Known simply as the “sovereign,” modern Great Britain Gold Sovereign coins are issued by the Royal Mint and trace their roots back more than 200 years. First introduced in 1817, these gold coins are inspired by historic British circulating currency and continue to feature portraits of the reigning monarch on the obverse. Today, BullionMax offers Great Britain Gold 1/4 Sovereign coins for purchase online.

Coin Highlights:

• Arrives inside a protective plastic flip!
• Issued since 2009!
• Contains 2 Grams (.05896 troy oz) of actual gold content.
• Obverse features Queen Elizabeth II or King Charles III.
• Reverse includes the image of St. George slaying a dragon.
• Smallest modern legal tender British gold coin!

Each Great Britain Gold 1/4 Sovereign Coin in this listing comes with a protective plastic flip for storage. The Quarter Sovereign was first introduced by the Royal Mint in 2009 and became the smallest legal tender coin produced in modern British history. While it shares a connection with the larger Sovereign and Half Sovereign coins, the Quarter Sovereign has only been issued as a collectible bullion piece and was never used in everyday circulation.

The modern Gold Sovereign series began in 1817 during the reign of King George III. These coins were inspired by earlier English sovereign coins that last circulated in the early 1600s under King James I. When the updated Sovereign debuted in the 19th century, it carried a new portrait of King George III on the obverse and introduced the now-famous St. George design on the reverse. At the time, the Sovereign carried a face value of 1 Pound sterling.

On the obverse of Great Britain Gold 1/4 Sovereign Coins is Queen Elizabeth II. Since the Quarter Sovereign was introduced in 2009, only two official portraits of the Queen have appeared on the series. Coins dated 2009 through 2015 feature the fourth-generation portrait from Ian Rank-Broadley. Beginning in 2016, the Royal Mint adopted Jody Clark’s fifth-generation design showing the Queen in right-profile relief wearing the Royal Diadem crown. Coins issued since 2023 feature King Charles III in left-profile relief.

The reverse of Great Britain Quarter Sovereign Gold Coins showcases the well-known image of St. George defeating a dragon. This design is based on Benedetto Pistrucci’s original 1817 artwork approved during the reign of King George III. The scene shows St. George riding on horseback with a sword in hand as he battles the dragon beneath him.

The Royal Mint produces Great Britain Gold 1/4 Sovereign coins using 22-karat gold with a purity of .9170 fine gold. Although the coin carries legal tender status, it is issued strictly as a commemorative bullion product rather than circulating currency.

If you have any questions about these gold coins, BullionMax is happy to help. You can call us at 800-729-3202, connect with us through web chat, or send us an email for additional assistance.