2025 Royal Arms Sovereign Gold Proof NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo

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 using modern minting technology.

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

The Royal Mint confirms that the 2025 issue marks the first time these two designs have appeared together on The Sovereign.

The year is significant for another reason. The Royal Mint identifies the 2025 collection as the last opportunity for 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

At the time of checking on 29 August 2026, the NGC certification evidence supplied for this issue records:

NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 214

Higher Grades: 0

NGC Top Pop

⸻

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 faithfully remastered for 2025
• 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
• Highest numerical Proof grade
• NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo population of 214
• 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 certification gives the 2025 Sovereign several distinct points of historical and numismatic interest.

⸻

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
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 214
Higher Grades: 0
NGC Status: Top Pop
Population Checked: 29 August 2026

The Royal Mint’s dedicated individual coin page confirms the 7,035 Maximum Coin Mintage, 7.99g weight, 22.05mm diameter, Proof quality, milled edge and both designers. The Royal Mint’s three-coin set specification additionally confirms the 916.67 gold alloy.

⸻

Maximum Coin Mintage of 7,035

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

Maximum Coin Mintage: 7,035. 

The same 7,035 Maximum Coin Mintage is also stated for the Sovereign within The Royal Mint’s three-coin Gold Proof set.

For this certified example:

Maximum Coin Mintage: 7,035

NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 214 at the time of checking

These figures measure different things.

The Maximum Coin Mintage relates to The Royal Mint’s stated maximum for the coin, while the NGC population records certified examples at the PF70 Ultra Cameo grade at the time the population was checked.

⸻

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, restoring and remastering the historic artwork using modern technology.

Merlen had joined The Royal Mint in 1820 after previously working as a medallist in France. His Sovereign-related work preceded the Royal Arms reverse: an engraving by Merlen appeared on the 1823 Double-Sovereign.

His crowned-shield Royal Arms subsequently became an important alternative to Benedetto Pistrucci’s St George and the Dragon.

Variations of Merlen’s Royal Arms appeared during the reigns of William IV and Queen Victoria, and the design remained a recurring feature of The Sovereign until 1887.

The 2025 Sovereign therefore deliberately reconnects the modern coin with an important chapter of its nineteenth-century history.

⸻

Jean Baptiste Merlen’s Royal Arms Design

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

The crowned shield provides the distinctive appearance widely associated with historic shield-back Sovereigns.

The Royal Mint describes the 2025 version as revived, restored and remastered using its modern technology, while preserving the character of Merlen’s historic work.

The result combines a design originating two centuries earlier with the precision and finish of a modern Royal Mint Proof coin.

⸻

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 explicitly states that the combination of Merlen’s Royal Arms reverse and Martin Jennings’ official King Charles III portrait marks the first time these designs have appeared together on The Sovereign.

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

Merlen’s Royal Arms, originating during 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.

⸻

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 the 2025 Sovereign collection represents the last opportunity to own a Sovereign made from rose gold.

From 2026, all gold Sovereigns struck by The Royal Mint return to yellow gold, bringing their appearance closer to the historic roots of the coin.

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

200th anniversary of Merlen’s Royal Arms

and

final rose-gold edition of The Sovereign

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

⸻

NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo

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

PF70 ULTRA CAMEO

PF70 represents the highest numerical Proof grade on NGC’s 70-point grading scale.

The Ultra Cameo designation identifies the pronounced contrast associated with high-quality Proof production, with strongly frosted design elements contrasting against mirrored fields.

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

There is no higher numerical grade than 70.

⸻

NGC Population – 214 in PF70 Ultra Cameo

At the time of checking on 29 August 2026, the NGC certification evidence supplied for this issue records:

NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 214

Higher Grades: 0

NGC Top Pop

This means the example offered here sits at the highest numerical grade represented by NGC for this certification category at the time of checking.

The population should not be confused with The Royal Mint’s Maximum Coin Mintage.

For clarity:

Royal Mint Maximum Coin Mintage: 7,035

NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 214

The first relates to the Royal Mint issue.

The second records how many examples NGC displays at this particular grade.

NGC population figures can change as additional coins are submitted and certified, which is why Sterling Bullion Partners records the date on which the population was checked.

⸻

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 composition associated with The 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.

⸻

A Historic Transition-Year Sovereign

This particular coin brings together:

200th anniversary of Merlen’s Royal Arms

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

PF70 Ultra Cameo population of 214

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.

⸻

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.

⸻

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 and NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Top Pop certification, the 2025 Royal Arms Sovereign represents a distinctive certified issue within the modern Sovereign series.

⸻

Related Guides

• Understanding Coin Grading
• PCGS vs NGC
• PF69 vs PF70: Understanding Proof Coin Grades
• Coin Population vs Mintage: How to Assess Coin Rarity
• The Sovereign: A Guide to Britain’s Most Famous Gold Coin
• How to Buy Gold Coins in the UK: The Complete Beginner’s Guide