Gold sovereigns were first made in 1817 and with their £1 value used as circulating coinage. Until the latter part of the Victorian period, gold coins were carried in a pouch or purse, but the need arose for a more sophisticated approach and the silver sovereign case was born.
Sovereign cases are cleverly made with a sprung coin holder housing one or more full sovereigns, with some versions having the capability to also hold other sizes. For both security and ease of use, the coins are accessed by a push button which releases a hidden spring within the hinge and the cover flips open. Sovereigns were no longer struck as coinage after World War I and the brief heyday of the sovereign case ended.
