Gold Half Sovereign Elizabeth II Decimal Portrait

Elizabeth Decimal Portrait Half Sovereign Gold Coin

This Gold Half Sovereign is a pre-owned coin issued by The Royal Mint. Also known as the Elizabeth second portrait, this depiction of the late Queen by designer Harry Eccleston is featured on coins between 1974 and 1984.

The finish is to bullion coin quality so the coin is ideal for investment, offering low production costs and value for money. The reverse of the coin features the famous George slaying the Dragon depication, designed by Benedetto Pistucci and first displayed on the Sovereign coin in 1817.  Due to its long and rich history, the Sovereign series is considered by most as the Royal Mint’s flagship issue, despite production of larger coins since, like the Gold Britannia.

How big is the Gold Half Sovereign?

The Half Sovereign weighs just under 4 grams in total and with the purity of the gold set at 22 carats, it provides a total pure gold content of 3.6575 grams. Intuitively, this equates to exactly half the weight and content as the larger Full Sovereign. Adding 2 carats of alloys to the coin (a mix of copper and silver), acts to strengthen the overall coin and more importantly increase its resilience to scratches. There’s a reason why Sovereigns have remained 22 carats for more than 200 years, which provides the owner with the optimum mix to maintain its integrity and finish. This means that even very old Sovereigns tend to be in far better condition (and therefore fetch a better price) than its 24 carat counterparts.

and its size…?

The coin measures 19mm in diameter and just under a mm in depth. An obvious comparison could be made with the size of the old Half Pence coin, if you’re old enough to remember! Although diminutive in size, the high number money can buy, lends to a feeling of owning a larger quantity of gold than owning larger coins or bars.

Our Expert Opinion

The Half Sovereign is very popular amongst gold investors for a number of reasons. It’s bullion finish provides good value for money, while the fact it qualifies as legal tender in the UK, means any profits from the coins are completely free from Capital Gains Tax. As the coins are brand new, you won’t be paying premiums for historical and numismatic value.

Small size equals versatility…

Their modest size also provides two distinct benefits. Firstly, it enables you to own lots of individual pieces of gold, delivering flexibility to sell small parts of your portfolio at any time. We continue to see some investors of large gold bars in the predicament of wishing to sell half their holding but having to choose between selling it all or keeping it. Secondly, the small size, combined with its heritage, ensures incredible liquidity which in turn fetches high sales prices.

These coins can combine well with other tax-free gold coins to create a well-balanced and tax efficient portfolio. Perfect partners tend to be the larger Full Sovereigns which are available across a number of monarchs, from brand new, right back to Victorian. Older half Sovereigns are also popular as they add some further historical interest to the collection which can increase in value quicker due to demand from collectors.

To reduce premiums on your gold, combining the Half Sovereign with the much larger Gold Britannia (by about eight times) will reduce the average cost of your gold.