COINWEIGHTS FOR ENGLISH                  GOLD COINS               |
THE SOVEREIGN
Until the 19th century England had struggled to maintain a bimetallic system of currency based on a fixed ratio of value between gold and silver. The problems involved in maintaining this system were complex and resulted at times in revaluations of the gold currency and/or a shortage of silver coinage when the quantity of silver bullion became insufficient to supply the Mint. In 1816 this bimetallism was finally abandoned and England went on the Gold standard. From now on and until the First World War, gold was the single standard of value in the British coinage, and for the first time ever silver coins were minted with an intrinsic value considerably below their face value - the first official token coinage in British history.
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SUMMARY TABLE |
Coin | First Issue | Reign | Last Issue | Weight (grains) | Tolerance (grains) | Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Noble | 1412 | Henry IV - Edward IV | 1464 | 108 | 103¼ | 6s 8d/8s 4d  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Ryal (Rose Noble) | 1465 | Edward IV-Elizabeth I | 1600 | 120 | 115¾ | 10s 0d/15s 0d  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Spur Ryal | 1606 | James I | 1619 | 106¾ | 102 | 15s 0d/16s 6d  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  SpurRyal | 1619 | James I | 1625 | 98¼ | 94 | 15s 0d  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Angel | 1465 | Edward IV-Elizabeth I | 1603 | 80 | 77 | 6s 8d/10s 0d  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Angel | 1606 | James I | 1619 | 71 | 68¾ | 10s 0d/11s 0d  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Angel | 1619 | James I-Charles I | 1634 | 65½ | 63¼ | 10s 0d  |
SOVEREIGNS OF STANDARD GOLD (23¾carat) |
  Sovereign | 1489 | Henry VII - Henry VIII | 1544 | 240 | 231½ | 20s 0d/22s 6d  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  'Fine' Sovereign | 1550 | Edward VI-Elizabeth I | 1600 | 240 | 231½ | 30s 0d  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Rose Ryal | 1606 | James I | 1619 | 213¼ | 205¼ | 30s 0d/33s 0d  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Rose Ryal | 1619 | James I | 1625 | 196½ | 188¼ | 30s 0d  |
SOVEREIGNS OF DEBASED GOLD (23-20carat) |
  Sovereign | 1544 | Henry VIII-Edward VI | 1550 | 200-169½ | - | 20s 0d  |
SOVEREIGNS OF CROWN GOLD (22carat) |
  Sovereign | 1550 | Edward VI-Elizabeth I | 1603 | 174½/172 | 168¼ | 20s 0d  | ||||||||||||||||||||
  Unite | 1604 | James I | 1619 | 155 | 149½ | 20s 0d/22s 0d  | ||||||||||||||||||||
  Laurel | 1619 | James I | 1625 | 140½ | 135¾ | 20s 0d  | ||||||||||||||||||||
  Unite | 1625 | Charles I-Commonwealth | 1660 | 140½ | 135¾ | 20s 0d  |
MILLED COINAGE |
  Guinea | 1670 | Charles II-George III | 1813 | 129½ | 128 | 20s 0d/21s 0d  | |
  Sovereign | 1817 | George III | - | 123¼ | 122½ | 20s 0d  |
  24 grains (gr) = 1 pennyweight (dwt)                12 pennies (d) = 1 shilling (s)               weights are to nearest quarter grain    12 pennyweights = 1 troy ounce                       20 shillings (s) = 1 pound (£)             for grains to grammes divide by 15.43 |
HISTORICAL REFERENCES
1. Annals of the Coinage of Great Britain and its Dependencies - Ruding R. - 1840
2. Coin Weights - British Numismatic Journal vol.6 - 1909
THE COINS
3. English Coinage 600-1900 - Sutherland CHV - 1982
4. Coins of England - Seaby Standard Catalogue of British Coins vol.1
THE COIN WEIGHTS
5. Notes on English Silver Coins 1066-1648 - Seaby HA (ed) - 1948
6. European Coin-Weights for English Coins - Houben G - 1978
7. Money Scales and Weights - Sheppard T and Musham JF - 1923