50 Gold Sovereigns... Bond marathon.

Aspie_Rocco

So I have been enjoying the James Bond films in order of release date, and was intrigued with the brief case holding 50 hidden sovereigns. What do they look like?

I never sat through all the movies before, but I am up to On Her Majesties Secret Service now.

Who can share pics of sovereign examples?

BillDugan1959

At that time (early 1960s), the George V sovereign would have been most likely - not the only possibilty, but spies and people accepting money from spies would want a reasonably common coin, not an unusual one!

Approximately the same size as a United States Five cent coin, 0.2354 Troy ounce actual gold weight - fineness 22 karats (0.9166 fine).

bronco2078

well I have some sovereigns and some halfs but no pics they are locked up. Its a very interesting area though , many countries minted sovereigns , the ones you would think Canada , Australia, India, South Africa I believe ? but also , many countries made sovereign sized coins named in their own denominations . Sovereign equivalents is what I call them , that may not be the proper term .

bronco2078

Maybe somebody can post some of the saudi sovereign sized coins that the us minted to pay for oil with ?

Timbuk3

Cool !!!

WillieBoyd2

In the 1963 film "From Russia with Love" British secret agent James Bond (Sean Connery) is given an attache case with fifty British gold sovereign coins.

Attache case sovereigns with the head of Elizabeth II

James Bond offers his sovereigns to a Spectre agent

I wanted a 1963 British gold sovereign after seeing the film but United States gold regulations and personal finance prohibited it.

Until later:

British sovereign 1963

asheland

I like sovereigns.

illini420

The sovereigns in bond were cool... but when it comes to gold, you can't beat Goldfinger

Putting for a gold bar... fighting it out in Fort Knox... and of course...

Exbrit

@WillieBoyd2 said:

I wanted a 1963 Britiah gold sovereign after seeing the film but United States gold regulations and personal finance prohibited it.

I'm not quite following you - what regulation and where do you call home?

Crazy8s

I don't know about Willieboyd2 but when I was a kid collector in California in 1963 we were not allowed to own gold coins dated after 1933. I remember being at a coin show in 1974 when President Ford had just lifted the prohibition and gold coins started to flood the US market with the South African Krugerrand leading the charge.

BillDugan1959

That is correct - Americans could not legally own the new Queen Elizabeth II sovereigns from their initial mintings until the end of 1974.

Those and a whole raft of other modern golds after 1933.

The gold book author Donald J. Hoppe almost cried in his beer that Americans could not legally purchase the things when they only cost $15 or $16 apiece. He also cried about the Canada $20 centennial gold when it was like $38 to $45 per coin.

WillieBoyd2

December 31, 1974:

British actress Shirley Eaton is allowed to enter the United States.

Swampboy

This sovereign was minted in Melbourne, Australia 1879.
Young head obverse. St. George and Dragon reverse.
The mintage figure of 2,740,000 includes the shield reverse type.

Exbrit

@Crazy8s said:
I don't know about Willieboyd2 but when I was a kid collector in California in 1963 we were not allowed to own gold coins dated after 1933. I remember being at a coin show in 1974 when President Ford had just lifted the prohibition and gold coins started to flood the US market with the South African Krugerrand leading the charge.

The Brits were restricted on gold ownership as well - back then, but I thought Willieboyd2 meant now. I need to read the posts closer.

3stars

This is my 10 coin monarch type set, QEII has five obverses!
There are a few earlier ones, but a little harder to get. There is also a 1937? Dated one for George VI that is proof only, and very expensive. All of this set was purchased for around melt, so fun history without a huge expense

Aspie_Rocco

@3stars said:
This is my 10 coin monarch type set, QEII has five obverses!
There are a few earlier ones, but a little harder to get. There is also a 1937? Dated one for George VI that is proof only, and very expensive. All of this set was purchased for around melt, so fun history without a huge expense

Very cool collection! Thank you for posting this.

7Jaguars

Don't forget the 2016 unique obverse!

carabonnair

I rather fancy the 500th anniversary version - don't own one yet, but it's on the list

We have an older Victoria at the bank.

Stork

@Exbrit said:

@WillieBoyd2 said:

I wanted a 1963 Britiah gold sovereign after seeing the film but United States gold regulations and personal finance prohibited it.

I'm not quite following you - what regulation and where do you call home?

The United States of America. Between 1933 and 1975 it was illegal to own gold coins other than of specific numismatic interest, and even then there were limits IIRC.