What is an old gold coin called?

Answer 1

British gold coins have been called various names. The sovereign (equivalent to £1) has been given its name for 100s of years back to mediaeval times. The modern sovereign (with George and the Dragon on the 'tails' or reverse side) has been struck continually since 1816 in Great Britain. It contains 0.2354 Troy Ounces of gold. They are strictly speaking 22 carat gold alloyed with copper to harden them.

Names such as 'Unite' and 'Angel' were used for very old gold coins. The guinea is probably one of the best known (at the time being worth £1.05 or 21 shillings). These were struck in large numbers in the 18th century, particularly during the reign of George III in the UK (1760 - 1820). The rarer guinea dates i.e. 1763 or 1764 can be worth upwards of £3,000 - £5,000 in mint condition.

The rarest modern sovereign is 1819. Only 3,574 were struck according to Royal Mint records. These are worth from £20,000 - £200,000 depending on grade.