Gold Half Sovereign

Gold Half Sovereign History

Like its bigger brother, the gold Half Sovereign was used as circulating currency from 1817, and was considered half a pound. As the name suggests it contains half the gold - 3.65 grams - of a standard Sovereign. As was common for circulating currency it is produced in 22 carat purity to help protect the soft gold from any damage while being used, and The Royal Mint have continued this tradition more than 200 years later.

A Half Sovereign is worth roughly half the value of a full gold sovereign. Investors will usually expect to pay a small premium to buy two half gold sovereign coins rather than one full gold sovereign however despite them being the same total weight. This is because there are higher manufacturing costs associated with small units of gold bullion coins.

The Half Sovereign is therefore usually the best option for investors who want more flexibility than the full Sovereign, or are on a budget looking to make a smaller purchase, but with all the same benefits the larger coin offers.

You may also be interested in:

• Sovereign Mintage Figures
• Sovereign Designs
• Sovereign Mint Marks

Gold Half Sovereign Price

Gold Half Sovereign prices are derived from the value of the gold each coin contains. Each gold Half Sovereign coin weighs 3.99 grams, and is struck to a purity of 22 carat, meaning they contain 3.66 grams of pure gold.

Gold Half 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 Half 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 Half 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 Half Sovereign prices rise, while a strong pound would see lower prices in the UK.

Our gold Half 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 Half Sovereign price shown includes fully insured delivery.

Gold Half Sovereign Coin Specification

The gold Half Sovereign coin is a British gold coin manufactured by the Royal Mint. British gold Half Sovereign coins weigh 3.99g with a diameter of 19.3mm. Gold Half Sovereign coins are manufactured from 22 carat gold.

Gold Half Sovereign Value

Investors often ask what is the value of a gold Half Sovereign? British gold Half Sovereign coins have a face value of 50p. 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 Half 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 Half Sovereign thanks to the publicly available spot price. The value of a gold Half Sovereign is therefore generally the same regardless of the year and is just based on the metal content. Some years of gold Half 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 Half Sovereign value is to use its gold weight of 3.66 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 Half Sovereign value, to ensure you have an accurate price.

How Much are Gold Half Sovereign Coins Worth?

If you are wondering how much are gold Half Sovereign coins worth, a simple rule of thumb is that a gold Half Sovereign has 3.66g of pure gold, 0.11 troy ounces. If you see the gold price in troy ounces you can therefore work out how much a gold Half Sovereign is worth quite quickly.