An "extremely rare" coin is being sold by the Royal Mint for £100,000
The Royal Mint is selling an "extremely rare" 200-year-old gold sovereign coin for £100,000. It will be sold today (12th July).
The George II sovereign coin was one of 3,574 to be struck back in 1819 and there are now believed to be only around 10 left in the world. It was minted during the year Queen Victoria was born and has been verified by historic coin experts.
Collectors who have their eye on the coin have been applying to an online ballot, the deadline for which was on the 28th June 2019. Unlike many other coins, the George II sovereign coin will be sold for a fixed price instead of going through a bidding process. The winner will be drawn from the ballot today.
"Heritage coins can be hugely valuable for several reasons: their quality, metal content and condition, as well as their rarity," Simon Mellinger, Managing Director at Hattons of London explained.
"There are only ten George III 1819 sovereigns known to exist, so collectors are prepared to pay huge prices to own a scarce coin of this quality and historical importance," Simon continues.
"It's commendable that the Royal Mint is selling the sovereign by ballot, giving collectors from across the UK a fair chance to own this highly treasured item."
Before it is sold off, the rare coin has been on display at the Royal Mint Experience Centre in Wales for members of the public to see it up close.
Elsewhere, the Royal Mint is also selling limited-edition Sherlock Holmes 50p coins. These were released to commemorate 160 years since the birth of the detective novel's author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. While not many of us will be in with a chance to get our hands on the rare coin, the Sherlock Holmes designs are available to everyone — and at a much-cheaper price of £10.
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