin of its kind ever struck. Fewer than 1.3 million coins were produced, each one featuring the distinctive ‘I’ mintmark below the hooves of St George’s steed.
Now you may own one of these coins: not a copy or a restrike but a 1918 ORIGINAL. Minted from solid 22 carat gold it may be yours today from Hattons of London.
There is a strict limit of one coin per household, and this offer is limited to UK mainland households only. All applicants must be aged 18 or over. You may return the coin within 60 days for a full refund. To qualify for £100 saving, orders must be placed before the closing date and are subject to availability.
The contact details for Hattons of London appear below.
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