1819 George III Gold Sovereign Coin

The 1819 George III Gold Sovereign is one of the rarest and most valuable coins in British history, with high-quality examples selling for over £186,000. Due to an extremely low original mintage and only about 10 known surviving examples in private hands, it is considered the “holy grail” of London-struck sovereigns.

Notable Sale Prices & Valuations

Record Auction Sale: A top-tier example from the Bentley Collection sold for £186,000 (approximately $289,000) at Baldwin’s auctioneers on 8 May 2013.
Royal Mint Ballot (2019): The Royal Mint sourced a “Good/Fine” condition specimen and sold it via a public ballot for a fixed price of £100,000 in July 2019.
Historical Appreciation: One specific coin was sold by Sotheby’s in 1998 for £55,000 before being resold years later as part of the record-breaking 2013 auction.
Current Estimates: Experts at Spink have valued “Extremely Fine” (EF) specimens at well over £200,000 in recent years. Even low-grade or damaged examples (holed or ex-mount) are estimated to be worth tens of thousands of pounds at auction today.

Rarity & Specifications

Mintage: Only 3,574 coins were originally struck using gold provided by private merchants, rather than the government.
Surviving Population: It is widely believed by numismatists that fewer than 10 examples remain in existence.
Design: The obverse features the laureate bust of King George III, and the reverse displays the classic St George and the Dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci.
Weight & Metal: Struck in 22-carat gold (91.67% purity) with a standard weight of approximately 7.98 grams.