Back again for 2016 is the biggest version of the Royal Mint’s oldest, and most iconic bullion coin, the 22kt gold Sovereign. While the standard coin comes in at a little under 8 g in weight, this Five Sovereign coin is up at 39.94 grams. This particular weight, while unusual for modern numismatics, is used by the Royal Mint for its £5 gold coins. Being 22kt gold, or 91.67% pure, this weight yields around 36.6 g of pure gold, so around 1.1 troy ounces.

There isn’t too much to say about these. It’s a sovereign, a coin we’ve covered many times in its various incarnations, just a big one. Finish remains at brilliant uncirculated, and the mintage is 500. Packaging is the usual Royal Mint wooden coin box, a nice item. At £1725.00 it’s quite a pricey piece, but the mint manages to shift them regardless, so there’s certainly a demand. A beautiful design by Benedetto Pistrucci, it’s ubiquity seems to do little to diminish its appeal. Available to order now.

The Royal Mint is to release a strictly limited edition of 500 Five-Sovereign Piece 2016 Brilliant Uncirculated coins for connoisseurs of The Sovereign to add to their collection. The largest coin in the Sovereign range, The Five-Sovereign Piece 2016 bears Benedetto Pistrucci’s classic St George and the dragon reverse design.

The Five-Sovereign Piece 2016 is struck to Brilliant Uncirculated standard and contains almost 40 grammes of 22 carat gold – five times the weight of gold as The Sovereign. The coin is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

The first Five-sovereign piece was dated 1820 and features the portrait of George III. The coin would become a coronation tradition, struck to honour each new monarch as they ascended the British throne.

Featuring Italian gem engraver Bendetto Pistrucci’s classic St George and the dragon design, this 2016 edition combines modern minting techniques with Georgian era authenticity. The coin has been struck using tools remastered from the originals, almost certainly worked on by Pistrucci himself, and reflects the styling of the original pattern piece of 1820 with Pistrucci’s name unusually written in full.