Rare Gold Sovereigns

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Gold Sovereigns are one of the world's most famous gold coins and are a popular choice for investors looking for an asset with a proven ability to maintain a high value. As bullion coins, they are usually valued by multiplying their fine gold content by the spot price at that moment in time. In theory then, any two gold Sovereigns are worth the same amount - the value of 7.32g of gold.

Bullion is valued by measuring the value of a certain product’s fine gold content. Any two Sovereigns should therefore, in theory, be worth the same amount of money. However, in reality this is not the case and many rare gold Sovereigns tend to sell at prices far above the value of their pure gold content. This is because a Sovereign is what is known as a ‘semi-numismatic’ coin- a coin whose value is partly determined by demand from collectors.

Collectors will determine the value of a coin based on factors such as rarity, grade and condition as well as the material value of its precious metal content and will tend to pay large premiums for particularly rare coins.

Benedetto Pistrucci’s famous ‘St George and the dragon’ design has been a staple feature of gold Sovereigns of all denominations since they were reintroduced as British legal tender in 1817. Only a certain amount of coins has featured other designs since then, usually marking or commemorating specific dates or events. These rare gold Sovereigns are therefore particularly interesting for coin collectors, giving them a value that defies that of their gold bullion content.

An example of this is the 1989 coin, issued to celebrate the coin's 500th Anniversary since it was first issued in 1489 under the reign of King Henry VII. Bernard Sindall’s special one-off design is a throwback to the original Sovereign, with the obverse showing an enthroned portrait of Queen Elizabeth while the reverse features a crowned royal coat of arms superimposed on the famous Tudor double rose. Demand for these coins was not originally as high as the Royal Mint had anticipated, with only 10,535 issued out of a limit of 12,500 pieces. More recently, however, they have become considerably more popular as numismatists seek a rare and especially beautiful gold coin.

Other Sovereigns may be considered rare because very few were issued in a specific year, or in a specific location. From the late 19 ^th century until the early 20 ^th century, they were produced in several Royal Mint branches located around the world, in South Africa, Australia, Canada, and India as well as London. Certain dates were issued in very limited numbers from certain mints and are therefore in extremely high demand from collectors. One example of this is the 1923 Sovereign minted in Pretoria, South Africa. Production of this coin, featuring the portrait of George V, was limited to only several hundred units, making it one of the rarest gold Sovereigns of all time.

View our range of specific year gold Sovereigns.