Aside from being my birth year, the 1989 Gold Sovereign was produced to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the first gold sovereign. The first gold sovereign was produced in 1489 in the reign of Henry VII.
The beautiful design was the work of the British sculptor Bernard Sindall. The obverse features an effigy of Her Majesty the Queen seated in the throne of State, beset in a crown and full heraldic robes. On the reverse, the coin features the Tudor rose adorned with a crown. Encircling the rose is an inscription “Anniversary of the Gold Sovereign 1489-1989” in a Tudor style type face.
The 1989 gold sovereign, was struck in 22 carat fine gold and weighs 7.98g. The issue limit for a single proof sovereign was 12,500 – although only 10,535 were made. The coin originally came encapsulated in a Royal Mint box with a certificate of authenticity.
The 1989 gold sovereign is the most elusive of the proof gold sovereign coins. That doesn’t mean you can’t get your hands on one. However, the price of them is significantly more than your standard proof sovereign. Typically a proof sovereign with box and certificate will trade for between £350-£450 depending on mintage amounts and the demand. The 1989 proof gold sovereign with box and certificate, as of writing this trades between £1750-£2000. There are 1989 sovereigns that will be without their box and certificate and they will trade between £1000-£1150.
If you are also wondering about what a proof coin is, or if there is any difference between bullion coins and proof coins. Here is a quick guide as to the difference in production and dying techniques. Here is the article What are Gold proof coins?
