Gold Sovereign

Gold Sovereign History

Gold Sovereign coins in their current form have been produced in the UK for over 200 years, and were used as circulating currency before becoming an exceptionally popular investment coin. Read more about the history of the gold Sovereign coin.

For those seeking the very lowest prices we recommend choosing our best value mixed-year coins. This will give you the best way to buy gold Sovereign coins at the lowest prices. We also offer specific years of Sovereigns should you require them to complete your collection, as well as our best selling, brand new, uncirculated British gold Sovereigns direct from The Royal Mint and their plant in Wales.

As semi-numismatic coins, certain gold Sovereign coins can attract demand not only from bullion investors, but also from coin collectors looking for a rare or particularly interesting coin to add to their collection. These coins can often come at inflated premiums due to this additional demand. In fact, an extremely rare Sovereign became the most expensive British coin of all time in 2020 when a numismatic fanatic paid more than £1 million for a 1937 Edward VII Proof Sovereign.

Investors choose to buy gold Sovereign coins, as a small unit of gold, with both VAT and CGT benefits. All Sovereigns from 1837 onwards are considered legal tender and are exempt from Capital Gains Tax when selling. Sovereigns pre-1837 may still qualify for CGT exemption as chattels.

Known the world over, these coins are respected, recognised and treasured, making them an excellent choice for investment purposes. Those with a historical interest will also buy gold Sovereigns due to their part in British currency history.

Explore our range of collectable Sovereigns
Learn more about Sovereign coin designs
Find figures on the mintage numbers for older Sovereigns
Learn more about mint marks and where Sovereigns were made

Gold Sovereign Price

Gold Sovereign prices are derived from the value of the gold each coin contains. Each gold Sovereign coin weighs 7.98 grams, and is struck to a purity of 22 carat, meaning they contain 7.32 grams of pure gold.

Gold Sovereign prices can vary thanks to the coin's history and numismatic appeal, with certain years or designs being particularly desirable with collectors. The price of a new gold Sovereign coin will typically be based on today's gold price, with a small premium to cover the cost of manufacturing and supply of the coin. Older or rare gold Sovereign coins can cost considerably more than the UK gold price. With the global price of gold being primarily calculated in dollars, periods in which the pound is weak versus the dollar will see UK gold Sovereign prices rise, while a strong pound would see lower prices in the UK.

Our gold Sovereign prices are displayed in real-time, updating every two minutes in-line with the current gold spot price. Investment gold is VAT-free, and the gold Sovereign price shown includes fully insured delivery.

Gold Sovereign Coin Specification

The gold Sovereign coin is a British gold coin manufactured by the Royal Mint. British gold Sovereign coins weigh 7.98g with a diameter of 22.05mm. Gold Sovereign coins are manufactured from 22 carat gold.

Gold Sovereign Value

Investors often ask what is the value of a gold Sovereign? British gold Sovereign coins have a face value of 1 Pound. It is important to note that the face value is a nominal amount that has no bearing on the actual value of the coin. As mentioned, the gold Sovereign coins main value can usually be worked out based on the current gold price. It is this simplicity that makes gold bullion coins appealing. They are bought and sold based on their intrinsic metal value without having to worry about any numismatic value and more complicated selling process.

You can always find a simple benchmark value for a gold Sovereign thanks to the publicly available spot price. The value of a gold Sovereign is therefore generally the same regardless of the year and is just based on the metal content. Some years of gold Sovereign might command a further premium. A lower mintage, or special design could see their value increase beyond their metal content.

The easiest way to work out a gold Sovereign value is to use its gold weight of 7.32 grams and multiply that by the current gold spot price in grams. As a coin with a purity of 916.7 fineness, it's important to calculate the 22 carat gold Sovereign value, to ensure you have an accurate price.

How Much are Gold Sovereign Coins Worth?

If you are wondering how much are gold Sovereign coins worth, a simple rule of thumb is that a gold Sovereign has 7.32g of pure gold, 0.23 of a troy ounce. If you see the gold price in troy ounces you can therefore work out how much a gold Sovereign is worth quite quickly by dividing the troy ounce spot price by four.