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$1,030.61
The sovereign is Britain’s historic gold coin — 7.98805 g at 22 karat, containing just under a quarter of a troy ounce of gold.
Prices last updated
Victorian and earlier sovereigns, and scarcer branch-mint issues, can carry collector premiums well above their gold content. Modern issues generally trade near melt.
| Total weight | 7.98805 g |
|---|---|
| Fineness | .9167 (91.67%) |
| Pure gold content | 7.323 g (0.2354 ozt) |
| Years struck | 1817–present |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Face value | £1 |
The sovereign has been struck to the same specification since 1817, which is why coins two centuries apart are interchangeable by weight. Its small size makes it the practical choice for selling gold in parts rather than committing to a full ounce, and like other UK legal tender it is exempt from capital gains tax for British residents. Note that a sovereign is not the same as a South Indian "sovereign" (savaran), which is 8 g of pure gold.
Its melt value is about $1,030.61, based on 0.2354 troy ounces (7.323 g) of pure gold at a spot price of $4,377.60 per troy ounce. That is the metal content only — the coin may be worth considerably more to a collector.
The coin weighs 7.98805 g in total and is 91.67% fine (.9167), so it contains 7.323 g of pure gold — 0.2354 troy ounces.
Not exactly. Melt value is the raw metal content at spot. Scrap buyers and refiners typically pay 80–95% of melt to cover refining and margin, while recognised bullion coins and collectable dates usually sell for more than melt, not less. Melt is best treated as the floor under a coin’s price.
Counting a mixed jar? Use the junk silver calculator.