Buying Sovereign Gold Coins !!TOP!!
Prior to 1489, the Royal Mint of England had issued various other gold coins for circulation within the kingdom. When the first gold sovereigns were issued during the reign of King Henry VII it instantly became the largest and most valuable gold coin ever seen to date. Like modern gold sovereigns, these original coins included the portrait of Henry VII as depicted sitting on his throne in a coronation gown.
buying sovereign gold coins
The reverse side of the original gold sovereigns included the double rose that symbolized the union of the House of York and House of Lancaster following the Wars of the Roses. Over the centuries, the reverse and obverse design elements would change with new monarchs. In 1603 however, the practice of coining the gold sovereign died out during the reign of King James I who had unified the crowns of Scotland and England.
Since 1817, gold sovereign coins have been issued to fill varying roles. From the original sovereigns of Henry VII to the new modern gold sovereign of King George III, most gold sovereigns prior to the 20th century were gold coins intended for use in circulation to meet economic needs as a medium of exchange. Those coins had a face value of 20 Shillings, with so-called Half-Sovereigns available with a 10 Shilling face value from time to time. The coins featured .2345 Troy oz of .917 gold content that included .083 copper and other metals to improve its resistance to wear and tear.
The most commonly issued British Gold Sovereign is the standard gold coin in this series. It has been available for most of the years since its introduction in 1817. While the Gold Sovereign is the most prevalent coin in the series, there are actually two other options available in the British Gold Sovereign Series. The British Gold Double Sovereign was conceived at the same time in 1817, but the coin never entered circulation. A select few proof or pattern coins were released in 1820 during the reign of King George III. In 1887, Double Sovereigns were released to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Double Sovereigns rarely went into circulation. In the 1980s, Double Sovereigns were introduced for the first time as modern bullion coins for investors. Additionally, a British Gold Half Sovereign was conceived in 1817, but like the Double Sovereign, was rarely issued. It is more commonly available from the 20th century and 21st century as bullion coins not intended for circulation use.
During the 1800s and early 1900s, The Royal Mint began to open branch mints in various locations within the British Empire where major gold fields were discovered. These branch mints all manufactured gold sovereigns at various times.
Given that Victoria reigned for so long, there were a number of design changes to the Victoria portrait on sovereigns over that period. Sovereigns in the period 1838 to 1887 depict her first portrait and are referred to as Victoria young head coins. From 1887 to 1893, a second portrait was introduced and the coins are known as Victoria Jubilee head, celebrating the Golden Jubilee. Sovereigns from 1893 to 1901 have a third portrait and are known as Victoria old head.
As outlined at the beginning of this guide, the main benefit of buying gold Sovereigns (instead of bigger bullion units) is the increased flexibility when trying to sell a smaller portion of your overall investment. They are also ideal for people who regularly use their CGT allowance.
The first gold Sovereigns were large hammered gold coins, issued by the Tudor kings in the sixteenth century. The prestigious name was revived centuries later for a new coin in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars.
When you order our best value Sovereigns you could receive coins from the reigns of several British monarchs. Our bullion stock includes Victorian Sovereigns with various portraits and gold coins from the reigns of George V and Elizabeth II. It just depends on our current stock.
When you buy our 'full' Sovereigns you're getting these tax benefits but also the recognition-value that these coins hold. Go into any cash-for-gold shop, anywhere in the world: they'll recognise a Sovereign and you'll be able to liquidate fast.
Our best value coins, including our 'full' Sovereigns are sold at our lowest margin over spot. These coins have no numismatic value but they are guaranteed to contain a consistent and significant amount of gold.
There are lots of different options. You could invest in a gold exchange-traded fund (ETF) a fund that does nothing but hold gold. Or buy shares in gold-mining companies. Or buy gold bars or coins. You could also choose to invest in semi-numismatic coins. These are coins that aren't just valuable for their gold content. The coins also appeal to collectors who are interested in coins and banknotes.
Just as it's a good idea to diversify your portfolio across a wide range of assets including equities and bonds, it may also be a good idea to diversify your gold holdings across two or three types of gold investment. Having eggs in various gold baskets is probably the most sensible and prudent strategy.As part of this mix, older gold coins should be looked at.
Classic European and world gold coinage is an often overlooked, but extremely important sector in today's gold market. These coins are rare which means they have more potential to appreciate in price yet, they can often be bought at bullion prices.
Crucially, you can also save tax by investing in gold. Gold bullion and some gold coins are exempt from VAT, whilst post-1837 British sovereigns and Britannia coins are exempt from Capital Gains Tax (CGT). That's because these post-1837 sovereigns and Britannias are legal tender.
If you're wondering which coins are exempt from VAT, the rules are a little complex. If a coin is bought as a investment in gold bullion, then it should normally be exempt from VAT. However, if a coin is sold for more than 180% of its gold-value content, it's clearly attractive as a collector's item and is then subject to VAT.
Often the price of gold coins is slightly higher than modern gold bullion, but these coins offer many advantages. They're often scarce, and can have aesthetic value as well as historical significance. When you look at semi-numismatic gold coins, the British gold sovereign (originally the one pound coin) is the most widely traded.
There is constant and excellent liquidity in most countries in the world. For the investor looking for slight leverage to the gold price with the potential for the premium (numismatic value) to rise, British sovereigns are a good way to invest in gold.
The first British gold sovereigns were minted more than 500 years ago. They were minted under Tudor king Henry VII in 1489. The current design type with Saint George slaying a dragon on the reverse and the monarch on the front was introduced nearly 200 years ago in 1816 under George III. The sovereign was minted almost continuously from that date until 1932 when Britain went off the gold standard.
British sovereign kings' minted during the reigns of Edward VII and George V are probably the most widely owned and recognised pre-1933 gold coins. In 1816, the British gold sovereign as we know it today was first introduced, and as the British Empire expanded under Queen Victoria during the 1800s, this coin came to be the world's most widely distributed gold coin.
Minted originally in London, the sovereign came to be minted all over the world as Australia and South Africa came to be large gold producers. Mints in Pretoria, Bombay, Ottawa, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth minted thousands of sovereigns during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
It is estimated that only 1% of all gold sovereigns that have ever been minted are still in collectible condition. It is this relative rarity in relation to bullion coins and bars that leads to leverage whereby, in gold bull markets, the value of these coins increases by more that the actual price of gold.
Unlike paper investments or speculations, British gold sovereigns have a real and permanent tangible value. Therefore, they offer two ways to build wealth. They can offer the best of bullion and numismatics in one investment. They contain the intrinsic security of bullion or precious metal in a pure form and can also offer additional profit potential due to their aesthetic and historical appeal.
The Britannia Coin Company stock a wide and varied selection of gold coins at low margins over the market 'spot' price. Our coins are manufactured by the various International mints and are all guaranteed as genuine. All investment gold is exempt from VAT and UK coins (such as Sovereigns and Britannias etc.) are also exempt from CGT (Capital Gains Tax).
The first Gold Sovereigns were struck in 1489 for King Henry VII. These large and heavy gold coins bore the Tudor rose and were a symbol of royal power and prestige. The first English coin to be valued at one pound, these early Gold Sovereigns were presented to the great and good.
Gold Sovereigns weigh in at 7.98805 grams, of which 7.32240 grams is pure gold. These coins have a fineness of 916.7, meaning that out of one thousand parts, more than 90% of a Gold Sovereign is gold. The equivalent of 22 carats, Gold Sovereigns are among the world's purest gold coins.
The remaining metal in a Gold Sovereign is copper, which gives them their subtle pinkish hue. Gold Sovereigns are not made entirely from gold because they were not originally bullion coins. Pure gold is soft and ordinary coins made from it would soon wear down as they were handled and exchanged.
So why invest in coins like Gold Sovereigns, rather than gold bars? Well, the smaller initial outlay is one reason. A single Gold Sovereign will cost hundreds, compared to tens of thousands for one-kilogram gold bar. Gold Sovereigns represent an affordable bullion product for many investors.
Made with investment-grade gold, Gold Sovereigns are also Value Added Tax (VAT) free in the UK and the European Union. Unlike silver and palladium coins, Gold Sovereigns are not subject to the current 20% standard VAT rate, which is certainly a benefit when you come to sell. 041b061a72