The (English) gold sovereign (also souverain d’or) was an important coin from the 15th century until it was superseded in 1612 by a souverain of the Spanish Netherlands. Re-introduced in the 19th century, it became the main gold coin of the British Empire. It was first minted in 1489 during the reign of Henry VII of England (1485-1509), as a gold coin at a value of one pound of silver money at 20 shillings. The obverse bore the image of the reigning monarch, the eponymous sovereign, as minted coins continued to do until around 1625. The sovereign weighed 15.55 grams a…