General Quiz on Sovereigns 1 1

[Zebo]

No looking up the answer or checking out the submitted responses in advance. This is a general knowledge quiz - advanced questions comes later.

[Zebo]

There are ten total questions contained in the two parts of this quiz. Some a bit harder than others. After the poll runs a bit, I will post the correct answers to all of the questions. These are off the cuff questions that I came up with to help me gauge the knowledge level regarding sovereigns. It will also  help me adjust a presentation I have started, but have been sidetracked on many times. This is meant to be educational and fun at the same time. 

 Score yourself and see how you performed. The below scale is just for fun and not meant to be a real gauge of anything:

 0 correct - you are undoubtedly unfamiliar with one of the world's most influential coins.

 1-2 correct - you have a little basic understanding, but not enough to be considered dangerous

 3-4 correct - you have a bit of knowledge - a book on the sovereign will help

 5-8 correct - you know your way around and are at the intermediate level

 9-10 correct - well done, you obviously know your sovereigns and are ready for the advanced quiz

[Just Bob]

I took the quiz, but each answer was a guess. 

[jtryka]

Are the correct answers posted somewhere?

[Zebo]

36 minutes ago, jtryka said:

Are the correct answers posted somewhere?

Yes they are. There is one correct answer to each question. No trick questions. 

[World Colonial]

Unless I missed something, I know three answers here.  I have no clue for #4 and #3 is 50-50.

[Zebo]

Some hits  and some misses, I'll post the results in a couple/few days allowing others to vote.

[Hoghead515]

Just took it. I think I got a couple right 

[coinsandmedals]

I believe I got them all correct except number 4. I had to guess on that one. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by coinsandmedals

[Zebo]

I was hoping for a bit more participation. I've decided to end the poll a bit earlier than planned to not keep some of the regulars in suspense. My next poll may be on the coinage of the Isle of Man. I cannot see who scored the best - so grade yourself. Thanks for participating - I hope you had fun.

1) How many countries has the Sovereign been minted in under the auspices of the Royal Mint?

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Correct answer is 5: England, Australia, Canada, India and South Africa - Listed in the order they opened for business.

2) How many mints issued sovereigns?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Correct answer is 7: London (now Wales), Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Ottawa, Bombay and Pretoria - also listed in order that they opened for business.

3) What is the gold purity associated with current day sovereigns?

18 carat, 20 carat, 22 carat, 24 carat, none of the above

Correct answer is 22 carats.

4) How many different tail lengths were minted?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Correct answer is 3: Long, Medium and Short -- although I tend to question the medium.

5) In what year was the sovereign first struck?

1489, 1523, 1633, 1712, 1817

Correct answer is 1489 under the rule of King Henry VII. The sovereign changed names leading to the Unite, first issued by King James I with the intention of uniting England and Scotland; followed by the Guinea. Partial credit given to those that picked 1817, as it was the birth of the Modern Sovereign. 

Answers for Part II of the quiz - also listed in the Part II Poll

6) What was the most comprehensive collection of sovereigns that has gone to auction?

Hemisphere, Quartermaster, Park House, Bentley, George

Correct answer: the Bentley Collection auctioned by Baldwins in three parts.

7) What is the main difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Sydney sovereigns?

Obverse, Reverse, Alloy Used, Weight, Legend

Correct answer: the Obverse. Type one (1855-1856) included a portrait of Queen Victoria that closely resembled the ones being minted in London at the time. The Type two (1857-1870) incorporated a sprig of Australia’s native flower, the banksia, in the Queen’s hair - a unique Australian portrait.

8) How many sovereigns are known to have been melted by the Bank of England in 1930 and 1931?

None, 24,335,000, 52,000,000, 71,900,000, 84,665,000, 100,441,000

Correct answer: 100,441,00. The number was originally thought to be a bit less.

9) In what year did the Royal Mint stop minting the shield reverse?

1817, 1823, 1853, 1874, 1933

Correct answer is 1874. The Australian mints continued to issue the shield along with the St. George reverse until 1887. I do not count the commemorative issues minted in 1989 for the five hundredth anniversary of the sovereign or the 2002 special issue for the Queen's golden Jubilee.

10) In what year did the so called "Modern Sovereign" come into existence?

1817, 1823, 1853, 1874, 1933

Correct answer is 1817.

Edited March 4, 2021 by Zebo

[Fenntucky Mike]

5 out of 10, I think.  The one I was most confident of I got wrong the rest were best guesses. 

Thanks for posting these quizzes Zebo.

[Henri Charriere]

Very considerate of Zebo to re-state the questions before providing the answers (to eliminate unnecessary scrolling.) My score? You already know the answer. That's why I am a rank amateur.  Illuminating, nonetheless!

[World Colonial]

I knew 5 out of 10.  I forgot about Perth as a mint but knew the others.

[coinsandmedals]

It looks like I scored 7 out of 10. I have never collected Sovereigns, but I have learned a lot by reading posts from those who do. Thank you for taking the time to create the poll. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by coinsandmedals

[Hoghead515]

I'm not gonna say how many I got right. It's a bit embarrassing.  I had fun taking it anyway and it was a good learning experience. Thank you for allowing me to participate.