2025 Royal Arms Five-Sovereign Gold Proof NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo First Releases

The 2025 Royal Arms Five-Sovereign Gold Proof is a low-mintage modern British Proof Sovereign, struck in 22-carat gold and featuring the historic Royal Arms design by Jean Baptiste Merlen.

Issued by The Royal Mint as part of the 2025 Sovereign Collection, the coin marks the 200th anniversary of Merlen’s Royal Arms design first appearing on the Sovereign in 1825.

The Royal Mint confirms a Maximum Coin Mintage of just 535 for the 2025 Five-Sovereign Gold Proof.

This example has been independently authenticated and certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) as PF70 Ultra Cameo, the highest numerical Proof grade, and carries the additional First Releases designation.

At the time of checking on 13 August 2026, the NGC Census shown for this certification records 77 examples in PF70 Ultra Cameo, making this an NGC Top Pop coin.

With a Maximum Coin Mintage of only 535, PF70 Ultra Cameo certification and the historic Royal Arms reverse, this is a highly collectable certified example from a significant year in the modern history of the Sovereign.

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Why This Coin Stands Out

The 2025 Sovereign Collection represents an important chapter in the history of one of Britain’s most recognisable gold coins.

For the commemorative 2025 range, The Royal Mint returned to Jean Baptiste Merlen’s Royal Arms design, marking 200 years since it first appeared on the Sovereign in 1825.

The issue is also significant as part of the final Sovereign collection struck in The Royal Mint’s rose-gold composition. The Royal Mint announced that from 2026 its gold Sovereigns would return to yellow gold.

For the Five-Sovereign Gold Proof specifically, The Royal Mint records a Maximum Coin Mintage of only:

535 coins

This particular example combines that limited mintage with the highest numerical NGC Proof grade and the additional First Releases designation.

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Specifications

• Year: 2025
• Country of Issue: United Kingdom
• Denomination: Five-Sovereign Piece
• Issuing Authority: The Royal Mint
• Metal: Gold
• Fineness: 916.67 / 22 carat
• Weight: 39.94g
• Fine Gold Content: Approximately 36.61g / 1.177 troy oz
• Diameter: 36.02mm
• Quality: Proof
• Edge: Milled
• Maximum Coin Mintage: 535
• Obverse Designer: Martin Jennings
• Reverse Designer: Jean Baptiste Merlen
• Grading Company: NGC
• Grade: PF70 Ultra Cameo
• Designation: First Releases
• NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 77
• Population Checked: 13 August 2026

The Royal Mint confirms the coin’s 535 Maximum Coin Mintage, 916.67 gold alloy, 39.94g weight, 36.02mm diameter, Proof quality, milled edge and designers.

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A Maximum Coin Mintage of Just 535

The Royal Mint officially records a:

Maximum Coin Mintage: 535

This is an important distinction when assessing the scarcity of the individual coin.

The 2025 Five-Sovereign Gold Proof appeared within The Royal Mint’s Five-Coin Gold Proof Sovereign Set, but the official Maximum Coin Mintage for the Five-Sovereign Piece itself is 535.

With no more than 535 examples permitted under the stated Maximum Coin Mintage, the Five-Sovereign Piece represents a particularly limited denomination within the 2025 Proof Sovereign range.

The mintage should also be considered separately from the NGC population. Mintage tells us how many examples could exist; population tells us how many have been certified by a particular grading service at a particular grade.

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Why NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Matters

This example has been independently authenticated, encapsulated and graded by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) as:

PF70 Ultra Cameo

PF70 represents the highest numerical Proof grade on NGC’s grading scale.

The Ultra Cameo designation identifies the strong contrast between the mirrored fields and frosted design elements associated with high-quality modern Proof coinage.

This example also carries NGC’s:

First Releases

designation.

NGC awards First Releases to eligible coins received by NGC or an NGC-approved depository during the first 30 days following release.

The designation relates to when an eligible coin was received for certification. It should not be interpreted as meaning that the individual coin was necessarily one of the first examples physically struck by The Royal Mint.

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NGC Population

At the time of checking on 13 August 2026:

• NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo: 77
• NGC Top Pop

The NGC Census shown for this certification records 77 examples in PF70 Ultra Cameo at the time of checking.

As PF70 is the highest numerical Proof grade, there is no higher numerical grade.

The original mintage and NGC population measure two different things. The Maximum Coin Mintage of 535 establishes the maximum number authorised for the issue, while the NGC population records how many examples have currently been certified by NGC at a particular grade.

Population figures can change as additional coins are submitted for certification, which is why Sterling Bullion Partners records the date on which each population figure is checked.

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The Royal Arms Design

The reverse features the historic Royal Arms design by Jean Baptiste Merlen.

Merlen’s design first appeared on the Sovereign in 1825. For the 2025 commemorative Sovereign collection, The Royal Mint faithfully remastered the historic design using modern technology to mark its 200th anniversary.

At the centre of the design is the Royal Arms, surrounded by the inscription:

BRITANNIARUM REX FID DEF

The design creates a distinctly different appearance from Benedetto Pistrucci’s St George and the Dragon reverse more commonly associated with the modern Sovereign.

The Five-Sovereign format also provides a larger canvas on which Merlen’s detailed heraldic design can be appreciated.

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The King Charles III Obverse

The obverse carries the official coinage portrait of His Majesty King Charles III, designed by British sculptor Martin Jennings.

The Royal Mint confirms that the 2025 Sovereign coins combine Merlen’s historic Royal Arms reverse with Martin Jennings’ official coinage portrait of King Charles III.

This pairing brings together a design originating in the nineteenth century with the definitive portrait of Britain’s current monarch.

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The Final Rose-Gold Sovereign Year

The 2025 issue also represents a transition point for the Sovereign.

The Royal Mint confirmed that the 2025 Sovereign Collection would be the last opportunity to acquire Sovereigns made in its rose-gold composition.

From 2026, The Royal Mint returned its gold Sovereigns to yellow gold.

The 2025 Royal Arms Five-Sovereign therefore combines two notable historical elements within a single issue:

the 200th anniversary return of Merlen’s Royal Arms design and the final year of The Royal Mint’s rose-gold Sovereign composition.

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Struck in 22-Carat Gold

The Five-Sovereign Piece is struck in traditional 22-carat gold, with The Royal Mint specifying a fineness of:

916.67 gold

The coin weighs 39.94g, giving an approximate fine gold content of 36.61g, equivalent to approximately 1.177 troy ounces.

Its Royal Mint specifications are:

Metal: Gold
Fineness: 916.67 / 22 carat
Weight: 39.94g
Fine Gold Content: approximately 36.61g / 1.177 troy oz
Diameter: 36.02mm
Quality: Proof
Edge: Milled
Maximum Coin Mintage: 535

The underlying specifications are confirmed in The Royal Mint’s official record for the 2025 Five-Coin Gold Proof Sovereign Set.

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Proof Coin Versus Bullion Coin

Although the 2025 Five-Sovereign Piece contains more than one troy ounce of fine gold, this particular example should not be viewed simply as a bullion coin.

This is a Proof Sovereign with a Maximum Coin Mintage of only 535.

Proof coins are produced specifically for the collector market, with carefully prepared dies and blanks used to create the highly reflective fields and detailed relief associated with Proof coinage.

Its limited mintage, commemorative Royal Arms design, NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo certification and First Releases designation give this example a clear numismatic dimension beyond the value of its underlying gold content.

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A Modern British Numismatic Gold Coin

The Sovereign has occupied a distinctive position in British coinage for more than two centuries.

The Five-Sovereign Piece represents one of the largest traditional denominations within the Sovereign family, combining substantial gold content with the history and design heritage of the wider series.

For collectors of modern British Proof gold, the 2025 issue brings together several notable characteristics: a Maximum Coin Mintage of 535, Merlen’s bicentenary Royal Arms reverse, the definitive Charles III portrait, the final rose-gold Sovereign year and certification at NGC’s highest numerical Proof grade.

With only 535 coins permitted under the Maximum Coin Mintage and 77 examples recorded in PF70 Ultra Cameo at the time of checking, this is a highly collectable certified example of the modern Five-Sovereign Piece.

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Image Information

The slab images shown are digitally produced representations for presentation purposes, with certification numbers and barcodes omitted. The close-up coin photographs show the actual coin offered for sale.

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Why Buy from Sterling Bullion Partners?

Every certified coin offered by Sterling Bullion Partners is carefully selected for its quality, authenticity and collector appeal.

When purchasing from Sterling Bullion Partners, you benefit from:

• Carefully selected certified coins
• Independently authenticated and professionally graded examples
• Detailed close-up photographs of the actual coin offered for sale
• Fully insured UK delivery
• Secure protective packaging
• Experienced customer support
• A UK precious metals dealer committed to accuracy and transparency

With a Maximum Coin Mintage of just 535, the historic bicentenary Royal Arms design, NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo certification and First Releases designation, the 2025 Royal Arms Five-Sovereign Gold Proof represents an outstanding certified example from a distinctive year in the modern Sovereign series.

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Related Guides

You may also find these Sterling Bullion Partners guides useful:

• Understanding Coin Grading
• PCGS vs NGC
• Bullion vs Certified Coins: Which Should You Buy?
• Gold Coins vs Gold Bars: Which Should You Buy?
• How to Buy Gold Coins in the UK: Complete Beginner’s Guide