British Sovereign
The gold British Sovereign can trace its history to Henry VII (1485-1509) who issued the first 20-shilling gold coin in 1489. The minting of the British Sovereign was suspended shortly after James I ascended to the throne of England in 1603. More than 200 years later, gold Sovereigns were once again struck commencing with George III in 1817.
In the 19th Century, the Master of the Mint commissioned his protégé, Royal Mint engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, to create the now classic image of St George and the dragon for the reverse of this coin. In 1890, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Goschen , declared: "Nothing, in my opinion, is more handsome than the St George and Dragon."
From the time of Queen Victoria until Britain went off the gold standard, British Sovereigns were minted as circulating gold coins with the stated value of one pound.
Weight: 7.9881 grams (.2568 troy oz.)
Fineness: .9162/3 or 22 karats
Diameter: 22mm
Fine Gold Content: 7.3224 grams (.2354 troy oz.)
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In 1976, the Austrian Mint decided to strike a coin commemorating the 1,000 year anniversary of the start of the Babenberg Dynasty. Fittingly, it chose a denomination of 1,000 Schilling - the first time it had produced a coin with this face value. This special coin is 90% pure gold and contains 0.3906 Troy ounces of gold.
Franz Joseph I Austrian Ducat gold coins were extremely high in gold purity for their day – over 98% pure gold! Gold Ducats featuring various rulers of the day were minted throughout the 19th Century and into the 20th Century. They trace their origin back to Venice during the Middle Ages; Austria began minting Ducats in the early 16th Century.
With a gold purity content of over 98%, the Austrian 4 Ducats gold coin is among the highest purity gold coins ever issued for circulation. Non-restrikes of these coins were actually minted during the years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Danish 20 Kroner gold coins were minted between 1873 and 1931 and feature three different rulers: Christian IX, Frederick VIII, and Christian X. The gold coins pictured above are of the Ferderick VIII variety.
The French 20 Franc Rooster is one of the most affordable, and therefore popular, of all our classic rare European gold coins. Each coin contains almost a fifth of an ounce (0.1867) of pure gold and is available in Brilliant Uncirculated condition. It is ideal for investors who have the ability to acquire from 20 to 1,000+ coins.
The French Angel is surrounded by more mystique than perhaps any other gold coin in our line of European Francs. Not only is it 90% pure gold, but its design is legendary for its purported ability to bring luck to its owner. 
The Swiss 20 Franc Vreneli gold coin is one of the world's classic gold coins and quite popular among investors. Switzerland, neutral since its creation by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, has long been synonymous with stability and fiscal strength due to its practice of backing its currency with large quantities of gold. 
The Italian 20 Lire Umberto I gold coin is a superb example of 19th century European coinage. Umberto I served as the Duke of Savoy before being crowned King of Italy in 1878. He ruled until his assassination in 1900. His image first appeared on these 20 Lire coins in 1879.
