2022 James I Gold Proof 2 oz Coin - The British Monarchs Collection

The new 2022 James I Gold Proof 2 oz Coin is the second release in the Royal Mint's British Monarchs Collection. 

King James was the first king to rule both England and Scotland simultaneously, making him the first ‘King of Great Britain’. 

Each coin is struck in 24 carat gold (0.9999 fine) and contains one troy ounce of the precious metal. The coins are legal tender currency, having a face value of £200.

Only 166 of these coins will be minted with just 150 issued in this limited edition presentation.

Click the link to view other releases in the British Monarchs Collection.

King James VI of Scotland

Born in 1566, James became King at 13 months old when his mother, Mary Queen of Scots was ousted by an alliance of protestant nobles. With his mother exiled and imprisoned in England, and his father Lord Darnley dead (allegedly killed on the orders of Mary), James was left in the care of the zealously protestant Scottish Kirk and nobility, which was determined to see that the infant king was moulded into their idea of what a king should be.

The most obvious legacy of his reign is the union of the two crowns of England and Scotland, simply by birth right, he eventually inherited both crowns. In 1612, he commissioned a new Bible in English, now commonly known as the 'King James Bible', which continues to have an important influence on protestant Christianity throughout the English speaking world.

Read more on our blog page.

British Monarchs Series

The obverse features Jody Clark's portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The inscription reads:

2022 • ELIZABETH II • D • G • REG • F • D • 200 POUNDS

The reverse design shows a rightward facing portrait of a crowned King James I holding an orb and sceptre with the surrounding inscription:

IACOBVS • DG • MAG • BRIT • FRAN • ET • HIB • REX