1911 BRITISH SOVEREIGN GOLD COIN (nearly 1/4 oz.) US $260.09 (8 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 19:00:58 PDT Add to watch list

1983 U.K. 1/4oz.Gold Proof Sovereign in Box w/Paperwork US $324.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 21:57:58 PDT Add to watch list

GREAT BRITAIN & AUSTRALIA SOVEREIGN TYPE SET 1879-1925 US $0.01 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Mar-22-2010 20:16:41 PDT Add to watch list

4834] 1989 Gold Sovereign 500th Anniversary PCGS PR68 US $1,299.00 End Date: Wednesday Mar-24-2010 22:59:49 PDT Add to watch list

Pacific Sovereign 1oz Gold coin .9999 US $1,350.00 End Date: Friday Mar-26-2010 15:32:51 PDT Add to watch list

0090] 1989 Gold Sovereign 500th Anniversary Proof US $899.00 End Date: Monday Apr-05-2010 13:06:11 PDT Add to watch list

0148] 1817 Britain Gold Full Sovereign PCGS MS63 US $3,499.00 End Date: Friday Apr-09-2010 21:48:38 PDT Add to watch list

9083] 1855 Sydney Gold Full Sovereign PCGS VF35 US $3,550.00 End Date: Friday Apr-09-2010 21:49:53 PDT Add to watch list

1925 BRITISH GOLD SOVEREIGN NGC MS-63 "RARE" THIS NICE! US $499.95 End Date: Monday Apr-12-2010 23:51:49 PDT Add to watch list

UK Gold Sovereign coins were first minted in 1489 for Henry VII of England. These coins contained pure gold and had face values of only £1 or 20 shillings. However, these coins did not contain any imprint stating their value as they were considered official bullion. In 1604, the production of such Gold Sovereigns was stopped and replaced by Laurels although their minting was restarted again in 1817.

The gold sovereigns were made from 23 karat gold and had a half troy ounce or 96% pure gold content. The purity of these gold coins was reduced from 23 karats to 22 karats by King Henry VIII, which then went on to become the defining standard for all common gold bullion coins in both the U.S. and the UK. Today, the amount of gold content in these coins remains fixed at 7.322 grams or 0.2354.

There have been other denominations of these gold sovereign coins released by the British Royal Mint such as half sovereigns which have a face value of 10 shillings, double sovereigns which are worth £2 and quintuple sovereigns having a £5 value. These UK sovereigns were minted as normal bullion until 1982, after which they were only struck as proof coins for collectors. These gold coins are favored by collectors on account of their rarity as they have great numismatic value.

Before the First World War, UK Sovereigns were being produced in large quantities; however, after the war, British pounds were removed from the gold standard. It was only in 1957 that minting of such gold sovereign coins was started once again to prevent any attempts at counterfeiting. All these UK Gold Sovereign coins are marked with a nominal legal tender value, but the current bullion markets prices determine the actual value and price of the gold in the coins.