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Currency

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

Author: Jon Clarke - Bullion & Economics Editor

Published: 9 Nov 2021

Last Updated: 19 Jul 2022

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