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sovereign  A gold half-sovereign carrying a portrait of King Henry VIII of England, and his coat of arms. Henry inherited a wealthy kingdom, and his policies during the first part of his reign, assisted by English statesman Thomas Wolsey, strengthened the country's position in Europe. | British gold coin, introduced by Henry VII, which became the standard monetary unit in 1817. Minting ceased for currency purposes in the UK in 1914, but the sovereign continued to be used as ‘unofficial’ currency in the Middle East. It is still produced in commemorative and collectors' editions. |
| The value is notionally £1, but the actual value is that of the weight of the gold at current rates. |
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