BRITISH COINS, MILLED GOLD SOVEREIGNS, George V, Gold Sovereigns (2), 1930M, 1931M, second smaller head left, bm on truncation, rev smaller St George slaying dragon with sword, M mintmark on ground, date in exergue, tiny b.p. to upper right (Bentley 843, 844; McD 291, 293; QM 222, 224; KM 29; Fr 39; Marsh 248 R, 249 R2; S 4000). First once cleaned, few digs on neck and light surface marks, extremely fine, the second with obverse rim nick and surface marks, short scratch by tip of nose, otherwise good extremely fine. (2)
Calendar year mintages 77,588; 57,810 respectively including those that were sent for pyx trial. The pyx figures were 41; and 31 respectively.
As the final gold Sovereign of Melbourne the 1931M has the smallest calendar year output. It is surprisingly not of such rarity today as one would expect, and must have been hoarded as the last issue from the Melbourne mint.
The reign of George V accounts for 25,911,039 Sovereigns from 1911 to 1931.
The total number of Sovereigns produced at the Melbourne mint in total from 1872 to 1931 was 147,282,731 pieces including all the pieces sent for assay.
Estimate: £400-600