What Are Struck On The Day Coins?
Sometimes called 'Strike on the Day' or 'SOTD' coins, Struck On The Day coins are minted on a specific date to commemorate an important event.
The Royal Mint produces SOTD coins to mark royal occasions like weddings, jubilees and coronations. Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee on 6 February 2022 and King Charles III's coronation on 6 May 2023 were both celebrated with Struck On The Day gold Sovereigns.
SOTD coins are also issued to celebrate significant national anniversaries. This includes the 200th anniversary of the gold Sovereign SOTD coin dated 1 July 2017 and the 50p dated 15 February 2021 for the 50th anniversary of Decimal Day.
SOTD coins are issued in very limited quantities, with some boasting mintages of less than 1,000. These highly collectable coins are often accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, hand-signed by a senior member of staff at The Royal Mint. This confirms that the coin was struck on the specified day.
Struck On The Day Gold Sovereigns?
Struck On The Day coins are premium collector's pieces and The Royal Mint has only produced them in 22-carat gold so far.
The majority of SOTD coins are gold Sovereigns minted with a fine, brilliant uncirculated finish. So-called BUnc coins are of a higher quality than coins struck as bullion or for circulation but are faster to produce than proof coins. This makes a BU strike an ideal choice for SOTD coins that must be minted within a short window.
More recent SOTD Sovereigns have been issued with a 'matt BU' finish, which offers a unique appearance that is seldom found on UK commemorative coins.
Stuck On The Day Sovereigns can provide a challenge for collectors of modern UK gold coins due to the limited numbers that are issued. Prices on the secondary market can also vary substantially from the initial retail price for sought-after issues.
SOTD gold Sovereigns and other coins generally utilise the same design as their standard proof counterparts. However, some issues boast a special mintmark, including the 8 May 2020 VE Day anniversary Sovereign, which has a tiny 'VE75' logo on the reverse.
Since 2017, SOTD Sovereigns have tended to be issued with a plain edge, differing from the typical milled edge seen on proof and bullion strikes.
Full List Of SOTD Royal Mint Coins
At the time of writing in early 2024, the following Struck On The Day coins had been issued by The Royal Mint:
- 2 June 2012 Diamond Jubilee SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 2012)
- 2 June 2013 Coronation 60th Anniversary SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 2013)
- 22 July 2013 Prince George Birth SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 2013)
- 22 July 2014 Prince George's 1st Birthday SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 400)
- 2 May 2015 Princess Charlotte Birth SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 750)
- 22 July 2015 Prince George's 2nd Birthday SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 400)
- 11 June 2016 Queen's 90th Birthday SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 500)
- 6 February 2017 Sapphire Jubilee SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 750)
- 1 July 2017 Sovereign 200th Anniversary SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 1,817)
- 20 November 2017 Platinum Wedding SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 750)
- 2 June 2018 Coronation 65th Anniversary SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 650)
- 22 July 2018 Prince George's 5th Birthday SOTD BU Sovereign (mintage: 750)
- 24 May 2019 Queen Victoria 200th Anniversary SOTD Matt BU Sovereign (mintage: 650)
- 26 August 2019 Prince Albert 200th Anniversary SOTD Matt BU Sovereign (mintage: 650)
- 31 January 2020 Brexit SOTD Matt BU Sovereign (mintage: 1,500)
- 8 May 2020 VE Day SOTD Matt BU Sovereign (mintage: 750)
- 15 August 2020 VJ Day SOTD Matt BU Sovereign (mintage: 750)
- 15 February 2021 Decimal Day SOTD Gold Proof 50p (mintage: 700)
- 12 June 2021 Queen's 95th Birthday SOTD Matt BU Sovereign (mintage: 1,295)
- 6 February 2022 Platinum Jubilee SOTD Matt BU Sovereign (mintage: 1,200)
- 6 May 2023 Charles III Coronation SOTD Matt BU Sovereign (mintage: 1,250)
- 14 November 2023 King's 75th Birthday SOTD Matt BU Sovereign (mintage: 750)
Mintage data published by Spink in their guide to British decimal coinage indicates that the number of SOTD issued is generally slightly lower than the published LEP (Limited Edition Presentation), which is the number listed above.
The discrepancy is particularly notable in the case of the 22 July 2018 Prince George 5th Birthday SOTD BU Sovereign, which boasts an LEP of 750 but a significantly lower published issued figure of 485.
Issue figures for more recent releases are unavailable.
NGC Graded Struck On The Day Coins
Owners of Struck On the Day gold Sovereigns often choose to grade their coins with third-party assessment services like NGC and PCGS. Grading can increase the value of SOTD Sovereigns on the collectors market, particularly if the coin achieves the coveted '70'.
While our 'raw' Struck On The Day Sovereigns are in excellent condition, we cannot guarantee that they will achieve a specific grade if they are submitted to NGC or another grading company. Our SOTD coins are primarily pre-owned, and even mint-fresh coins may not achieve a perfect grade.
