Orkney Image Library

Are they pre 1917 Sovereigns? A fine collection by the way.

Wonder if they could be farthings? Maybe buttons for tunic?

That's a pretty good start Steven, but I was hoping for something a little more exact.

I used to be a bit of a numismatist (coin collector!) - they look like sovereigns to me but certainly gold I reckon. The denomination would depend on their size.

Well they certainly look like gold sovereigns, Queen Victoria from about 1880, Edward VII and George V. (Worth about £190 each at the moment with the sky-high gold price if that is really what they are) I suspect from cryptic comments above that they might be replicas though, no idea what the reason would be, nor what the connection to Orkney is.

I used to be more of a pneumismatist (blower-up of car tyres) Ian, but you are right. Unfortunately they are only half-sovereigns, from the reigns of Victoria, Edward VII & George V. A shot of the reverse sides would probably have given the game away.

If gold, they are sovereigns, that on the left has the "young head" of Queen Victoria and with that inscription was minted between 1871 and 1885; the middle one, Edward VII, minted 1902 to 1910; the third one George V, 1911 to 1917 and 1925. According to the book I got this info from, if the George V one is dated 1917, it is worth thousands (but the book warns that "crude forgeries exist")!

Thanks for the comment Paul. Does your book say anything about half-sovereigns?

Are you sure they are only half sovereigns? The book seems to say that the inscription on the left-hand one was only found on the full sovereign with that head, but maybe I'm misreading it. The easy way to check is that the full sovereign is the same diameter as the modern pound coin.

It's still a fine collection. I don't suppose you have the next one in sequence?

The Victorian Sovereign series is pretty complex and their was a shorter legend on earlier issues. Anyway Sovereigns are 22mm in diameter and Half Sovereigns are 19mm - so get measuring!

Paul, if what you say about the sovereign having the same diameter as the modern pound coin is true (and why would you lie?) then they would appear to be full sovereigns right enough. I'll post another shot as evidence. But for most of my life I've believed them to be half-sovereigns.

I got measuring Ian, and they're sovereigns. I'm twice as wealthy as I thought. Nice one!

Forgot to answer Grant Leonard's question. You are correct, Grant, in not supposing I have the next in sequence. As I'm sure you know, sovereigns for general circulation weren't minted in George VI's reign. However, I hope shortly to have one from our present monarch's reign. (It's amazing how much more interesting these coins have become now that I know they're full sovereigns.)

For the sake of completeness, I'll post an image of all four sovereigns, if Steven will accept it.