2022 Proof Sovereign Release
Synopsis
Today marks the release of the 2022 proof sovereign from The Royal Mint, which for the first time features a design of the Royal Coat of Arms.
Here we provide some of the more technical aspects of the proof sovereigns and the proof sovereign coin sets.
New Sovereign Design Announced
The 2022 sovereign design was revealed by the Privy Council on the 25th June 2021. These new sovereigns, celebrating Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, would feature the Royal Coat of Arms.
The Royal Coat of Arms maybe familiar to many as it can be seen on British passports, churches, public buildings and on a number of UK coins.
The 2022 Royal Coat of Arms Sovereign
The new proof sovereign in 2022 features an interpretation of the Royal Coat of Arms designed by Timothy Noad to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. Noad’s last sovereign design can be seen on the 2005 sovereign which featured a reimagining of the traditional George and the Dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci.
The coat of arms features the quartered shield of the United Kingdom, surmounted by a royal crown, topped by a golden lion.
The shield is surrounded by the Order of the Garter. This French motto “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE” is roughly interpreted as “EVIL BE TO HIM WHO EVIL THINKS THEREOF”.
The shield is held up by two ‘supporters’ standing on each side. The left is the crowned golden lion of England. The right supporter is the silver unicorn of Scotland.
The 2022 Gold Proof Sovereign Range
The 2022 proof sovereign range from the Royal Mint includes the following coins:
| Denomination | Face Value | Metal | Diameter | Weight | Fineness | Actual Metal Weight | Limited Edition Presentation | Maximum Coin Mintage |
| Quintuple Sovereign | £5 | Gold | 36.02 mm | 39.94 g | 916.66 | 1.1771 oz | 810 | |
| Double Sovereign | £2 | Gold | 28.4 mm | 15.976 g | 916.66 | 0.4708 oz | 1,310 | |
| Sovereign | £1 | Gold | 22.05 mm | 7.988 g | 916.66 | 0.2354 oz | 10,500 | 13,040 |
| Half Sovereign | £0.50 | Gold | 19.3 mm | 3.994 g | 916.66 | 0.1177 oz | 2,000 | 4,310 |
| Quarter Sovereign | £0.25 | Gold | 13.5 mm | 1.997 g | 916.66 | 0.0589 oz | 2,310 |
Along with the release of the individual sovereign and half sovereign coins, the Royal Mint have also released a 5-coin set, a 4-coin set, and a 3-coin set. The 5-coin gold proof sovereign set contains all 5 coins, the 4-coin gold proof sovereign set excludes the quintuple sovereign, and the 3-coin gold proof sovereign set excludes both the quintuple and double sovereign. These sets have a limited edition presentation of 700, 500 and 1,000, respectively.
The Last House of Windsor Royal Arms?
We have speculated on a previous blog, that this maybe the final time that the Windsor Royal Coat of Arms appears on a coin. Should the next monarch be Prince Charles, he may adopt the coat of arms of his father, the late Prince Philip. If that is the case, these platinum jubilee sovereigns may become highly collectable and valuable coins.
2022 Bullion Sovereigns
The Privy Council and The Royal Mint have yet to confirm whether the 2022 gold bullion sovereigns will show the Royal Coat of Arms or whether they will keep the Pistrucci design.
Previous years, like 2016 and 2017 have had different designs for proof and bullion sovereigns, whereas in others like 2002 and 2005, both proof and bullion coins had the same designs.
We will of course let you know when we hear more.
2022 Proof Sovereign Prices
When these coins were originally released we offered the 2022 proof sovereign collection at lower prices than the Royal Mint, with our mailshot subscribers, being offered FREE postage.* There were stipulations to this offer, which is why we had a maximum quantity on each product. Individual coins were limited to 3 per customer, while sets were limited to just 1 per customer. The offer was also subject to reasonable demand to ensure our customers get a fair and reasonable chance to get their hands on these special coins.
After we sold out of our first allocation, we were able to obtain more coins. As these were purchased at a higher price, we increased our prices.
After these proof sovereigns sold out within hours of their release at the Royal Mint, demand has risen exponentially. We have seen some retailers offering the coins at extremely high prices. We list some below. Prices correct as of 26/06/2022.
£1,195.00 from Bournemouth
£1,299.00 from Mayfair
£995.00 from Wallington
£1,099.95 from Stanmore
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