UK's rarest WW1 coin worth a staggering £30k but there's a major catch

A 107-year-old golden coin dating backmost to the First World War has present been valued astatine £30,000 - but, uncovering specified a 'fine specimen' mightiness beryllium alternatively difficult.

Brits person been urged to look retired for a 'fine specimen' of a coin that is present worthy tens of thousands of pounds. The 1917 George V Gold Sovereign is considered to beryllium 1 of the rarest British coins of the 10th period and is linked to the UK's economical authorities pursuing the First World War.

Featuring a knight connected horseback slaying a dragon connected 1 side, and the eponymously named monarch connected the different - this 22 Carat golden coin was designed by Bertram MacKennal and Benedetto Pistrucci and weighs astir 8g and has a diameter of 22.05mm. For reference, the modern-day £1 coin is astir 1g lighter and has a diameter of 23.5mm.

James Constantinou, a starring adept successful pre-loved decorator goods and proprietor of Prestige Pawn, has 8 pawn shops crossed the state and regularly receives a wide scope of valuables including aged coins. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, helium explained however these coins mightiness beryllium hard to find for 1 peculiar reason.

"The 1917 George V Gold Sovereign is 1 of the rarest British coins since immoderate remaining volition person survived WWI, and the melting cookware erstwhile immense numbers of sovereigns were melted to settee monolithic debts accumulated to the US during the war," the adept said. "This means that successful today's market, a good specimen of the 1917 George V Gold Sovereign tin fetch an eye-watering £30,000."

James added that portion it would beryllium 'amazing' to stumble crossed the ultra-valuable coin - you're much apt to find thing similar a Kew Gardens' 250th day coin. Minted successful 2009, these fetch astir £250 - which is inactive a bully bump to your slope account.

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King George V reigned from 1910 to 1936, and is often credited for modernising the British monarchy. He started the yearly Christmas broadcast contented and established the House of Windsor by changing the sanction of his Saxe-Coburg-Gotha residence.

His lad and heir to the throne, Edward VIII infamously abdicated the throne the aforesaid twelvemonth helium was sworn successful - which led to George VI unexpectedly becoming King. This is the crushed wherefore nary Edward VIII coins were ever released to the public.

"Such was the sensitivity surrounding the Abdication that for galore years these patterns were locked distant and not treated arsenic portion of the Museum collection; fewer radical knew what had survived and the beingness of the coins became thing of a enigma adjacent wrong the Royal Mint," the Royal Mint Museum states. "It was not until the status of Sir Jack James, Deputy Master from 1957 to 1970, that a sealed cardboard container was retrieved from a harmless successful his bureau and recovered to incorporate nary less than 49 coins of Edward VIII. On 5 November 1970, these coins were placed successful the Museum."

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