Collection: Gold British Sovereign Coins

British Sovereign gold coins are the most prestigious bullion gold coins in the world – and due to their legal tender status in the UK, they are Capital Gains Tax (CGT) free. The sovereign has been struck since 1817 and was originally a circulating coin, because of its long history many 10's of billions of USD worth of the coin have been minted.

With the start of the first World War in 1914, the sovereign vanished from circulation in Britain; it was replaced by paper money and did not return after the war, though issues at colonial mints continued until 1932. The coin was still used in the Middle East and demand rose in the 1950s, to which the Royal Mint eventually responded by striking new sovereigns in 1957. Since then, it has been struck both as a bullion coin and beginning in 1979 for collectors. Although the sovereign is no longer in circulation, it is still legal tender in the United Kingdom.

Recently it has borne the design of Saint George the Dragon on the reverse; the initials (B P) of the designer, Benedetto Pistucci are visible to the right of the date.

The Sovereign is The Royal Mint’s 22 carat gold flagship coin, it is 91.66% gold and 8.33% copper. For two centuries, the Sovereign has been a constant of British coinage, admired and trusted through times of change. 

Due to the long history of Sovereigns the weights vary, more recently the common Sovereign coins are the Sovereign 7.988 grams (1/4 oz) the double Sovereign or 2 pound sovereign as well as the 5 pound sovereign.