2012 Queen Elizabeth II Gold Proof Quarter Sovereign Diamond Jubilee
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2012 Quarter Sovereign with one-year-only reverse by Paul Day.
The Story Of Gold 1/4 Sovereigns
The first gold Sovereigns were struck during the reign of Tudor King Henry VII. Centuries later, in 1817, a new gold coin bearing this name was introduced, following a major overhaul of British coinage.
Sovereigns once circulated across the globe but production ceased with the outbreak of the First World War. Reintroduced in 1957, annual issues attract investors and collectors with limited edition proof Sovereigns - hand-finished for a flawless effect - the most sought-after.
In 2009 The Royal Mint introduced a new fractional issue to the Sovereign family. The Quarter Sovereign measures just 13.50 millimetres across and has a nominal face value of 25p. Like other gold Sovereigns, these coins are made from 22 carat gold with the Quarter Sovereign offering .0588 Troy ounces of gold.
Paul Day's Diamond Jubilee Reverse Design
In honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, The Royal Mint held a competition to find a special, one-time reverse for the 2012 Sovereign. The winning entry was by the British sculptor, Paul Day. Day's design is a take on Pistruccis' famous Saint George and the dragon scene, used on these coins since 1817.
Day's design fills the field and makes the dragon, snapping at the horses heels, as large as the figure of England's patron saint. The date is squeezed in beneath the beast's belly. It represents an emerging tradition at the Mint for celebrating royal anniversaries with alternate Sovereign designs.
This dynamic engraving is paired with Ian Rank-Broadley's depiction of Her Majesty the Queen. In use between 1998 and 2015, this fourth official effigy shows a greater degree or realism than its idealised predecessors. Broadley's initials - IRB - appear below Elizabeth II's portrait.
Are 2012 Quarter Sovereigns Collectible?
This 2012 Quarter Sovereign has a fine proof finish. Intended for collectors, proof coins have more detail and a more contrast between fields and figures than their circulating and bullion counterparts thanks to multiple strikes of hand-prepared dies.
The coin comes in its original presentation case with a numbered certificate of authenticity.
7,579 proof Quarter Sovereigns were stuck in 2011 by The Royal Mint, not including those in sets.
If you're interested in a 2012 Quarter Sovereign then you may also be interested in our 2012 'full' proof Sovereigns and our five-coin 2012 Sovereign set. These and the 2012 gold proof Quarter Sovereign are exempt from Capital Gains Tax as UK legal tender and free from VAT in the UK and EU as investment grade gold.
How To Sell A 2012 Gold Quarter Sovereign
We buy gold Quarter Sovereigns for market leading prices. Use our Sell Your Coins page to get a free, no-obligation quote for your gold coins today and find out how you can get cash for your collectibles from home.
Frequently Asked Questions
British Quarter Sovereigns weight 1.997 grams. They're composed of 22 carat (.917) gold meaning that their actual gold weight (pure gold weight) is 0.588 troy ounces. That's exactly a quarter of the amount found in a larger 'full' Sovereign. Gold Sovereigns weigh 7.98 grams in total.
The face value of Quarter Sovereigns is a quarter of a pound sterling or 25p but these tiny coins are worth much more than that thanks to their gold content. Each Quarter Sovereign is composed of 1.997 grams of 22 carat (916.7) gold which equates to .0588 troy ounces of pure precious metal.
Quarter Sovereigns are made from 22 carat gold. This is gold that is 91.67% pure. Copper is added to these gold coins to add strength as pure gold is fairly soft. Each Quarter Sovereign weighs 1.997 grams meaning that they contain .0588 troy ounces of pure gold: a quarter of that found in 'full' Sovereigns.
The face value of a Quarter Sovereign is a quarter of a pound sterling or 25p. However, their rarity and the gold content mean that Quarter Sovereigns are worth much more than this. These coins have only been offered for the last few years making them much scarcer than Half Sovereigns or 'full' Sovereigns.
In the 2010s, The Royal Mint offered some Quarter Sovereigns in individual presentations. Since 2020, however, the Quarter Sovereign has only been available in larger proof Sovereign sets making these coins difficult to find on their own unless they have been professionally graded.
What Quarter Sovereigns are worth depends on several factors. These tiny British gold coins are composed of 1.997 grams of 22 carat gold with an actual gold weight of .0588 troy ounces. Quarter Sovereigns are generally only available in limited numbers and sometimes only in Royal Mint sets.
Quarter Sovereigns weigh 1.997 grams and are composed of 22 carat (91.67%) gold. This means that their actual gold weight is 1.83 grams or 0.588 troy ounces, exactly a quarter of the gold in a 'full' Sovereign. These coins measure 13.50 millimetres in diameter and feature the same designs as larger Sovereigns.
Gold Quarter Sovereigns are only minted in limited numbers, their collectors value meaning they command prices well above their weight in gold. Individual proof examples are particularly sought after as they were only issued in certain years. Graded examples, taken from Sovereign sets, are also popular.
Gold Quarter Sovereigns are only minted in limited numbers, their collectors value meaning they command prices well above their weight in gold. Individual proof examples are particularly sought after as they were only issued in certain years. Graded examples, taken from Sovereign sets, are also popular.
The rarest Quarter Sovereign might be the 2012 BU Quarter Sovereign. Spink reports that only 137 of these brilliant uncirculated coins were issued. Among proof Quarter Sovereigns, collectors seek the 2015 edition with the newly introduced portrait by Jody Clark on the reverse.
Quarter Sovereigns are worth much more than the price of the gold they contain. These coins were only introduced in 2009 and have been offered in very limited numbers since, mostly with a proof finish. These coins are sought by collectors who enjoy the challenge of collecting a short but interesting series.
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