Gold Sovereign Price Today
The indicative value of the British gold sovereign based on the international gold price, as the market moves.
The sovereign right now
British Gold Sovereign
€795.00
Indicative value of a full gold sovereign, based on the current market. The final offer is made after appraisal.
Selling sovereigns?
We buy sovereigns of every year and condition, with the appraisal done in front of you and immediate payment. See the full process and criteria on our sovereign buying page.
What a gold sovereign is
The gold sovereign is a 22-karat coin the Royal Mint has struck since 1817 to exactly the same specification: it weighs 7.988 grams, of which 7.322 grams are fine gold. Because the specification has never changed, a sovereign dated 1900 and one dated 2024 contain the same gold to the thousandth of a gram, which is why the sovereign is the most easily recognised and most readily sold gold coin in Greece.
| Specification | Sovereign | Half sovereign |
|---|---|---|
| Gross weight | 7.988 g | 3.994 g |
| Fine gold | 7.322 g | 3.661 g |
| Fineness | 22 karat (916.7‰) | 22 karat (916.7‰) |
| Diameter | 22.05 mm | 19.30 mm |
| Thickness | 1.52 mm | 0.99 mm |
| Edge | Milled | Milled |
The remaining 8.3% of the alloy is copper: it gives the sovereign its faintly reddish tone and the hardness that let it circulate as money without wearing down quickly. The multiples (the double sovereign and the five-pound piece) share the alloy and scale the weight, but rarely come across the counter.
The sovereigns you are likely to be holding
The sovereigns that reach us carry five different monarchs. The portrait on the obverse tells you the era at a glance; the date and the mint mark complete the coin's identity. None of the coins below holds different gold. They differ only in rarity and condition.
Victoria (1838–1901)
Three portraits. The young head (1838–1887), with a shield or St George on the reverse; the jubilee head (1887–1893), with the small crown; and the old head with the veil (1893–1901). These are the oldest sovereigns that usually reach us, and often the most worn, because they genuinely circulated as money.
Edward VII (1902–1910)
A single portrait, the king's bare-headed profile, with St George on the reverse. Struck in large numbers in London, Australia and Canada, and easy to find.
George V (1911–1932)
The most common old sovereign in Greece. Two details worth knowing: sovereigns dated 1925 were struck again in London in 1949, 1951 and 1952 and are entirely genuine, even though they look “too new” for their date; and from 1929 to 1932 the portrait is slightly smaller, which changes nothing about the value.
George VI (1936–1952)
A sovereign with his portrait was struck only in 1937, as a proof issue for the coronation. If you hold one, it is rare and we value it as a collector's piece, not on the scale.
Elizabeth II (1952–2022)
Two main runs. The first, 1957–1968 (no 1960 or 1961), with the young portrait, the sovereign most Greek families bought and the one we see most often. The second, 1974–1982 (no 1975 or 1977), with the second portrait. From 2000 the sovereign has been struck every year again; Elizabeth appears with five portraits in all, and since late 2022 the coin carries Charles III.
The mint mark
The sovereign was not struck only in London. A small letter shows where it was struck, and London sovereigns carry none.
- MMelbourne, 1872–1931
- SSydney, 1855–1926
- PPerth, 1899–1931
- COttawa (Canada), 1908–1919
- IBombay (India), 1918 only
- SAPretoria (South Africa), 1923–1932
Where to look: on St George sovereigns, on the ground beneath the horse, just above the date. On Victorian shield sovereigns, below the shield. On the young-head sovereigns with St George (1871–1887) the letter sits on the front, below the queen's neck. The letter does not change the sovereign's gold; in a few specific years it changes the collector value, and we always check that before buying a coin as gold.
How we check authenticity
A sovereign does not need a spectrometer. Because its specification is known to the thousandth of a gram and the hundredth of a millimetre, four measurements taken in front of you, without touching the coin, catch almost every imitation in circulation. This is what we do, in order.
- 1
Weighing to a hundredth of a gram
A new sovereign weighs 7.988 g. Full weight means 7.940–7.988 g; from 7.900 to 7.939 g the coin is classed as underweight («λιποβαρής»), a distinction the Bank of Greece draws and the whole market follows, and is priced accordingly. Below 7.90 or above 8.00 the coin gets a second look. Cheap copies in gold-plated brass or lead fail here: to reach a sovereign's weight they would have to be visibly thicker.
- 2
Diameter and thickness
With callipers: 22.05 mm across, 1.52 mm thick at the rim. 22-karat gold has a density of about 17.7 g per cubic centimetre, and no cheaper metal fits 7.99 grams into that volume. A coin of the right weight but greater thickness, or the right dimensions but lighter, is not a sovereign. At the rim we also look at the milling: even and crisp on a genuine coin, often irregular or showing a casting seam on an imitation.
- 3
Magnet
Gold and copper are not attracted to a magnet. A strong neodymium magnet that pulls on the coin, however faintly, rules it out at once. The reverse does not hold, though: brass, lead and tungsten are non-magnetic too, which is why the magnet is the first check and never the only one.
- 4
The ring
A genuine sovereign dropped on marble, or tapped gently against another, gives a clear, high note that lingers. Lead and brass sound dull and die away at once; tungsten, the one cheap metal denser than gold, rings sharper and more “pinched”. We never scratch, file or put acid on the coin.
- 5
The eye
The known fakes (the Lebanese and Italian ones of the 1950s and 1960s that flooded the Greek market) give themselves away in details: blurred or “soft” relief in St George's hair and the horse's tail, lettering of the wrong weight, a date that does not match the portrait, a mint mark in a year that never existed, or a surface that shines evenly like new while the rim is worn.
What these checks cannot catch
We say it plainly: a coin that really is 22-karat gold, at the right weight and the right dimensions, but was not struck by the Royal Mint, passes all four measurements. Many such “sovereigns” circulated in the Middle East after the war; their gold is real, the sovereign is not. The same goes for an alloy slightly under 22 karat, where the difference in weight disappears within the range of wear. That is where the eye and experience count, and when a sovereign passes the measurements but something does not sit right with us, we tell you so and suggest further testing before we agree to anything.
What to bring and how you are paid
What to bring
The sovereigns as they are: do not clean them, do not polish them and do not scratch them to “test” the gold. Patina takes nothing off the value, polishing can. And your police ID card or passport: the law requires the seller's details to be recorded in every purchase of precious items, and it applies to one sovereign as much as to a hundred. Purchase receipts are not needed. If you would like a first impression before you come, send photos through the free appraisal page, though for a sovereign a photo shows only the face; weight and dimensions can only be measured in person.
How you are paid
At the counter, the moment we agree: in cash, within the applicable legal limits for transactions with private individuals, or by bank transfer to your account, usually the same day. For a larger number of sovereigns the transfer is the rule. Every transaction is fully documented. The details are on the payment methods page.
Read more
Three pieces from our blog, for anyone who wants to go deeper:
The same buying prices in two shops
Frequently asked questions about the sovereign price
What is a gold sovereign worth today?
The value of a full sovereign (7.99 g at 916‰, that is, 7.32 g of fine gold) tracks the live international price. See the indicative value on this page. It refreshes every minute.
How is the sovereign price calculated?
The sovereign's fine gold content (7.32 g) × the current gold price per gram. Our indicative price continuously follows the international market; the Bank of Greece also publishes a daily price bulletin for the gold sovereign, useful as a general point of comparison.
I'm selling sovereigns: how much will I get?
Our offer is based on the live price at the moment of the transaction and the condition of the coins. Call us or visit the shop for a binding offer. The appraisal is free.
Are all sovereigns worth the same?
Not always: rare years, certain mints and exceptional condition can carry collector value above the gold value. During the appraisal we always check both.
What is the small letter under St George?
The mint mark: M Melbourne, S Sydney, P Perth, C Ottawa, I Bombay, SA Pretoria. London sovereigns carry no letter. It does not change the coin's gold. In a few rare years it changes the collector value.
Do you buy half sovereigns and multiples?
Yes. A half sovereign holds 3.66 g of fine gold and is checked in exactly the same way; so are the double sovereign and the five-pound piece, which come through the shop more rarely.
Should I clean my sovereigns before bringing them in?
No. Polishing removes metal and the traces we rely on when checking, and on collectible years it can lower the value. Bring them as they are.
Get a free appraisal in 2 simple steps
Send photos online or visit the shop. Every appraisal happens right in front of you.