What is the face value of a Sovereign?

Gold Sovereign coins have a face value of £1. However, the real value of a Sovereign is calculated by multiplying its gold content - 7.3224 grams - by the gold spot price.

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Click here to view the live buying price of a sovereign

Click here to view the live selling price of a sovereign

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The British gold Sovereign is one of, if not the most famous, bullion coin in the world
and was first introduced as long ago as 1489, under King Henry VII. The coin has
a face value of £1, but this was based on previous currency values. Inflation and
monetary policy changes over time have kept its technical value at this level, but as
an uncirculated bullion coin a Sovereign’s real value is based on its pure gold content,
which is worth considerably more than £1.

Since Britain abandoned the Gold Standard in 1931, the real value of the Sovereign has
changed drastically, as the adoption of unbacked fiat currencies has completely altered
the value of money.

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At the time of writing this article, the real value of a full gold Sovereign is around £250 - £260. This is calculated by multiplying its pure gold content (7.3224g) by the gold spot price - currently around £32.60 per gram.

As the gold price increases, so does the value of your gold Sovereign. Click here to view the current gold price per gram.

Of course, the fact that Sovereigns are considered to be semi-numismatic coins (a point of interest for coin collectors) means that certain specific-year Sovereigns will be worth even more than their bullion value. The demand for these Sovereigns is boosted significantly by certain factors such as their rarity, the year or mint branch in which they were produced, or the specific design that the Sovereigns carry.

While this is particularly interesting for collectors of certain Sovereigns, it must be noted that this does not necessarily make them intrinsically more valuable, as a bullion dealer will always value a bullion coin by its pure metal content.

Gold Sovereigns are available in several denominations, each with a relative nominal face value.

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As semi-numismatic coins, certain rare Sovereigns will attract high demand from coin collectors and will therefore come at high premiums to their precious metal value.

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Click here to view our range of Capital Gains Tax exempt gold Sovereigns.