The sovereign is a gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling. Struck from 1817 until the present time, it was originally a circulating coin (see pre-decimal Sovereign) accepted in Britain and elsewhere in the world; it is now a bullion coin not intended for circulation, the intrinsic value of which is much higher than its face value. There are several denominations (sizes) of the Sovereign, and all of them have traditionally been issued in gold - until a silver sovereign was introduced in 2025 by the Royal Mint.
Apart from the sovereigns of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands has also authorised some mints to issue sovereigns under its jurisdiction, including silver variants such as a silver five sovereigns piece. These have the same specifications as the original (except the fact that they are made of silver and not gold), but are denominated in Falkland Islands Pounds - the local variation of the Pound Sterling. However, following long-standing tradition, sovereigns do not have their value and denomination spelled out anywhere on the coin - these have to be inferred from the coin's size. |
