What are gold Sovereigns?
Gold Sovereigns are British coins made from 7.98 grams of 22-carat gold. That means that they are 91.67% fine, containing 7.32 grams or exactly 0.2354 troy ounces of pure gold.
Sovereigns have a long history, stretching back to the time of the Tudor Dynasty who minted large and beautiful gold coins as symbols of their wealth and prestige. Centuries later, in the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo, a new Sovereign was released into circulation by the Royal Mint. These gold coins quickly gained a global reputation, trusted across the British Empire to contain a precise amount of high-purity gold.
200 years on, the UK's national mint is still striking these coins. Today they're intended for collectors and investors but the rigid specification has remained the same. Old Sovereigns remain sought-after and new editions can be equally valuable.
Are gold Sovereigns a good investment?
Investing in gold can add stability to a diversified portfolio and gold coins like Sovereigns are a popular choice, even in turbulent economic times. Here are the top five reasons that serious investors choose gold Sovereigns:
- Affordability: At 7.98 grams of 22-carat gold, Sovereigns can easily be acquired for a reasonable price, less than larger investment coins like Krugerrands and Britannias
- VAT Free: Private UK and EU customers can buy Sovereigns without paying VAT thanks to legal exemptions relating to gold (the same perk does not apply to silver or platinum)
- Capital Gains Tax Exempt: You won't pay CGT on Sovereigns produced after 1837 as these coins are still technically legal tender under British law
- Easy To Sell: Sovereigns are instantly recognisable to gold buyers the world over so it's easy to divest when the time comes (just make sure to use a reputable company)
- Historic And Beautiful: Special designs and rare date Sovereigns, including Victorian coins can increase in value well above the gold rate, plus they're lovely to look at!
What affects the price of gold Sovereigns?
There's a few factors that can impact the value of your gold Sovereigns.
The main one is fluctuations in the precious metal market. Gold dealers talk about the ‘spot' price which is the price for gold right now. If demand goes up, the price goes up but it can fall too. We'll sometimes see sharp spikes, associated with big global events. Over the long term, the price of gold has risen significantly meaning that the value of the average Sovereign was way lower 30 years ago than it is today.
There's also a huge collectors market for Sovereigns. In some years, fewer Sovereigns were minted so those dates are highly sought-after. Collectors are also interested in Sovereigns produced at the old international branches of the Royal Mint, located in Australia, Canada, South Africa and India. These are identified by tiny 'mint mark' letters. Other small details like variations in the designs and lettering on these coins can also add serious value.
If your Sovereign is very worn or has been mounted in a ring or a necklace this can negatively impact its value. Such coins are often lighter than standard and so they don't contain as much gold. We still buy these coins but 'ex-mount' or poor-quality Sovereigns are worth less. Conversely, Sovereigns in excellent condition can be worth much more than average.
Which Sovereigns are the most valuable?
There are some seriously valuable Sovereigns out there and we pay premium prices for rare gold coins.
Very early Tudor Sovereigns, made by hand in the sixteenth century sell for astonishing figures at auction. Occasionally, metal detectorists dig these up but you're more likely to see one in a museum.
Some of the first new-style Sovereigns are also rare. Many of those produced during the reigns of King George III, King George IV and King William IV were later melted down so those that survived are very valuable. Good quality examples can range from the high hundreds up to tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds for scarce years like 1819.
By the early twentieth century, regular production of Sovereigns had dwindled though the Royal Mint still made them to celebrate royal coronations. A vanishingly small number of gold Sovereigns were preemptively produced in anticipation of King Edward VII being crowned. Since Edward abdicated these coins were never issued. One of these 1937 Sovereigns sold in 2020 for a whopping £1,000,000.
Want to know how rare your gold Sovereign is? We've launched a website called Gold Sovereign Expert with a handy free tool to help you determine the rarity of any Sovereign. If you know the facts, you can get a fair price for your gold coins.
Got a rare gold Sovereign? If you have a rare date or a high-grade example we can provide a custom quote, based on the numismatic value of your coin (that's the value on the collectors market). Contact our expert team for more information.
How do I know if my Sovereign is real?
When you've handled lots of genuine Sovereigns it's easy to spot bad fakes. That takes experience and there's some counterfeit Sovereigns on the market that take even our seasoned specialists a moment to identify.
Look out for wonky rims and mushy-looking designs (produced by casting coins rather than striking them). Compare pictures of real coins on reputable websites to your suspect Sovereign and note differences in minor details. Reference books that list the different varieties of Sovereigns can be useful too. Rare types of Sovereign are more commonly forged so you'll want to be even very wary of these, especially if you're buying online from an unknown seller.
Some fake Sovereigns are made from 22-carat gold but many are made from a different alloy or just plated in gold. At Gold-Traders, we employ high-end XRF technology to quickly and precisely test the chemical composition of the gold coins our customers want to sell. Putting a Sovereign in an XRF machine does not damage the coin, unlike old-fashioned assaying techniques. We combine this technical equipment with our professional expertise, built up over decades, to authenticate your coins.
Selling gold Sovereigns from home in the UK
Making the decision to sell your gold Sovereigns can be difficult but getting a fair price for them is simple with Gold-Traders UK. We've been in business since 2008, providing great customer service, fast payouts and, most importantly, transparent, industry-leading rates. Our live gold prices (including for gold Sovereigns) are easy to access so you know exactly what we'll pay. There's no hidden fees: the price you see is the price you'll get.
In 2022 Gold-Traders became the first UK precious metals dealer to be vetted and approved by Trading Standards through their trusted Buy With Confidence scheme. There are lots of independent reviews for Gold-Traders on their website and even more on our Trustpilot page from customers like you who have sold us their gold coins.
All you need to do is fill out a claim form online and post your Sovereigns to our Wiltshire offices. You could get money in your bank account within 24 hours. Want to sell your Sovereigns in person? Visit our secure premises, just six miles from Swindon, easy to get to from J16 of the M4. Check out our opening hours now.
Other Coin Pages
