2022 United Kingdom Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Gold Proof Sovereign

The United Kingdom Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Sovereign, the first Sovereign of the reign of King Charles III – SOLD OUT at the Royal Mint

In memoriam to the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Mint has released a United Kingdom Proof Sovereign. The issue follows on from the sovereign release earlier in 2022, to celebrate the 70-year reign and the Platinum Jubilee. Like that hugely successful release, the memorial sovereign features an interpretation of the Royal Coat of Arms – this time by Jody Clark, who was responsible for the final effigy of the reign.

This means that 2022 is the first year that the Royal Mint has issued two commemorative sovereigns in the same year.

As important perhaps, this sovereign coin is also the first ever sovereign to be issued for the reign of King Charles III – with the king the first monarch other than Queen Elizabeth II to appear on the premier coin of the realm since 1937.

Sold Out Proof Sovereign

Struck in 22 Carat Gold to a peerless proof finish by the Royal Mint, the Memorial Proof Sovereign Coin for 2022 quickly sold out at the Royal Mint.

And it is not surprising. Despite the unmatched importance of the sovereign – marking the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable reign on the premier coin of the realm – a mintage of just 17,500 coins was set. Whilst higher than previous sovereign releases, it was still nowhere near high enough to satisfy the huge demand for a coin that will remain hugely sought-after for years to come and that pays tribute to our greatest ever monarch.

Memorial Design Changes

The reasons for this confidence are multiple.

It is an unprecedented sovereign release – never in the 200 years of the modern sovereign has the Royal Mint struck a memorial sovereign. And this is combined with the first ever effigy of King Charles III to appear on the premier coin of the realm – making this the first sovereign minted to feature a monarch other than Queen Elizabeth II, since 1937.

Like the Platinum Jubilee Sovereign that was released at the beginning of 2022 to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the memorial sovereign also features a rendition of the Royal Coat of Arms – beautifully tying these two outstanding issues together. The memorial sovereign is fittingly the work of Jody Clark – the very same designer responsible for the final effigy of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

The long-term importance of unique sovereigns

This is because design changes on the Sovereign do not often happen.

On the rare occasions when the sovereign sees a one-year design change like in 2022 with first the Jubilee Sovereign and now the Memorial Sovereign, demand from collectors always goes through the roof. This leads to rapid sell outs and consequently high secondary market price increases.

But it is not just the short term. Take the 2012 United Kingdom Diamond Jubilee Proof Sovereign as an example from a decade ago. The one year only Sovereign for that year now retails at the Royal Mint for close to £2,000 – a rise of over four times its original issue price!

Struck in 22 Carat Gold

To confirm, each United Kingdom Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Gold Proof coin issue has been struck in 22 Carat Gold by the Royal Mint to a perfect proof finish. The coin comes housed within an official Royal Mint Presentation Case and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. The perfect way to display this historic release for generations to come.

This is unprecedented demand for any gold coin in living memory – fuelled by the long-term Proof Sovereign demand in the market that has seen every issue since 2015 sell out – and that has only been heightened hugely with the change in both designs along with it being the final tribute Sovereign to Queen Elizabeth II.

Secure your Memorial Proof Sovereign today

Harrington & Byrne was able to secure an allocation of the sovereign coin before the rapid sell out. This means we remain in a position to offer this key coin to our collectors despite the Proof Sovereign long since selling out at the Royal Mint.

Place your order now by clicking on the link below.

Key Issue Information:

• Unprecedented second United Kingdom Sovereign release for 2022, issued as a memorial to the late Queen Elizabeth II and her 70-year reign
• It is also the first sovereign coin of the reign of King Charles III – and the first time that a king has featured on the premier coin of the realm since 1937
• A one-year-only reverse design appears on the Sovereign for the memorial – designed by Jody Clark it is reinterpretation of the Royal Coat of Arms (as the Platinum Jubilee design was earlier in 2022)
• Limited to 17,500, the coin sold out at the Royal Mint. All Sovereign design changes remain in huge demand on the secondary market
• Struck in 22 Carat Gold and housed in official Royal Mint Presentation Case with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity