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22k Gold Coins
1/10oz American Eagle Gold Coin Best Value
from £367.10
Gold Half Sovereign Best Value
from £390.10
£1/2 Gold Coin South Africa 1952-1960
from £420.60
Gold Sovereign Best Value Coin
from £775.40
Gold Sovereign - Elizabeth II Fourth Head
from £796.40
Gold Sovereign - Elizabeth II Fifth Head
from £796.40
Gold Sovereign - King Edward VII
from £797.40
Gold Sovereign - King George V
from £797.40
Gold Sovereign - Victoria Old Veiled Head
from £798.40
from £805.00
£1 Gold Coin South Africa 1952-1960
from £834.70
Gold Sovereign - Victoria Young Head Shield Back
from £836.40
1/2oz American Eagle Gold Coin Best Value
from £1,669
Krugerrand Gold Coin 1oz Best Value
from
£3299
£3,216
Gold £5 Coin Quintuple Sovereign Best Value
from £3,968
from £399.40
Gold Half Sovereign King Charles III
from £403.10
Isle of Man Gold Half Sovereign
from £432.40
1/4oz American Eagle Gold Coin Best Value
from £849.00
£5 Isle of Man Gold Coin Quintuple Sovereign
from £4,061
£5 British Gold Crown Best Value
from £4,065
22k Gold Coins
22 carat gold is 22 parts gold in 24, a fineness of 916.7, with the remaining eighth made up of copper and sometimes silver. It is often called crown gold, and it is the standard British coinage has used since the reign of Charles II. The alloy exists for a practical reason: pure gold is soft enough to mark in ordinary handling, and a little copper makes a coin hard enough to survive being carried, counted and stored.
The important point for an investor is that the carat describes the alloy, not the amount of gold. A 22 carat coin is made heavier so that it still holds its stated weight of gold: a one ounce Krugerrand weighs 33.93 grams in total but contains a full troy ounce, 31.10 grams, of gold. You are buying the gold content, and that is what the price is based on, so a 22 carat coin and a 24 carat coin of the same gold weight are worth the same.
Where 22 carat has the edge is durability. These coins handle better, show wear more slowly and are more forgiving if a capsule is opened, which is why the older circulating designs and the coins most often bought secondhand are almost all 22 carat.
Like all investment grade gold, these coins are exempt from VAT, so the price you pay reflects the gold content and a small premium rather than being inflated by sales tax.
Sovereigns and Britannias are British legal tender, which makes them exempt from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents however many you buy or sell. The Sovereign family in particular is the standard choice for UK investors building a holding they expect to sell at a profit, and every size from the Quarter to the Quintuple qualifies. You can see the full selection on our CGT-free gold coins page, which is drawn largely from this group.
Popular 22 Carat Gold Coins
All of the coins below are struck to 916.7 fineness. The gold content is what you pay for; the total weight is higher because of the alloy.
| Coin | Mint | Gold content | Total weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Sovereign | The Royal Mint | 7.32g | 7.98g |
| Gold Half Sovereign | The Royal Mint | 3.66g | 3.99g |
| Gold Quarter Sovereign | The Royal Mint | 1.83g | 1.99g |
| Gold Double Sovereign | The Royal Mint | 14.64g | 15.98g |
| Gold Quintuple Sovereign | The Royal Mint | 36.61g | 39.94g |
| Gold Krugerrand | Rand Refinery | 31.10g | 33.93g |
| American Gold Eagle | US Mint | 31.10g | 33.93g |
If purity rather than durability is your priority, see our 24k gold coins.
