The quarter sovereign is a British
bullion or
collectors' coin, whose introduction was announced by the
Royal Mint in January 2009. Comprising 1.997 grams of 22
carat or 0.9170 fine gold (the
crown gold
Crown gold is a 22 karat (kt) gold alloy used in the crown coin introduced in England in 1526 (by Henry VIII). In this alloy, the proportion of gold is 22 parts out of 24 (91.667% gold)—and is appreciably less prone to wear than the softer 23 k ...
standard), the 13.5 mm diameter quarter sovereign is the smallest modern
legal tender
Legal tender is a form of money that courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered ("tendered") in ...
British
gold coin
A gold coin is a coin that is made mostly or entirely of gold. Most gold coins minted since 1800 are 90–92% gold (22karat), while most of today's gold bullion coins are pure gold, such as the Britannia, Canadian Maple Leaf, and American Buf ...
, with a nominal value of 25 pence.
It is a quarter of the weight of a 'full'
sovereign with an
actual gold weight (AGW) of 0.0588 troy oz. it continues to be minted, including some to
proof quality.
The Royal Mint had produced two
patterns
A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...
for a quarter sovereign for circulation use, one denominated as five
shillings, in 1853, but this coin never went into production, in part due to concerns about the small size of the coin and likely wear in circulation.
OnlineCoinClub
Quarter Sovereign pre-decimal
See also
* Twenty-five pence coin
*Crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
References
British gold coins
Bullion coins
Quarter-base-unit coins
Saint George and the Dragon
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