Summary

Australia Victoria Melbourne
Sovereign 1925 M
Mint: Melbourne

Physical Description

A circular gold coin (21.5 mm diameter with milled edge) featuring a bare head of George V facing left; below, the artist's initials B.M.; around, GEORGIVS V D.G. BRITT: OMN:REX F.D. IND:IMP: and on the reverse St. George on horseback holding short sword and wearing a helmet, cape and boots, the horse rearing over dragon whose side is pierced by a broken lance, the haft of the lance is on the ground behind the horse; the date, 1925 and artist's initials B.P. in exergue; the mint mark "M" in ground line above middle of date.

Obverse Description

Head of George V facing left; on neck truncation, the artist's initials B.M.; around, GEORGIVS V D.G. BRITT: OMN:REX F.D. IND:IMP:

Reverse Description

St. George on horseback holding short sword and wearing a helmet, cape and boots, the horse rearing over dragon whose side is pierced by a broken lance, the haft of the lance is on the ground behind the horse; the date, 1925 and artist's initials B.P. in exergue; the mint mark "M" in ground line above middle of date.

Edge Description

Milled

Significance

In 1916 the Commonwealth Treasury ordered Melbourne to pay for gold by cheque (see NU 3206) instead of in gold coin. In 1922 arrangements were made with Melbourne that it should coin gold whenever the bullion held reached 200,000 pounds. This seems to have occured only every six months, the coin being held to back issues of Commonwealth paper money. This did not meet the needs of the Gold Producers Association, it would appear that they were able to employ the Perth mint for their needs. Melbourne coins of the early 1920s are very rare, most having been deposited against paper money issues; Perth mint coins of the era remain common. In 1925 large shippments of gold from America arrived and the Melbourne Mint was authorised to pay for imported gold in sovereigns. As a result sovereigns dated 1925 from Melbourne are common while earlier dates in the 1920s tend to be scarcer.

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