Museum
Elizabethan gold pound or sovereign
Description
An Elizabethan gold pound or (fine) sovereign; 1594-96; Mint mark - a wool sack. According to 1937 Birthplace Catalogue, the pound was money of account in England, derived from the Roman liber. The coin that has alwayys been understood by this name in modern history is the Sovereign, first struck in 1489 under Henry VII and valued at 20 shillings, being equivalent to the Double-Ryal or Noble.