This one off gold sovereign has been released to commemorate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee year. The design on the reverse of the coin is an adaptation of the St.George and the Dragon.

As this is a unique design for 2012 only, to mark this year in our history, this coin is bound to be in great demand with collectors and is sure to be a valuable investment for the future.

Gold prices have experienced record breaking growth in the past few years and the demand for gold coins and in particular gold sovereigns has increased massively. Added to this the unique design of the 2012 gold sovereign means that that availability will be limited and stocks are likely to go fast.

The London Mint Office have stocks available right now with a saving of £10 off the official release price.

Click Here to go to The London Mint Office

Nearly every country in the world has produced or is still producing gold coins. At one time most of these coins were in fact employed in the course of daily life for currency. Today these gold coins are widely being produced particularly intended for coin collectors or investors in gold. If you aspire to invest in gold plus would like something striking to put on show or have as a hobby; there is nothing better than a gold coin collection.

You can have a collection of present gold coins or alternatively accumulate old gold coins or a combination of both. Gold coins come in diverse sizes and weight; as a consequence anybody can invest on a budget. A number of internet sites or gold coin dealers can make up a selection of gold coins from diverse countries and will be able to post them to you. These packs can range from about £500 to about £3,000. The amount of coins you get will depend on quite a few things such as: the gold price; size and weight of the included coins; and how rare they are together with their fineness.

Sovereigns are produced at certain weights; in this case a full sovereign weighs 7.98g. Their carat value is 22 carat or 916.6 fineness.

2010 Gold Proof Sovereign

A large number of countries have started to make a gold bullion coin to rival the South African Krugerrand gold coins. Countries also issue commemorative gold coins to celebrate the observance of an event or an event itself. Often, these commemorative gold coins come in presentation sets, plus in some cases may well be made in limited numbers, consequently no more than a specific amount will be minted. This process increases their rarity worth together with the collectability of the gold coins.

One other advantage to collecting gold coins can be the fact that in nearly all countries it can be a tax-free method of investing your money since currently most places do not place any tax on gold coins as they can still be utilised as legal tender. However, somebody would be mad to use a gold sovereign to purchase an item for a pound because it is worth many times that in gold scrap value.

When you get started collecting full sovereigns you will also pay more for gold coins in fine condition. Typically, gold coins should be graded and the worth of the sovereign depends on what grade your gold coin is. Your gold coins will eventually have to be graded by a professional grader if you wish to get rid of your coins. You can more often than not acquire proof versions of nearly all contemporary gold coins and even though you will of course shell out more for these options, they will be faultless and could prove a valuable investment.

The modern gold sovereign coin was first minted in 1817 during the reign of George III.  The iconic Saint George and The Dragon reverse as we recognise it today first appeared in this format in 1821 for the reign of George IV.

At times during its history, the shield back has replaced St. George, notably during the Georgian era and also in the reign of Queen Victoria.

The modern sovereign and half sovereign are made of 22 carat gold.  The full sovereign weighs just under 8 grammes making its scrap value today around £140 with the scrap value of the half gold sovereign being half of that.  Of course, other than some very poor examples of the more common George V gold sovereign they are in general worth far above their scrap value.

For collectors and investors a general rule is that the older the sovereign the more valuable it is, although there are exceptions to this.  Some investors do prefer to buy new mint condition encapsulated gold sovereigns so that they remain in newly minted condition.

If you are collecting, it is worthwhile investing in a case or box which are readily available to house your collection.  This will retain the condition and value of your gold coins and is especially a good idea for the small half sovereigns, only about the size of 1p, to prevent loss or damage.

Recently on eBay 20^th century gold half sovereigns are selling for between £75 and £100 depending on condition.  Some of the more modern full sovereigns are selling for as little as £150 to over £200.  A George III 1817 sovereign sold for £500.

According to Spink (the bible for coin collectors) 2008 issue, the book value for an 1817 full sovereign is between £275 and £1650 depending on condition.  If you are lucky enough to find the much rarer 1819 issue, you could expect it to be worth a minimum of £22,500!

For those collectors who prefer a shiny new gold coin, the Royal Mint is currently selling the 2010 issue of the full gold sovereign, bullion quality in a presentation case for £199.  Imagine what a fabulous gift this would make for a birth, wedding, special birthday or graduation during the year.

Over the years, many people have had their gold sovereigns mounted in pendants or rings to show them off.  This can affect the value, either in a good or a negative way depending on the quality of the mount and whether it has caused any damage to the coin.  Buying these can sometimes result in a mistake, however, as there have been times when gold rings and pendants have been made with fake sovereigns that are of lower quality 9 carat gold and are of much lower value.  If in doubt, don’t buy.