It’s difficult for the human mind to accurate grasp the concept of time. When you think of the age of the United States and its currency, which date to 1776 and 1792 respectively, that seems worlds away from your own lifespan. When it comes to gold coins and currency issued by European nations, now you’re talking about hundreds of years of history. While historic US gold and silver coins are popular among investors, there are European Gold Coins available as well with a history as rich and diverse as any American coin.

JM Bullion’s collection of European Gold Coins has been increasing of late, and whether you’re simply looking for affordable options when buying gold or want to add some of the flair of European coinage to your collection, we’ve got you covered! Read on to learn a little more about some of the new (old) European Gold Coins in our catalog.

British Gold Sovereigns

The British Gold Sovereign is arguably the most well-known European Gold Coin among American buyers. The use of the term “sovereign” is relatively unique to British Gold Coins. Though countless countries, kingdoms, and empires from the European continent issued gold coins at some point in their history featuring images of the ruling, sovereign monarch, few of those nations actually referred to the coinage as “sovereigns.” Most nations referred to the coins by the denomination, such as German Marks, French/Swiss Francs, and Dutch Guilders.

British Gold Sovereign coins were initially introduced in 1489 by King Henry VII. At the time, there was a large influx of gold coming into Europe from West Africa and the Royal Mint began issuing large gold coins with the effigy of the sovereign ruler on the obverse. Sovereign coining continued through the rule of King James I. Production of original sovereigns halted in 1604 under James I and would not resume until 1817 following the Great Recoinage of 1816.

Today, gold sovereign coins continue in production at the Royal Mint as bullion investment coins no longer intended for commercial use. Examples of British Gold Sovereign designs available from JM Bullion include:

• Queen Victoria I: Before the reign of Queen Elizabeth II in the modern era, Queen Victoria I was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. The great-great-grandmother of Elizabeth II, Victoria I appeared on gold sovereigns from 1837 until 1901 and the reverse of some coins during her reign were the only to feature a crossed shield design rather than the traditional image of St. George.
• King George VI: The man who reigned in England through World War II, George VI was one of the few British monarchs depicted on a coin without a crown upon his head. George VI ruled following his brother Edward VIII’s abdication in 1936 until his own death in 1952.
• Queen Elizabeth II: The longest-reigning monarch in British history, Elizabeth II currently features on the 2018 Great Britain Gold Sovereign and has featured on the obverse of the coinage since 1952. She is also the first monarch to appear on British Gold Half Sovereign Coins since 1937. The coins were reintroduced in 1980 during her reign.

All British Gold Sovereigns feature the reigning monarch of the era matching the date mark on the obverse. Designers of these images have changed with time, but since 1817 the design on the reverse has remained largely the same. With the noted exception of some Queen Victoria I coins, all British Gold Sovereigns have Benedetto Pistrucci’s design of St. George on horseback battling the dragon on the reverse.

Britain’s gold sovereign coins are popular, but they are far from the only example of European Gold Coinage you’ll find the catalog at JM Bullion.

Francs – the Euro before the Euro

The French Franc was a massively popular format for the production of European Gold Coins in the 19^th century. First introduced during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Franc would eventually serve as the basis for a continent-wide denomination under the Latin Monetary Union. The weight, size, and metal content of the French Franc was used as the basis for issuing gold coins with denominations in Francs across nations that included Switzerland, Belgium, France, and even Spain.

Gold Francs were issued in denominations ranging from 1, 5, and 10 Francs up to 20 and 40 Francs. Without question, the most widely copied and used denomination was the 20 Franc coin. The following are a few examples of 20 Francs coins from various French governments and other nations in Europe:

• 20 Francs Rooster Gold Coin: One of the more unique designs for the French 20 Francs Coin is known as the Marianne Rooster. These coins were issued by the Third French Republic, which reigned from 1870 when the Second French Empire collapsed until the Nazi invasion of 1940 during World War II. The Marianne Rooster was struck from 1899 until the eve of World War I in 1914. It features the female personification of France, Marianne, on the obverse, and the Gallic Rooster of France on the reverse.
• 10 Francs Napoleon III Gold Coin: Napoleon III was the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte and the first democratically elected French president by a direct vote of the people in the nation’s history. Despite the joy surrounding his election, which heralded the start of the Second French Republic, Napoleon III’s reign was characterized by the fall of the republic when his self-coup in 1852 installed the Second French Empire which he ruled until 1870. 10 Francs Gold Coins of his era feature a right-profile bust of the President/Emperor on the obverse and either the seal of the French Republic (1848-1852) or the coat of arms of the French Empire on the reverse.
• 20 Francs Belgium Gold Coins: Belgian 20 Francs were commonly issued from 1832 during the reign of the first King of the Belgians, Leopold I, through 1909 and the death of his son, King Leopold II. Leopold II is most commonly featured on the obverse, with the Belgian seal on the reverse.
• 20 Francs Swiss Gold Coins: Few designs of the Franc adopted across Europe are as beautiful as Helvetia. The female personification of the Swiss people, Switzerland was a member of the Latin Monetary Union and had a long history issuing 20 Francs Swiss Gold Coins. Helvetia was popularly featured on the obverse, with the Swiss coat of arms on the reverse.

These are but a few of the popular European Gold Coins you’ll find for sale in the JM Bullion catalog. These coins are all former circulation pieces in many cases, with a few of the gold coins representing restrikes of original circulation coins that are meant for investment and collectible purposes. All of the European Gold Coins in our catalog have impressive gold content and make the ideal addition to a portfolio or personal collection.

Buy European Gold Coins with JM Bullion

Our customer service team is always here to assist you with any questions. If you have a question as you look to buy gold from our European Gold Coin selection, don’t hesitate to call us at 800-276-6508. You can also connect with us online through our live chat and email address, and as always you can follow us on Facebook to learn more about exciting releases or to participate in our social media contests.