Legendary: fewer than 100 minted. Sells occasionally: 9 verified sales in the last 12 months.
1 Sovereign - George VI (1937)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1937 |
| Denomination | 1 Sovereign |
| Face value | £1 |
| Mintage | 5,501 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Sovereign |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Gold (.9167) (917/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 7.990g · 0.2355 t oz |
| Diameter | 22.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Thomas Humphrey Paget |
| Rev. artist | Benedetto Pistrucci |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
| Tags | Fantasy animal Horse or equine |
Uncrowned portrait of King George VI left, legend around.
GEORGIVS VI D:G: BR: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:
St George on horseback slaying the dragon right, date in exergue.
1937 B.P.
1 Sovereign - George VI market value
Find this on eBay
Affiliate1 Sovereign - George VI value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
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| FDC | £2,400.00 🔒 | £3,000.00 | – | £900.00 – £4,160.00 | 1 | 17 | 08-03-2026 | |
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| UNC | £2,010.00 🔒 | £2,700.00 | – | £50.00 – £3,000.00 | 0 | 19 | 02-03-2025 | |
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| EF | £2,600.00 🔒 | £2,600.00 | – | £1,100.00 – £3,000.00 | 0 | 4 | 16-09-2025 | |
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| VF | £5,160.00 🔒 | £80.00 | – | £11.00 – £5,160.00 | 0 | 8 | 12-09-2025 | |
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| AG | £2,800.00 🔒 | £2,800.00 (1) | – | £2,800.00 – £2,800.00 | 1 | 1 | 25-09-2026 | |
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| EF-45 | £10.00 🔒 | £10.00 (1) | – | £10.00 – £10.00 | 0 | 1 | 26-11-2024 | |
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| PR-58 | £2,000.00 🔒 | £2,000.00 (1) | – | £2,000.00 – £2,000.00 | 0 | 1 | 06-12-2020 | |
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| PR-61 | £2,000.00 🔒 | £2,000.00 (1) | – | £2,000.00 – £2,000.00 | 0 | 1 | 26-09-2024 | |
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| PR-62 | £3,200.00 🔒 | £2,807.82 (2) | – | £2,415.64 – £3,200.00 | 0 | 2 | 30-09-2025 | |
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| PR-63 | £2,642.11 🔒 | £2,928.98 | – | £2,264.66 – £3,600.00 | 0 | 9 | 08-09-2025 | |
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| PR-64 | £2,868.57 🔒 | £3,184.29 | – | £2,491.13 – £4,100.00 | 2 | 10 | 01-09-2026 | |
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| PR-65 | £3,472.48 🔒 | £3,080.00 | – | £1,250.00 – £4,000.00 | 3 | 25 | 01-09-2026 | |
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| PR-66 | £5,095.49 🔒 | £4,500.00 | – | £2,650.00 – £5,095.49 | 1 | 7 | 22-01-2026 | |
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| PR-67 | £9,500.00 🔒 | £9,000.00 (2) | – | £8,500.00 – £9,500.00 | 1 | 2 | 07-06-2026 | |
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About the 1937 1 Sovereign - George VI
The 1937 1 Sovereign - George VI is a collector 1 sovereign coin in the Sovereign series, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 7.99g and measures 22mm across. Reverse design: St George on horseback slaying the dragon right, date in exergue.
5,501 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 1937 1 Sovereign - George VI worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1937 1 Sovereign - George VI run from £10.00 to £9,000 across 14 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one. Its gold content is worth about £708 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
Are there any George VI sovereigns other than 1937?
No sovereign other than the 1937 proof carries George VI's portrait, according to the Royal Mint Museum. Sovereigns struck in 1949, 1951 and 1952 kept the portrait of George V and the date 1925, so that they would be accepted if needed in an emergency.
How many 1937 sovereigns were made?
Coin Hunter and Sovereign Rarities both give 5,501, the figure for each coin of the four-coin gold proof set struck for the coronation. All were proofs. By 1937, the Royal Mint Museum notes, sovereign production for circulation had ended in London and at every overseas branch.
Is the 1937 George VI sovereign legal tender?
Technically not. The Royal Mint Museum explains that these 1937 proofs were struck with a plain edge, while the Royal Proclamation specifies a milled edge for the sovereign. Because they do not match that specification, they are technically not legal tender, and dealers often call them technically patterns.
How can I tell a 1937 proof sovereign from other sovereigns?
Look at the edge and the portrait. The 1937 coin has a plain edge, mirrored proof fields and Humphrey Paget's bare-headed portrait of George VI facing left, signed HP. Ordinary sovereigns have a milled edge, and the 1925-dated coins struck later in the reign show George V.
How do I identify the 1937 1 Sovereign - George VI?
Check the weight 7.99g and diameter 22mm and the metal (91.67% gold) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The 1937 sovereign was struck for the coronation of George VI as part of a four-coin gold proof set. The Royal Mint Museum notes that by then sovereign production had ceased in Britain and at all the overseas branches, so the set marked the start of the reign rather than supplying coin. Coin Hunter and Sovereign Rarities give 5,501 for each coin of the set.
It is the only sovereign to bear George VI's portrait. Later in the reign, in 1949, 1951 and 1952, the Mint struck sovereigns for use by the armed forces overseas, but the Royal Mint Museum explains that these used George V's portrait and the date 1925 so they would be accepted in an emergency. Wikipedia adds that they also kept the Mint's skills in sovereign striking alive.
The obverse is Humphrey Paget's uncrowned portrait of the King facing left, signed HP below the neck. After Edward VIII abdicated, Paget alone was asked for the effigy and, the Royal Mint Museum says, produced it in little more than a month. The legend reads GEORGIVS VI D:G: BR: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:, George the Sixth, by the grace of God King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.
The reverse is Benedetto Pistrucci's St George and the dragon, the sovereign's design since 1817, with the date 1937 in the exergue and B.P. to its upper right.
Collecting notes
The edge is the key feature. Sovereigns struck for circulation have a milled edge, but the 1937 proofs have a plain one, and the Royal Mint Museum notes that this leaves them technically not legal tender under the Royal Proclamation. Tony Clayton confirms that all four gold coins of 1937 had plain edges.
The coin was sold in the coronation gold set with the 1937 £2, £5 and half sovereign. Check the mirrored fields for hairlines and confirm the edge is plain. Do not confuse it with the Edward VIII pattern sovereign, which Wikipedia describes as unauthorised before the abdication and therefore a pattern.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- George VI (modern sovereign), Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Humphrey Paget, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- George VI 1937 Proof Sovereign PF64 Cameo, Coronation issue, Sovereign Rarities (read 10 Oct 2026)
- 1937 Coin Values, George VI, Coin Hunter (read 10 Oct 2026)
- UK Coins of George VI, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Sovereign (British coin), Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- George VI 1937 Proof Two Pounds - Double Sovereign, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- The modern sovereign, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
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