Full Gold Sovereign : Pre Owned (Best Value)

Our best price for gold Sovereigns: our choice of date and design.

Gold Sovereigns: A Long History

The first gold Sovereigns were large hammered gold coins, issued by the Tudor kings in the sixteenth century. The prestigious name was revived centuries later for a new coin in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars.

First issued in 1817, the modern Sovereign was introduced as part of a major overhaul of British currency. Originally, these coins were in general circulation across the Empire, minted in England, as well as at branch mints in Australia, Canada, South Africa and India.

During the First World War Sovereigns fell out of circulation in Britain though demand rose in subsequent decades, particularly in the Middle East. This eventually prompted the Royal Mint to start striking new Sovereigns in 1957. Annual issues have continued since, maintaining the Sovereign's reputation as the world’s premier gold bullion coin.

British 22 Carat (916.7) Gold Coins

All genuine gold Sovereigns are composed of 7.98 grams of 22 carat gold: that’s equivalent to a fineness of 916.7 or 91.67%.

This means that a 'full' Sovereign contains 7.332 grams or 0.2354 troy ounces of pure gold. The remaining grams of metal are largely copper which give these coins a reddish tint.

Gold full Sovereigns measure 22.05 millimetres in diameter and have a thickness of 1.52 millimetres.

This specification was established all the way back in 1817 and has been carefully followed for more than two hundred years. In fact, it was their consistent gold content that made Sovereigns a globally influential bullion coin, long before the introduction of Krugerrands or Gold Eagles.

Beautiful And Historic Coinage Designs

Over the decades a range of different designs have appeared on gold Sovereigns.

The first modern Sovereigns featured a portrait of George IV and a now famous reverse, featuring England's patron saint - St George - in the act of slaying a dragon from horseback. This design by Benedetto Pistrucci has become closely associated with the gold Sovereign but many minted during the reign of Queen Victoria featured a shield of arms reverse - you might hear these referred to as 'shield backs'.

When you order our best value Sovereigns you could receive coins from the reigns of several British monarchs. Our bullion stock includes Victorian Sovereigns with various portraits and gold coins from the reigns of George V and Elizabeth II. It just depends on our current stock.

If you're looking for a specific year or design we can help with that too: search our site or contact us and we'll help you source the coins you're looking for.

Why Should I Buy A Gold Sovereign?

Our prices for gold Sovereigns are tied to the metal market and updated in real time. You can see current spot prices at the top of this page. Prices can go up and down, trending with supply and demand changes in the wider world. Our profit comes from the low margin we charge over the spot price and from riding out highs and lows of the market.

The big benefit to buying Sovereigns is that they are exempt from Capital Gains Tax as UK legal tender. Like other gold coins and bars, Sovereigns are also VAT free but the CGT break is limited to British coinage that you could technically spend in a shop (not that we’re advising that!).

When you buy our 'full' Sovereigns you're getting these tax benefits but also the recognition-value that these coins hold. Go into any cash-for-gold shop, anywhere in the world: they'll recognise a Sovereign and you'll be able to liquidate fast.

Our Best Value Range Of Gold Sovereigns

Our best value coins, including our 'full' Sovereigns are sold at our lowest margin over spot. These coins have no numismatic value but they are guaranteed to contain a consistent and significant amount of gold.

Our expert staff carefully authenticate all of our gold Sovereigns.

We use XRF machines to confirm composition and our decades of expertise to ensure they coins you receive our genuine.

These coins are graded Good to Fair. You won't receive any ex-jewellery mount coins but you might find your Sovereigns exhibit minor edge dings or surface scratches. These do not effect the weight.

Please note that we cannot guarantee a specific year or monarch when you buy our mixed-date bullion Sovereigns. We do, however, have a wide range of Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria Sovereigns available by year across our site to add to your collection. Have a browse or contact us if there's a Sovereign you’re looking for.

Free, Insured, Next Day Shipping

We'll post Sovereigns (almost) anywhere in the world, packed securely and discretely.

Delivery to UK addresses is free. When you order gold Sovereigns from us we'll send your package via Royal Mail Special Delivery. This is a next day service (delivered before 13.00) and a signature will be required.

International orders incur a flat £15 postage fee, regardless of the size of your order. The current list of countries we can't ship to can be found on our delivery page.

Where possible, we ship out items within 24 hours of an order being made. That said, we do take the weekends off. If there is a delay in dispatching your coins we’ll contact you via the email address provided at check out.

If you're local to us you’re welcome to pick up your Sovereigns from our shop in Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. We’re based out of Old Bank Antiques on the High Street though you're welcome to come to our secure counter, located at the side of the building on Station Road.

Sell Your Sovereigns Today For Cash

Got Sovereigns to sell? We buy Sovereigns in any condition and we'll pay a premium for rare dates and high grades. Visit our selling guide for more info then get in touch: we can pay you fast for Sovereigns and lots of other coins either over our counter in Royal Wootton Bassett or by bank transfer.

If you're selling 50 or more 'full' Sovereigns we would be very interested to hear from you. Please contact us for a customised quotation on your coins.