Estimated price: 13,000 EURPtolemaic dynasty. Ptolemy IV, 221-204 BC.
Octodrachm / Mnaieion, Alexandria. Extremely fine.
Heidelberger Münzhandlung Grün: Auction 9079
Estimated price: 10,000 EURRoman Empire. Nerva, 96-98. Aureus. Extremely fine.Heidelberger Münzhandlung Grün: Auction 90187
Estimated price: 5,000 EURRoman Empire. Antoninus Pius, 138-161. Aureus.
From Münzen und Medaillen AG. About mint state.
Heidelberger Münzhandlung Grün: Auction 90208
Estimated price: 1,500 EURMonaco. 2 euros 2007. 25th anniversary of the death of Grace
Kelly. Extremely fine to FDC.
Heidelberger Münzhandlung Grün: Auction 90568
Estimated price: 25,000 EURNassau-Weilburg. Charles Christian, 1753-1788.
Gold medal of 25 ducats, 1782, by A. Schäffer. Extremely rare.
Extremely fine.
Heidelberger Münzhandlung Grün: Auction 901151
Estimated price: 10,000 EURChina. Hsuan Tung, 1908-1911. 20 cents n.d. (1908).
PCGS MS64. FDC.
Heidelberger Münzhandlung Grün: Auction 90690
Estimated price: 15,000 EURChina. Xinjiang. 1 mace n.d. (1907). PCGS AU55. Extremely fine.Heidelberger Münzhandlung Grün: Auction 90733
Estimated price: 16,000 EURBrandenburg-Bayreuth. Christian Ernst, 1655-1712. 1679 taler,
Nuremberg. Extremely rare.
Heidelberger Münzhandlung Grün: Auction 90994
Estimated price: 13,000 EURGerman Empire. Oldenburg. 10 marks, 1874. Showpiece!
Extremely rare in this quality! PCGS MS63. About FDC.
Heidelberger Münzhandlung Grün: Auction 901993
Estimated price: 5,850 EURGerman East Africa. 15 rupees, 1916, Tabora. About mint state.Heidelberger Münzhandlung Grün: Auction 902246
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Royal Mint Discontinues Rose Gold Alloy for Sovereign Coins

By Sebastian Wieschowski

From 2026, the Sovereign will return to yellow gold, moving away from its rose gold alloy. The precise composition for the future coins, which previously included a copper content making them more scratch-resistant and durable than modern bullion coins, has yet to be confirmed.

Will the Sovereign look like this from 2026 onward (right in the image)? The current rose gold tone is shown on the left. Photo: Royal Mint / Montage: MünzenWoche.

Will the Sovereign look like this from 2026 onward (right in the image)? The current rose gold tone is shown on the left. Photo: Royal Mint / Montage: MünzenWoche.

Investment Sovereigns will still be minted in 22-karat gold, as confirmed by the Royal Mint to MünzenWoche, in line with the Coinage Act of 1971. This precludes a switch to a fine gold alloy, as used in standard bullion coins. Thus, from 2026, the Sovereign will maintain its 916/1000 gold purity but will be alloyed with one or more additional metals, likely white metals, to give the coin a yellowish hue.

The beginning of a new era: The final rose gold Sovereign will be minted in 2025. Photo: Royal Mint.

The beginning of a new era: The final rose gold Sovereign will be minted in 2025. Photo: Royal Mint.

The composition of the Sovereign, first minted in 1489, has undergone several changes over the centuries. Early Sovereigns under Henry VII were minted in 23-karat gold, while coins from Elizabeth I’s reign were known as ‘fine gold’ Sovereigns. From the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI onward, they have been made in 22-karat gold. In unveiling its plans, the Royal Mint noted that the Sovereign is returning to its over 500-year-old origins.

Interestingly, the composition of Sovereigns appears to have been modified even in the current minting period since 1817. Research by British bullion dealer ‘Chards’ found that early Sovereigns contained nearly equal parts copper and silver. The silver content has gradually decreased and is absent in modern coins.

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