1890 Queen Victoria Gold Sovereign – Jubilee Head
Own a genuine piece of Victorian British history with this 1890 Queen Victoria Gold Sovereign, struck in 22 carat gold and featuring Queen Victoria's distinctive Jubilee Head portrait.
Issued during the later years of Queen Victoria's reign, the 1890 Gold Sovereign combines the intrinsic value of physical gold with more than 130 years of British history.
The obverse features Queen Victoria's Jubilee Head portrait, designed by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm and introduced in 1887 to coincide with Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.
The reverse displays one of the most famous designs in British coinage: Benedetto Pistrucci's St George and the Dragon, with St George shown on horseback slaying the dragon and the date 1890 beneath.
Struck to the traditional British Sovereign standard, the coin weighs approximately 7.98 grams, is made from 22ct (916.7 fineness) gold and contains approximately 7.32 grams (0.2354 troy ounces) of pure gold.
For investors and collectors alike, the 1890 Queen Victoria Sovereign offers an opportunity to own physical gold in one of Britain's most recognised historic coin formats. See our guide on the best gold coins for UK investors for a broader comparison.
The 1890 Gold Sovereign was issued during one of the most recognisable periods of Queen Victoria's coinage.
Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 1887, marking 50 years since her accession to the throne. A new portrait by sculptor Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm was introduced that year and became known as the Jubilee Head.
The portrait depicts an older Queen Victoria wearing a small crown and replaced the famous Young Head portrait that had appeared on British coinage for much of her reign.
The Jubilee Head was relatively short-lived compared with Victoria's earlier portrait and was eventually replaced by the Veiled Head, also commonly called the Old Head, from 1893.
This places the 1890 Sovereign firmly within the Jubilee Head period of Victorian British gold coinage.
The reverse of the 1890 Sovereign features Benedetto Pistrucci's iconic St George and the Dragon design.
St George is depicted on horseback slaying the dragon with his sword, while the year 1890 appears beneath the design.
Pistrucci's famous design has become synonymous with the British Sovereign and remains one of the most recognisable images in British gold coinage.
His initials, B.P., can also be seen on the reverse.
A genuine full 1890 Gold Sovereign was struck to the traditional Sovereign specification of approximately:
7.98g total weight
91.67% gold purity
7.32g of fine gold
0.2354 troy ounces of pure gold
The remaining metal in the 22ct alloy provides additional durability, an important consideration when Sovereigns were originally intended to circulate as money.
The 1890 Queen Victoria Gold Sovereign combines physical precious metal ownership with genuine British history.
Unlike a newly minted bullion coin, an original Victorian Sovereign has survived for more than a century. Each coin therefore has its own individual history, characteristics and signs of previous circulation.
Its value is supported by approximately 7.32 grams of fine gold, while its age, date, condition and Victorian provenance can also create additional interest among collectors.
Historic Sovereigns are particularly popular with UK gold buyers because of their globally recognised format, relatively small individual size and favourable UK tax treatment. Read more about how gold performs compared to other investments.
British Gold Sovereigns are sterling legal tender and are generally exempt from UK Capital Gains Tax for UK residents.
This is one reason Sovereigns remain popular with UK precious-metal investors who want to build larger physical gold holdings over time. See our full guide to CGT-free gold coins in the UK for more detail.
Tax rules and individual circumstances can change, so professional tax advice should be obtained where required.
This is a pre-owned historic gold coin.
As an original Sovereign dating from 1890, the coin may display signs of age and previous circulation, including:
These characteristics are normal for historic circulated gold coins and form part of their individual history.
Please refer to the product photographs for an indication of the coin's overall condition.
Where multiple examples are available, the exact coin supplied may vary slightly from the photographs unless otherwise stated. Our guide on how to verify a gold coin is genuine may also be useful.
Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 until 1901, making Victorian Sovereigns an important part of British monetary history.
Her reign saw several different Sovereign portraits, including the Young Head, Jubilee Head and Veiled Head.
The 1890 Sovereign belongs to the Jubilee Head period, making it easily distinguishable from earlier and later Victorian Sovereigns.
For collectors, this creates an opportunity to collect Sovereigns across different monarchs, portraits, dates and periods of British history.
For gold buyers, the coins also provide a convenient way of owning fractional quantities of physical gold without purchasing a full one-ounce gold coin. You may also wish to compare Gold Britannias vs Gold Sovereigns to find the right format for your needs.
Yes. A genuine 1890 Queen Victoria Sovereign is made from 22 carat gold.
This represents a gold purity of approximately 91.67% or 916.7 fineness.
A full Sovereign weighs approximately 7.98 grams and contains approximately 7.32 grams of pure gold.
An 1890 Gold Sovereign is a British gold coin issued during the reign of Queen Victoria. It features Queen Victoria's Jubilee Head portrait on the obverse and St George and the Dragon on the reverse.
A full 1890 Sovereign has a standard weight of approximately 7.98 grams.
An 1890 full Sovereign contains approximately 7.32 grams or 0.2354 troy ounces of pure gold.
The 1890 Sovereign is struck in 22 carat gold, equivalent to approximately 91.67% gold purity or 916.7 fineness.
The obverse features Queen Victoria using the Jubilee Head portrait designed by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm.
The reverse features St George slaying the dragon, designed by Benedetto Pistrucci, with the year 1890 beneath.
It can appeal to both bullion buyers and coin collectors. Its underlying value is influenced by its gold content, while its age, date, condition, mint and historical significance can also affect collector demand.
Rarity depends on the particular mint, variety and condition of the coin. Not every 1890 Sovereign has the same numismatic value, so individual examples should be assessed separately.
British Sovereigns are sterling legal-tender coins and are generally exempt from UK Capital Gains Tax for UK residents, subject to current UK tax rules and individual circumstances. Read our CGT-free gold coins guide for more.
Sovereigns are widely used by UK buyers wanting to own physical gold because they contain a known quantity of gold, are internationally recognised and benefit from favourable UK tax treatment. Gold prices and collectible premiums can rise or fall, so returns are not guaranteed. See our guide to the best gold coins for UK investors for more.
At 888 Bullion, we specialise in buying and selling gold Sovereigns, investment gold coins, gold bars, silver coins and precious metals from our Hatton Garden office in London.
Our family has been involved in the jewellery and precious-metals trade since 1982, giving us more than 40 years of industry experience.
Whether you are adding an 1890 Queen Victoria Sovereign to an existing collection, purchasing your first historic British gold coin or building a physical gold holding, 888 Bullion provides a secure and straightforward way to buy precious metals. Once purchased, read our guide on where to store gold and silver in the UK.
