1937 Gold Sovereign Proof Set
In 1937, the Royal Mint issued, for the first time since 1911, a gold coin proof set. The 1937 set was issued for the Coronation of George VI following a tradition established in the early 19th century. There were none issued in 1953 for our present queen's Coronation, perhaps because of utility and economy measures following two world wars. Rationing was still in place in the UK, and the 1947 Exchange Control Act was in force, which was later amended to include a prohibition on UK citizens from owning or buying gold coins, This act was repealed in 1979.

1937 Coronation Gold Sovereign Proof Set
The Four Coins
The four gold coins we refer to are, of course, the gold sovereign and half sovereign, along with the two pound coin, often called a double sovereign, and a five pound gold coin, which we now sometimes refer to as a quintuple sovereign to differentiate it from the newer gold proof crowns; since 1990 these have had a face value of five pounds whereas previously they were five shillings.
All four coins share the same design:

Obverse
Profile portrait of George VI facing left, with the legend (inscription):
GEORGIVS (GEORGIUS) VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D: IND : IMP.
The engraver's initials HP appear at the right beneath the neck.

Reverse
The world famous portrayal of St. George, on horseback, killing a dragon. There is no legend (inscription). The date 1937 appears in the exergue, and the initials B.P. also appear at the right of the exergue. These are the initials of Benedetto Pistrucci, who originally engraved the design for medals, and the first modern sovereigns of 1817.

The Same Only Different!
Although we have stated that all four coins share the same design, there are some slight differences in proportion and spacing of the motifs of the design relative to the complete flan. An observant collector should be able to tell the difference between photographs of all four coins. For the eagle-eyed experts, our two photographs are of the £5 coin, we intend to add photographs of the other coins soon, possibly on their own pages.

Specifications

Denomination	Diameter	Weight	AGW*	Description
Five Pounds	36.02	39.94	1.1771	St George & Dragon
Two Pounds	28.40	15.98	0.4708	St George & Dragon
Sovereign (Pound)	22.05	7.99	0.2354	St George & Dragon
Half Sovereign (Fifty Pence)	19.30	3.99	0.1177	St George & Dragon
Total		67.90	2.0011

Notes on Table
Weight = gross weight in grams.
*AGW = Actual intrinsic gold weight in troy ounces.

Prices & Availability
Please contact us prior to ordering for current prices and availability.

Date	From	Mintage	Issue £	Grade	Stock	Price £	Price $
1937	£5	5,500	£8.50*	Nice, About FDC	Sold	£5,500**	$8,525
1937	£5	5,500	£8.50*	About Unc (scratch on sov)	Sold	£4,750**	$7,360
1937	£5	5,500	£8.50*	Just About FDC	Sold	£3,250	$Ask

* Plus small charge for handling and presentation box. Total approximately £10.
** Last updated August 2013.

More Information
More information about British gold sets is available on our British Gold Sets Information page.

You may wish to use our order form.

Other 1937 World Gold Coins

Postage & Packing
UK Registered Post (Special Delivery) £9 per order, plus £1 per £1,000
EU Insured Post £10 per order, plus £1 per £1,000
USA Airmail $10,
Insured Shipping $20, plus $1 per $1,000
Canada Airmail $15,
Insured Shipping via Fedex $60, plus $1 per $1,000

Coins Wanted
We make an active market in almost all coins, including gold proofs and patterns. If you have any of these coins to sell, please contact us, or post them to us for appraisal and offer.