Sovereign in 999.9 gold starting 2026?

[paulmerton]

I hope this news doesn't ruin @LawrenceChard's holiday!

[Olivard]

Just now, BackyardBullion said:

Just fired off an email to the Royal Mint press office for formal comment.

I can't 100% confirm based on the information I have, I need something concrete before I publish something definitive.

Hope you get a reply before the proclamation next year and without the words commercially sensative.

[ZRPMs]

5 minutes ago, paulmerton said:

Someone could make a box for them all now.

Got it covered Different colour for different mints, so to speak.

[paulmerton]

3 minutes ago, Olivard said:

Hope you get a reply before the proclamation next year and without the words commercially sensative.

I have a VIP tour soon, so I'll let everyone know in 3 years when the NDA expires.

[Orpster]

I was quite excited to go back to yellow gold sovereigns but had assumed silver to be used in place of some or all of the copper.

If true to me it shows they have no sense of the history of their own flagship product, its what you get I suppose putting marketing and sales executives in change.

I haven't been a fan for a long time of some of their practices which is a shame as I have been buying from them since you had to cut the order form out of the paper and send away with a cheque for your annual proof sovereigns.

 

Edited October 14 by Orpster

[JamesH]

If it is true then it’s a great shame. Will likely put me off purchasing any new sovs from 2026 onwards and just focus on the ‘proper’ sovs of old 

[paulmerton]

If it is true, you can bet it's been done purely for commercial reasons.

It feels like everything is coming to an end and drastic things are being done to cling on for a bit longer.

I was underground in a Welsh coal mine the other day and it struck me how the demise of that activity feels a bit like what could end up happening to the mint.

[ZRPMs]

Might as well start collecting Tristan Da Cunha sovereigns. The end for me if true. Almost sad I've concentrated my collecting on sovereigns now. Oh well. 

[Silfrfish]

I suppose over the centuries the Royal Mint has had a variety of ‘business models’ to suit its role. Moving away from producing currency for other countries was a pity for me, but they hadn’t done that throughout their whole history so whatever, commercial decision blah blah. They also probably haven’t been producing collectors coins to such an extent before in their history either. 

Its the suspected motivating factors for change at the RM that make me feel a bit miserable about the future of their output. Money is ruining our money!

 

[Rhaco]

I think the news will be viewed in different ways, depending on whether you are a coin collector or just interested in bullion. Certainly, I do not like the reddish modern colour, and like gold to look, well, gold. However, this surely creates a problem for the quarter ounce Britannia. They should have replaced the copper with silver - simple. 

[Rhaco]

5 hours ago, ak74 said:

One big German distributor,  Emporium Hamburg, states that starting 2026 the Sovereigns will be minted in 999.9 gold. 

https://www.muenzkurier.de/neuheiten/wissenswertes/wissenswertes/breaking-news-aus-grossbritannien-royal-mint-laeutet-zeitenwende-fuer-sovereign-goldmuenze-ein

Only a few hundred euros for a Sovereign according to this article. They should be so lucky. 

[ZRPMs]

I've just realised why they've made the move to remove the copper from the humble sovereign. They're expecting a shortage or a squeeze now on copper and they are doing their bit to contribute some copper to produce a wind turbine to help off set some of their carbon footprint during the production of the blanks.

[ak74]

Now the RM almost guaranteed the high demand for 2025 Sovereigns, despite their "not-much-loved" colour, and they will have some time to make a final decision about 2026... 

[ak74]

26 minutes ago, Rhaco said:

However, this surely creates a problem for the quarter ounce Britannia.

They can just stop 1/4oz Brit minting

[BackyardBullion]

I have had the following statement from the royal mint press office:

Statement starts

"Lines on reports of 999.9 Sovereign"

Whilst the rose gold Sovereign has been popular amongst collectors and investors, we recognise that our customers have wanted to see the return to yellow gold for some time. 

We're excited to announce that the Sovereign will be made from yellow gold next year. 

And we’re aware of reports around the purity of the gold.

Under the Coinage Act 1971, the Sovereign must be made of 22-carat gold (916.66%) purity. 

However, we are undergoing strict testing processes for next year's offering and will confirm further details in due course. 

Statement ends

 

[paulmerton]

3 minutes ago, ak74 said:

They can just stop 1/4oz Brit minting

I'm not convinced this will work

 

[ak74]

4 minutes ago, BackyardBullion said:

However, we are undergoing strict testing processes for next year's offering and will confirm further details in due course. 

The good news is that "testing processes" are "strict" 🤣

[BackyardBullion]

My Captain subtext translation.

"We are seeing how much we can bend the rules to best suit our own financial gain"

[paulmerton]

Well they've already shown that a Sovereign doesn't need to be made of 22-carat gold (cf. the Silver Sovereign).

Maybe this new coin can simply dodge the existing Act by being called the Gold Sovereign.

[BackyardBullion]

So, we can breathe a semi sigh of relief that it's not definitive yet.

Maybe bullion coin releases will continue on 22ct but a special 9999 proof premium sovereign will come out alongside 22ct ones.

This I can see happening and you know what, I would be OK with that happening. It wouldn't be my cup of tea but it would be better than just replacing all sovereigns with pure gold.

If they do replace all sovereigns with pure gold then they would not be sovereigns as per the 1971 coinage act. 

It would really be the end of the "sovereign" as a coin and you have to wonder why people would bother buying them compared to say a 1/4 oz gold. 

Or, if the premiums on the new 9999 sovs are the same as old school ones then why would anyone bother with 1/4 oz gold at the higher premiums.

If the premiums on the new 9999 sovs are in line with current 1/4 oz gold Brits then why would anyone bother buying them.

[paulmerton]

31 minutes ago, BackyardBullion said:

I have had the following statement from the royal mint press office:

Statement starts

"Lines on reports of 999.9 Sovereign"

Whilst the rose gold Sovereign has been popular amongst collectors and investors, we recognise that our customers have wanted to see the return to yellow gold for some time. 

We're excited to announce that the Sovereign will be made from yellow gold next year. 

And we’re aware of reports around the purity of the gold.

Under the Coinage Act 1971, the Sovereign must be made of 22-carat gold (916.66%) purity. 

However, we are undergoing strict testing processes for next year's offering and will confirm further details in due course. 

Statement ends

 

 

Show me where I can get some of this 916.66% gold for the same price as a regular sovereign  

[Orpster]

I do buy 1/4oz gold coins, and have no objection to them, I really like the Gold Standard and certain designs of the Britannia special years.

But a sovereign is a sovereign is a sovereign.  

Lets all cross our fingers for a 22ct yellow gold sovereign.  Wonder what they mean with the line about testing.  I am really hoping for a standard design, in 22ct yellow gold.  Not some weird alloy mix or a change in design that deviates in any significant way from the George and Dragon reverse.  I would hope now for no special reverse until at least 2030 when I hope to see the Merlen shield 

31 minutes ago, BackyardBullion said:

However, we are undergoing strict testing processes for next year's offering and will confirm further details in due course. 

  Thanks for contacting them for clarification @BackyardBullion.  While the response is not completely reassuring it leaves hope they will be doing the right thing.

[BackyardBullion]

3 minutes ago, Orpster said:

I do buy 1/4oz gold coins, and have no objection to them, I really like the Gold Standard and certain designs of the Britannia special years.

But a sovereign is a sovereign is a sovereign.  

Lets all cross our fingers for a 22ct yellow gold sovereign.  Wonder what they mean with the line about testing.  I am really hoping for a standard design, in 22ct yellow gold.  Not some weird alloy mix or a change in design that deviates in any significant way from the George and Dragon reverse.  I would hope now for no special reverse until at least 2030 when I hope to see the Merlen shield 

  Thanks for contacting them for clarification @BackyardBullion.  While the response is not completely reassuring it leaves hope they will be doing the right thing.

I think the testing is for 9999 gold unfortunately. They are seeing if a) it's viable and b) possible in line with coinage act (either bending the rules or just ending the sovereign and replacing with the "9999 sovereign")

[Whitebulldog]

For entirely selfish reasons I would be happy for sovereigns to be .9999 gold. Why? Because then I wouldn’t have to pay GST on them in Australia.

However, Perth Mint makes 22 carat sovereigns that are yellow i.e. this year 

[Ash1984]

It would be strange commercial decision. 'A more gold sovereign, than other sovereigns' A globally recognised coin it should be as it always has been throughout history. The only reason I see to make it pure is that manufacture of pure gold would be easier. 

Personally, I don't see coins, bullion etc being minted at the RM in the near future, it will be outsourced to those who do it better and cheaper. They'll just become another non govt owned bullion dealer, urban mine, along with a large vault. And yes, I can see it being moved from under the government's wing and privatised.

However, would I buy? Yes of course I would.