British India. King George V. 1918 Sovereign of Fifteen Rupees. Struck from 22ct gold. 7.98g. KM#525.

An original striking from the last year of the Great War, where later restrikes have a more orange-gold colour variation due to the composition of gold from a private supplier.

World War I saw the British Empire issuing sovereign-type coins in India for the first time due to the wartime dangers of shipping gold from South Africa to London.

This one year issue by the Royal Mint in Bombay reflects the legal exchange rate of 15 Rupees to an English sovereign by its identical size, weight and finesses. They circulated in India as a representation of a sovereign until 1927, when they were demonetized and exchanged for the latter. As most of them were melted down, it remains one of the most sought-after types by sovereign collectors.