The sovereign is a gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal face value of £1 (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, and is issued in several different sizes denominated as multiples of fractions of the pound. Several Commonwealth nations and British territories - including Saint Helena - also issue their versions of the sovereign. The actual Five Sovereigns piece is made of 22 karat gold, but in 2024 Saint Helena introduced a variant which has no British counterpart - Platinum Five Sovereigns, which has the same diameter and weight as the original but is made of platinum and not gold.
Following long-standing tradition, this type of coin has never had its value and denomination spelled out anywhere on the coin.
The coins are considered Non-circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) and not bullion, because they are "premium" editions released at prices much higher than the intrinsic value of their metal. | 
