Gold Sovereigns are among the most recognised and widely held bullion coins in the UK. Originally circulated as currency in Britain and across the British Empire, Sovereigns carried a face value of one pound and have long been regarded as a trusted store of wealth.
While many investors purchase Sovereigns for their gold content and Capital Gains Tax exempt status, others are drawn to their numismatic appeal. Certain years can command additional interest due to lower mintages or exceptional coin condition.
Below you will find a detailed breakdown of Sovereign and Half Sovereign mintages from 1817 through to 2016. More recent mintages will be added as official data becomes available.
George III (1817–1820)
| Year | Sovereign | Half Sovereign |
|---|---|---|
| 1817 | 3,235,239 | 2,080,197 |
| 1818 | 2,347,230 | 1,030,286 |
| 1819 | 3,574 | None |
| 1820 | 2,101,994 | 35,043 |
The modern gold Sovereign was reintroduced in 1817 as part of the Great Recoinage of 1816, replacing the gold Guinea. The 1817 Sovereign featured the iconic St George and the Dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci — a motif that remains in use today.
George IV (1821–1830)
Obverse Types: Laureate Head (1821–1825) | Bare Head (1825–1830)
| Year | Sovereign | Half Sovereign |
|---|---|---|
| 1821 | 9,405,114 | 231,288 |
| 1822 | 6,356,787 | None |
| 1823 | 616,770 | 224,280 |
| 1824 | 3,767,904 | 591,538 |
| 1825 | 4,200,343* | 761,150 |
| 1826 | 5,724,046 | 334,830 |
| 1827 | 2,266,629 | 492,014 |
| 1828 | 386,182 | 1,224,754 |
| 1829 | 2,444,652 | None |
| 1830 | 2,387,881 | None |
*Includes both obverse designs due to the 1825 transition period.
William IV (1831–1837)
| Year | Sovereign | Half Sovereign |
|---|---|---|
| 1831 | 598,547 | None |
| 1832 | 3,737,065 | None |
| 1833 | 1,225,269 | None |
| 1834 | None | 133,899 |
| 1835 | 723,441 | 722,554 |
| 1836 | 1,714,349 | 146,865* |
| 1837 | 1,172,984 | 160,207 |
*Includes additional rarities struck using a Sixpence die for the obverse.
Victoria — Young Head & Shield Back (1838–1887)
Selected London Mintages (1838–1854)
| Year | Sovereign | Half Sovereign |
|---|---|---|
| 1838 | 2,718,694 | 273,341 |
| 1839 | 503,695 | None |
| 1841 | 124,054 | 508,835 |
| 1842 | 4,865,375 | 2,223,352 |
| 1843 | 5,981,968 | 1,251,762 |
| 1844 | 3,000,445 | 1,127,007 |
| 1845 | 3,800,845 | 887,526 |
| 1846 | 3,802,947 | 1,063,928 |
| 1847 | 4,667,126 | 928,636 |
| 1848 | 2,246,701 | 410,595 |
| 1849 | 1,755,399 | 845,112 |
| 1850 | 1,402,039 | 179,595 |
| 1851 | 4,013,624 | 773,575 |
| 1852 | 8,053,435 | 1,377,671 |
| 1853 | 10,597,993 | 2,708,796 |
| 1854 | 3,589,611 | 1,125,144 |
Victoria — Jubilee Head (1887–1893)
| Year | London Sov | London Half | Sydney Sov | Sydney Half | Melbourne Sov | Melbourne Half |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | 1,111,280 | 841,200 | 2,002,000 | 134,000 | 2,856,424 | 64,013 |
| 1888 | 2,777,424 | None | 2,187,000 | None | 2,830,612 | None |
| 1889 | 7,267,455 | None | 3,262,000 | 64,000 | 2,732,590 | None |
| 1890 | 6,529,887 | 2,243,200 | 2,808,000 | None | 2,473,537 | None |
| 1891 | 6,329,476 | 1,079,286 | 2,596,000 | 154,000 | 2,749,592 | None |
| 1892 | 7,104,720 | 13,680,486 | 2,837,000 | None | 3,488,750 | None |
| 1893 | None Issued | 4,426,625 | 1,498,000 | None | 1,649,352 | 110,024 |
George V (1911–1932)
Obverse Types: Standard Head (1911–1928) | Small Head (1929–1932)
| Year | London Sov | London Half | Sydney Sov | Melbourne Sov | Perth Sov | Canada Sov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 30,044,105 | 6,104,106 | 2,519,000 | 2,851,451 | 4,373,165 | 257,048 |
| 1912 | 30,317,921 | 6,224,316 | 2,227,000 | 2,469,257 | 4,278,144 | None |
| 1913 | 24,539,672 | 6,094,290 | 2,249,000 | 2,323,180 | 4,635,287 | 3,717 |
| 1914 | 11,501,117 | 7,251,124 | 1,774,000 | 2,012,029 | 4,815,996 | 14,900 |
| 1915 | 20,295,280 | 2,042,747 | 1,346,000 | 1,637,839 | 4,373,596 | None |
| 1916 | 1,554,120 | None | 1,242,000 | 1,272,634 | 4,096,721 | 6,119 |
| 1917 | 1,014,714 | None | 1,666,000 | 934,469 | 4,110,286 | 58,875 |
George VI (1937, 1949, 1951–1952)
| Year | Mintage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | 5,500 | Coronation issue (proof set only) |
| 1949 | 138,000 | 1925 die restrike |
| 1951 | 318,000 | 1925 die restrike |
| 1952 | 430,000 | 1925 die restrike |
Elizabeth II — Young Head (1957–1968)
| Year | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 1957 | 2,072,000 |
| 1958 | 8,700,000 |
| 1959 | 1,385,228 |
| 1962 | 3,000,000 |
| 1963 | 7,400,000 |
| 1964 | 3,000,000 |
| 1965 | 3,800,000 |
| 1966 | 7,050,000 |
| 1967 | 5,000,000 |
| 1968 | 4,203,000 |
Elizabeth II — Decimal Head (1974–1984)
| Year | Sovereign | Proof Sovereign | Half Sovereign | Proof Half Sovereign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 5,002,566 | Unknown | None | Unknown |
| 1976 | 4,045,056 | Unknown | None | Unknown |
| 1978 | 6,555,000 | Unknown | None | Unknown |
| 1979 | 9,100,000 | 50,000 | None | Unknown |
| 1980 | 5,100,000 | 91,200 | Unknown | 76,700 |
| 1981 | 5,000,000 | 32,960 | None | Unknown |
| 1982 | 2,950,000 | 22,950 | 2,500,000 | 19,090 |
| 1983 | None | 21,250 | None | 19,710 |
| 1984 | None | 19,975 | None | 12,410 |
Disclaimer
The Sovereign mintage figures provided above have been compiled using a range of reputable historical sources and research methods. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the data cannot be guaranteed to be completely error-free.
If you believe a figure is incorrect or have updated information to share, please contact us at admin@tradingbullion.com.
References: The Royal Mint historic mintage data; The Gold Sovereign by Michael A. Marsh; The Gold Half Sovereign by Michael A. Marsh; Coins of England & the United Kingdom by Spink.