1985 Gold Brilliant Uncirculated Quintuple Sovereign £5 St George

Buy a bullion gold £5 coin, also known as a quintuple sovereign or a five pound piece.

• Exempt from Capital Gains Tax
• VAT free
• Struck in 22 carat gold, 0.916 fineness
• Contains 1.1771 troy ounces of fine gold
• Mintage of 13,626

£5 History

Way back in 1902, five pound gold coins were issued for circulation, but even then, they were probably mainly hoarded as curiosities and keepsakes as the modern cupro-nickel £5 crowns are nowadays.

In 1980 the Royal Mint started issuing gold £5 coins once again, although some dates were issued only as part of a 4 coin gold proof set, others were issued as proofs, some as uncirculated versions.

In 1985, the Royal Mint issued a three-coin gold proof set, which consisted of the two pounds, sovereign, and half sovereign.

So a proof version of the 1985 gold five pound coin exists, but only as part of, or split from, the 3-coin proof set, but in 1985, for the first time, the Mint issued a so called "Brilliant Uncirculated" version.

1985 Five Pounds - "Brilliant Uncirculated"

In 1985, the £5 coin was issued in a "Brilliant Uncirculated" version, and there were no separate proof versions, only in the proof sets. We usually have one of these large and striking gold coins in stock.

Display Card

This "B.U." issue was supplied in a black "blister pack" card which doubled as a certificate, in a black cardboard outer box. Although the card was not intended to be opened and resealed, the adhesive used has usually deteriorated by now, so that the coin can now be removed, or falls out, and cannot be re-inserted securely into the card without resorting to glue to re-stick the card. Later issues were sold in plastic capsules within leatherette or flock boxes, with a separate certificate.

"U" For Uncirculated

From the 1985 issue, the Mint started to place a letter "U" to the left of the date to denote Uncirculated versions of the five pound gold coins, as opposed to the proof versions, we do not know why they thought this was necessary.

The third definitive UK coin portrait of Elizabeth II by sculptor, Raphael Maklouf.

The reverse shows Benedetto Pistrucci's design of St George and the Dragon as seen on the bullion sovereigns coins issued in the same year.