1823 GOLD SOVEREIGN

🪙 1823 Gold Sovereign – Key Details

Monarch: George IV
Reign: 1820–1830
Mint: Royal Mint, London
Designer (Obverse): Benedetto Pistrucci
Designer (Reverse): Jean Baptiste Merlen
Diameter: 22.05 mm
Weight: 7.98 grams
Fineness: 22 carat gold (91.67% pure)
Gold Content: Approximately 0.2354 troy ounces
Edge: Milled (reeded)

🖼️ Obverse (Front)

• Portrait: Features the laureate head of King George IV facing left, designed by Benedetto Pistrucci.

• Legend: Reads "GEORGIUS IV D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F:D:"
  (Translation: George IV, by the Grace of God, King of the Britains, Defender of the Faith)

🐉 Reverse (Back)

There are two major reverse types for 1823:

1. St George and the Dragon (by Pistrucci):

• Classic design with St. George slaying the dragon on horseback.

• Date below the exergue line.

• No mintmark (only issued in London).

2. Shield Reverse (by Jean Baptiste Merlen):

• Features a crowned shield of the Royal Arms surrounded by a laurel wreath.

• Less common than the St. George version and often more desirable to collectors.

💰 Mintage & Rarity

• Total mintage: Approximately 2,348,250 sovereigns.

• The shield reverse is considered rarer than the St. George reverse.