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1959 Gold Sovereign Coin - Queen Elizabeth II

Name: 1959 Gold Sovereign Coin - Queen Elizabeth II
Brand: The Royal Mint
SKU: SOV1959
Price: 975.9 GBP
Availability: OutOfStock

SKU: SOV1959 | Pre-Owned | Out of Stock

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£975.90

About this product

The 1959 Gold Sovereign has the lowest mintage of any Sovereign carrying Mary Gillick's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Struck by The Royal Mint in 22 carat gold, it features Benedetto Pistrucci's famous St George and the dragon.

Each coin contains 7.32 grams of pure gold. As UK legal tender, it's VAT-free and exempt from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents. Every coin is graded and tested by our team before dispatch.

Material

Gold
Brand

The Royal Mint
Series

Gold Sovereign
Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II
Denomination / Size

Sovereign
Country

United Kingdom
VAT Status

Exempt
CGT Status

Exempt

Product Description

The 1959 Sovereign has the smallest mintage of Queen Elizabeth II's Gillick Sovereigns. The Royal Mint made between 1.36 and 1.39 million, depending on the reference, fewer than any other year in the series.

It was also the last Sovereign until 1962. No Sovereigns were struck in 1960 or 1961, and production didn't start again until the 1962 issue.

Why the 1959 Sovereign was made

In the 1950s, Sovereigns were in high demand in Greece and the Middle East, where they often sold for more than their gold value. That premium made them a target for forgers.

The Royal Mint began striking new Sovereigns in 1957 to meet this demand with genuine coins. The 1959 coins, like those of 1957 and 1958, were made for this overseas market rather than for use in Britain.

1959 Sovereign mintage compared

1957: about 2.07 million
1958: about 8.7 million
1959: 1.36 to 1.39 million

Published figures vary slightly between references. All of them show 1959 as the lowest mintage of the Gillick run.

Design of the 1959 Sovereign

Obverse (front): Mary Gillick's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with a laurel wreath tied with ribbons. It was the Queen's first coinage portrait.
Inscription: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F: D:, meaning "Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith".
Reverse (back): Benedetto Pistrucci's St George slaying the dragon, dated 1959, with his initials "B.P." below.
Edge: milled with the standard 108 grains, the same as the 1958 and later Gillick Sovereigns.

1959 Sovereign specifications

Weight: 7.98 grams
Pure gold content: 7.32 grams (0.2354 troy oz)
Purity: 22 carat (91.67% gold)
Diameter: 22.05 mm
Face value: £1
Mintage: 1.36 to 1.39 million

Condition, testing and packaging

Every 1959 Sovereign we sell is pre-owned and graded Very Fine (VF) or better. You can expect light wear, with the portrait and St George still clearly defined.

We test each coin in-house to confirm it's genuine 22 carat gold. It's then packed in a clear coin flip. Photos show the type of coin you'll get, so yours may vary slightly.

Completing the Gillick set

With the lowest mintage in the series, the 1959 can be the hardest date to find when building a set. It sits alongside the 1957 Gold Sovereign, the first year of the run, and the 1958 Gold Sovereign, the most common.

If you simply want Sovereign gold at the lowest premium, see our Best Value Pre-Owned Full Gold Sovereigns.

Delivery Information

We post every order using Royal Mail Special Delivery. It's tracked from dispatch to delivery and fully insured on the way.

When the coin is in stock, orders placed before 1pm from Monday to Friday leave us the same day. Pre-owned stock is limited, and every coin is checked again before it's packed.

You can also collect in person. Choose Click & Collect at checkout, and we'll keep your order at our Royal Wootton Bassett branch and email you once it's ready. You'll need to show official photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence.

Payment is by UK debit card or bank transfer. Credit cards can't be used. For high-value orders, we may ask to take payment by bank transfer before dispatch.

Sorry, we can only supply customers based in the UK.

Investing Information

Buy without VAT

You pay no VAT on a 1959 Sovereign. Gold coins that meet the UK's investment gold criteria are VAT exempt, and the Sovereign is one of them. It makes no difference whether the coin is new or pre-owned.

Exempt from Capital Gains Tax

Because the Sovereign is UK legal tender, UK residents pay no Capital Gains Tax on profits when they sell. It's one reason many people choose Sovereigns when building a gold collection.

A coin dealers know

Gold dealers all over the world recognise the Sovereign. Its fixed gold content makes it easy to value, and the 1959's low mintage can add interest for collectors when you come to sell.

About advice

We can tell you the facts about how gold is taxed. We can't advise you on what's right for your own money. Please do your own research and get professional advice if you need it.

Product Specification

Coin

Full Gold Sovereign

Year

1959

Type

Pre-Owned / Secondary Market

Weight

7.98 grams

Gold Content

7.32 grams (0.2354 troy oz)

Fineness

22 carat (91.67% pure)

Diameter

22.05 mm

Thickness

1.52 mm (approx)

Edge

Milled (108 grains)

Face Value

£1 GBP

Mintage

Approx. 1.36 to 1.39 million (references differ)

Obverse Designer

Mary Gillick

Reverse Designer

Benedetto Pistrucci

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

VAT Status

Exempt

CGT Status

Exempt

Mint

The Royal Mint (Tower Hill, London)

Condition

Pre-owned, Very Fine (VF) or better

Reference

Spink 4125, Marsh 299

Denomination Information

The Sovereign's beginnings

The gold Sovereign in its modern form was first struck in 1817, following the Great Recoinage of 1816. With a face value of one pound (20 shillings), it quickly became one of the world's most trusted coins.

St George and the dragon

Benedetto Pistrucci designed the St George and the dragon reverse for the first Sovereigns in 1817. More than two centuries on, it's still the design most people picture when they think of a Sovereign.

A fixed standard

The Sovereign's weight and gold content haven't changed in over 200 years. Every full coin weighs 7.98 grams and contains 7.32 grams of pure gold. Only the portrait changes, to show the reigning monarch.

After the First World War began in 1914, Sovereigns stopped circulating in Britain. They returned as bullion coins in 1957. Mary Gillick's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II appeared on Sovereigns from 1957 to 1959 and again from 1962 to 1968.

Why the Sovereign is still popular

The Royal Mint continues to strike Sovereigns today, and every one is UK legal tender. With no VAT and no Capital Gains Tax for UK residents, it's among the most popular gold coins in the country.

Got a Sovereign to sell? Check how much a gold Sovereign is worth today.

About Us

Every pre-owned coin in our shop has been graded and tested by our own team. If a coin can't be verified, we don't offer it for sale.

Gold Traders has specialised in precious metals since 2008. With that experience and our testing equipment, you can be sure the coin that arrives is the coin you paid for.

What our customers value:

Honest, competitive prices shown upfront
Royal Mail delivery across the UK, insured in full
Collection in person from our Royal Wootton Bassett office (bring photo ID and proof of address)

Our reviews on Trustpilot, Google and FreeIndex speak for our service. Although we can't give personal financial advice, our team will gladly help with any questions about our coins or placing an order.

Your questions answered

We've compiled a list of our most frequently asked questions. If there's something we haven't covered, please call us & we'll be happy to help. Read all FAQs.

Orders placed before 1pm, Monday to Friday, are sent out the same day while stock lasts. We use Royal Mail Special Delivery, so your coin is tracked and insured.

Not for UK residents. As UK legal tender, the 1959 Sovereign is exempt from Capital Gains Tax, so any gain when you sell isn't taxed. For advice on your own tax position, please speak to a qualified adviser, as we can't give personal advice.

Your 1959 Sovereign arrives in a clear coin flip. It keeps the coin safe and clean, and lets you view both sides without handling the gold.

The Royal Mint didn't strike any Sovereigns in 1960 or 1961. That makes the 1959 the last Sovereign of the Queen's reign until production started again with the 1962 issue.

There are 7.32 grams of pure gold in a 1959 Sovereign, which is 0.2354 of a troy ounce. The coin itself weighs 7.98 grams, as it's made from 22 carat gold. At today's live market price (28th September 2026), the gold alone is worth £732.75. The price you pay us includes a premium on top of that.

No VAT is charged. Sovereigns meet the UK rules for investment gold, which is exempt from VAT, so the price you see is the price you pay for the coin.

The Royal Mint made between 1.36 and 1.39 million Sovereigns dated 1959, depending on the reference. That's the lowest mintage of any Sovereign with Mary Gillick's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and far fewer than the 8.7 million struck the year before. Published figures differ slightly between references, but all put 1959 at the bottom of the Gillick run.

You can pay by UK debit card or bank transfer. We're not able to take credit cards, Amex, or business payment cards.

Walk-in purchases aren't possible, as all orders need to go through our website first for security and stock reasons. When ordering online, you can choose 'Click & Collect' at checkout to save on postage and pick your order up from our Royal Wootton Bassett branch. We'll email you as soon as it's ready, and you'll just need to bring photo ID with you. Payment is by UK debit card or bank transfer. We don't accept credit cards.