Sovereign Gold Coin | Best Offer

A Sovereign at the lowest price in stock

This listing is for a full Sovereign where the monarch and date are whatever is cheapest in stock at the time. The coin itself is always the same: 7.98805 g gross at 22 carat, holding 7.3224 g of pure gold, 22.05 mm across.

The standard has not changed since 1817. A Victoria, an Edward VII, a George V and a Charles III Sovereign all contain identical gold. What varies is the portrait, the date and, on some Victorian coins, the reverse.

Specifications

The Royal Mint does not publish a thickness for the Sovereign, so none is quoted here.

What you give up by not choosing

Nothing in the metal. You give up the ability to pick a monarch, a date or a mint, and you may receive a circulated coin rather than an uncirculated one. In return you pay the lowest premium we can offer on a Sovereign.

If a particular reign matters to you — and for some buyers it does — the individual listings are the ones to look at instead.

Why UK coins are treated differently

HMRC exempts sterling currency from capital gains tax, and the exemption reaches Sovereigns minted in 1837 and later and Britannias because they are current UK legal tender denominated in pounds. A Krugerrand, a Vreneli or an American Eagle is a chargeable asset by the same logic.

One point that catches people out: pre-1837 Sovereigns are not covered. They are no longer legal tender, so they are treated as chattels instead, under the chattels rules rather than the currency exemption.

VAT and UK capital gains tax

HMRC treats a coin minted after 1800 as bullion gold if it is at least 900 thousandths fine, is or has been legal tender in its country of origin, and normally sells at no more than 180 per cent of the open market value of its gold (VAT Notice 701/21A). The Sovereign is 916.67 fine, UK legal tender and sold close to the gold price, so it meets all three tests.

It is also a United Kingdom coin with a face value in pounds, so it is sterling legal tender. The UK exemption from capital gains tax follows sterling legal tender, which is why Britannias and Sovereigns sit outside that tax while a Krugerrand, Maple Leaf or Philharmonic does not. This is a statement of the published rule, not tax advice — your own position depends on your circumstances.

Questions buyers ask

Which coin will I receive? Whichever Sovereign is cheapest in stock. It may be any monarch from Victoria onwards, in any condition from circulated upwards.

Is it exempt from capital gains tax? For UK residents, yes, for any Sovereign minted in 1837 or later. Pre-1837 Sovereigns are not, because they are no longer legal tender.

How much gold does it contain? 7.3224 g of pure gold at 916.67 fineness.

Is a worn coin worth less? As bullion, no in any meaningful sense. Heavy wear removes only a trace of metal. As a collector coin, condition matters a great deal.

Authenticity checked at GoldInvest24 before dispatch. Other sizes are on the Sovereign gold coins page. Live quotes on the precious metals prices page.