Gold Sovereigns - Melbourne
Below is our range of Sovereign coins that feature the 'M' mint mark, denoting they were struck at the Melbourne Mint in Australia.
The scope of the British Empire meant that producing enough coins, and transporting them across the world became impractical for just the UK. As a source of much of the Empire's gold, the Royal Mint produced coins at three sites in Australia, including Melbourne on the south-east coast of the country. Production took place between 1872 and 1931, with coins bearing the letter M to indicate their origin.
Coins made in Melbourne and Sydney before 1887 bore local designs on the reverse of the coin, but those after that date reverted to the Royal Mint's standard of St George and the Dragon.
Melbourne was the second location in Australia that the Royal Mint permitted the development of a franchise refinery, with the specific aim of utilising the country's recent gold discovery to cut down on shipping costs for sending gold back and forth across the world before even entering circulation.