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

The 2025 Royal Arms Sovereign Gold Proof marks an important anniversary and transition point in the history of one of Britain’s most recognisable gold coins.

Two hundred years after Jean Baptiste Merlen’s Royal Arms design first appeared on The Sovereign in 1825, The Royal Mint revived and faithfully remastered the historic design for the 2025 Sovereign collection.

The reverse depicts the Royal Arms and is paired with the official coinage portrait of His Majesty King Charles III by Martin Jennings.

The Royal Mint identifies the 2025 issue as the first time Merlen’s Royal Arms and Martin Jennings’ portrait of King Charles III have appeared together on The Sovereign.

The year is also significant for the composition and appearance of The Sovereign. The Royal Mint confirms that its 2025 collection represents the last opportunity to acquire Sovereigns made from rose gold, with all gold Sovereigns returning to yellow gold from 2026.

This particular example has been independently authenticated and certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) as:

PF70 ULTRA CAMEO

with the additional:

FIRST RELEASES

designation.

At the time of checking on 28 August 2026, the NGC certification evidence supplied for this issue records:

NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 209

Higher Grades: 0

NGC Top Pop

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Why This Coin Stands Out

• Celebrates 200 years since Merlen’s Royal Arms first appeared on The Sovereign
• Royal Arms design first appeared on The Sovereign in 1825
• Historic Royal Arms design remastered for the 2025 issue
• First pairing of Merlen’s Royal Arms with Martin Jennings’ King Charles III portrait on The Sovereign
• Final rose-gold edition of The Sovereign
• From 2026, The Royal Mint returned gold Sovereigns to yellow gold
• Maximum Coin Mintage of 7,035
• Traditional 916.67 / 22-carat gold
• Certified NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo
• First Releases designation
• Highest numerical Proof grade
• NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo population of 209 at the time of checking
• 0 graded higher
• NGC Top Pop
• Royal Arms reverse by Jean Baptiste Merlen
• King Charles III obverse by Martin Jennings
• Produced by The Royal Mint

The combination of its 200th-anniversary Royal Arms design, final rose-gold status and PF70 Ultra Cameo First Releases certification gives this particular Sovereign several distinct points of historical and numismatic interest.

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Specifications

Year: 2025
Country of Issue: United Kingdom
Denomination: Sovereign
Issuing Authority: The Royal Mint
Metal: Gold
Alloy: 916.67 Gold / 22 Carat
Weight: 7.99g
Diameter: 22.05mm
Quality: Proof
Edge: Milled
Maximum Coin Mintage: 7,035
Reverse: Royal Arms
Reverse Designer: Jean Baptiste Merlen
Obverse: King Charles III
Obverse Designer: Martin Jennings
Grading Company: NGC
Grade: PF70 Ultra Cameo
Designation: First Releases
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 209
Higher Grades: 0
NGC Status: Top Pop
Population Checked: 28 August 2026

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Maximum Coin Mintage of 7,035

The Royal Mint gives the individual 2025 Royal Arms Gold Proof Sovereign a:

Maximum Coin Mintage: 7,035

This figure represents the maximum authorised quantity of the 2025 Royal Arms Proof Sovereign across the relevant Royal Mint presentations.

It should not be confused with the NGC population.

For this listing:

Maximum Coin Mintage: 7,035

NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 209 at the time of checking

The first figure relates to the maximum number of coins authorised by The Royal Mint.

The second records the number displayed by NGC at the PF70 Ultra Cameo grade at the time the population was checked.

These are two entirely different measurements and should not be presented interchangeably.

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200 Years of the Royal Arms Sovereign

The central historical significance of the 2025 issue comes from its reverse.

Jean Baptiste Merlen’s Royal Arms design first appeared on The Sovereign in 1825, during the reign of King George IV.

The Royal Mint revived the design for 2025 to commemorate its 200th anniversary, faithfully remastering the historic artwork for modern coinage.

The Royal Arms represented an important alternative to Benedetto Pistrucci’s famous St George and the Dragon during periods of Sovereign history.

Variations of the Royal Arms subsequently appeared on Sovereigns during the reigns of William IV and Queen Victoria, making the shield-backed Sovereign an important part of the coin’s nineteenth-century history.

The 2025 edition deliberately reconnects the modern Sovereign with that historic design tradition.

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Jean Baptiste Merlen’s Royal Arms Design

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

The elaborate crowned shield provides the distinctive appearance associated with nineteenth-century Royal Arms Sovereigns.

For the 2025 anniversary issue, The Royal Mint remastered Merlen’s historic design using modern minting technology while retaining the character of the original artwork.

This creates a deliberate connection between a design originating two centuries ago and the precision of contemporary Proof coin production.

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First Royal Arms Sovereign with King Charles III

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

This creates another important first for the 2025 Sovereign.

The Royal Mint identifies the issue as the first time Jean Baptiste Merlen’s Royal Arms and Martin Jennings’ official King Charles III portrait have appeared together on The Sovereign.

The coin therefore brings together two designs separated by approximately two centuries:

Merlen’s Royal Arms, originating in the reign of George IV

and

Martin Jennings’ portrait of King Charles III

on a single modern Sovereign.

This gives the 2025 Royal Arms Sovereign an immediately identifiable position within the Charles III series.

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The Final Rose-Gold Sovereign

The 2025 Sovereign also marks the end of an era in the modern production of the coin.

The Royal Mint states that its 2025 Sovereign collection is the last opportunity for collectors and investors to own a Sovereign made from rose gold.

From 2026, all gold Sovereigns struck by The Royal Mint return to yellow gold, a change intended to bring the appearance of the coin closer to its historic roots.

This gives the 2025 Royal Arms Sovereign two major historical distinctions:

200th anniversary of Merlen’s Royal Arms design

and

final rose-gold edition of The Sovereign

The combination makes 2025 a clear transition year within the modern Sovereign series.

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NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo

This particular example has been independently authenticated, encapsulated and graded by NGC as:

PF70 ULTRA CAMEO

NGC grades qualifying coins on a numerical scale extending to 70, with 70 representing the highest numerical grade.

For a coin to achieve PF70, NGC requires no post-production imperfections to be visible at 5× magnification.

The Ultra Cameo designation applies specifically to Proof coins.

NGC defines Ultra Cameo as having deeply mirrored fields and heavily frosted devices, creating bold contrast on both sides of the coin.

This example therefore combines NGC’s highest numerical Proof grade with its Ultra Cameo strike designation.

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NGC First Releases

This particular coin 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 of release.

The designation forms part of this coin’s certification and appears on its NGC First Releases Blue label.

Importantly, First Releases relates to the timing of the coin’s receipt by NGC or an approved depository.

It does not mean that the coin was necessarily one of the first examples physically struck by The Royal Mint.

It is also separate from the coin’s PF70 numerical grade and Ultra Cameo strike designation.

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NGC Population – 209 in PF70 Ultra Cameo

At the time of checking on 28 August 2026, the NGC certification evidence supplied for this issue records:

NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 209

Higher Grades: 0

NGC Top Pop

This particular coin additionally carries the:

First Releases designation

These details are deliberately stated separately.

The supplied NGC certification confirms that this particular example is PF70 Ultra Cameo First Releases, while the displayed population figure is described here as the PF70 Ultra Cameo population of 209.

It is not being presented as a First Releases-only population without a corresponding Census breakdown.

NGC confirms that First Releases and Early Releases issues can be separately identified within its Census, reinforcing the importance of distinguishing the certification designation from a population figure unless the relevant Census category has been established.

NGC population figures can change as additional coins are submitted and certified, which is why the population is accompanied by the date on which it was checked.

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Traditional 22-Carat Sovereign Gold

The 2025 Royal Arms Sovereign maintains the traditional Sovereign gold specification.

It is struck in:

916.67 Gold / 22 Carat

with a total weight of:

7.99g

and a diameter of:

22.05mm

The use of 22-carat gold continues the established specification of the modern Sovereign.

The distinctive rose-gold appearance of the 2025 issue represents the final year of this modern colour before The Royal Mint’s return to yellow gold from 2026.

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A Historic Transition-Year Sovereign

This particular coin brings together:

200th anniversary of Merlen’s Royal Arms design

Royal Arms first introduced on The Sovereign in 1825

First pairing of the Royal Arms with King Charles III

Final rose-gold edition of The Sovereign

Maximum Coin Mintage of 7,035

Traditional 22-carat gold

NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo

NGC First Releases designation

PF70 Ultra Cameo population of 209

0 graded higher

NGC Top Pop

These characteristics give the 2025 Royal Arms Sovereign several distinct historical reference points rather than relying solely on its grade or mintage.

For collectors of modern Sovereigns, it represents both a 200th-anniversary revival of a historic design and the closing chapter of The Royal Mint’s modern rose-gold Sovereign era.

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Image Information

The slab images shown may include digitally produced representations for presentation purposes, with certification numbers and barcodes omitted.

Where detailed close-up photographs of the actual coin are shown, these provide a closer view of the genuine 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 grading and population information
• Fully insured UK delivery
• Secure protective packaging
• Experienced customer support
• A UK precious-metals dealer committed to accuracy and transparency

With its 200th-anniversary Royal Arms reverse, final rose-gold status, PF70 Ultra Cameo grade and First Releases designation, the 2025 Royal Arms Sovereign represents a distinctive certified issue within 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