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Just 22,950 proof Sovereigns were issued by The Royal Mint in 1982, including this example. It features the second definitive portrait of Her Majesty the Queen by artist and sculptor Arnold Machin. This effigy was used on British money between 1968 and 1985 and shows the head and shoulders of Elizabeth II, facing left and wearing a tiara.

This youthful engraving is paired with a historic reverse design, synonymous with the gold Sovereign. It was designed for the first modern Sovereigns, issued in 1817 in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars.

The engraving shows Saint George - England’s patron saint - mounted on a rearing horse which crushes a cowering dragon beneath its hooves. It’s the work of an Italian artist named Benedetto Pistrucci and has been used on these coins for two centuries now.

This 1982 Sovereign maintains the standards established back in the days of George III: it is composed of 7.98 grams of 22 carat gold with a diameter of 22.05 millimetres and a milled edge. What makes this edition different is the proof finish, achieved with multiple strikes of hand-prepared dies. Proof coins have an attractive high-contrast appearance and are minted in smaller numbers than their bullion counterparts.

This Sovereign - from a low mintage year - is offered in its original case with its numbered certificate of authenticity enclosed.