Rare coin could fetch £950,000

A RARE Tudor coin dating back 500 years is to be auctioned by the Royal Mint, with bids opening at £950,000.

Historic coin experts at the company sourced the Type Two Henry VII sovereign, above, one of only a few in the world not held by a museum.

The Henry VII fine gold sovereign of 20 shillings is the earliest gold sovereign a collector can own, and there are only two examples in private ownership. Struck more than 500 years ago, the coin was created to assert the authority of the first Tudor King of England through its splendour, weight and size. Bids will open at £950,000 when the sought-after coin is auctioned next month. Rebecca Morgan, divisional director of collector services at the Royal Mint, said: “We are delighted to have acquired such a rare coin, which traces its history to the first Tudor King (inset).

“The survival rate of these gold coins is minuscule, and this particular coin is the earliest example of a gold sovereign that a collector can own. Our experts have checked and validated the coin, and there are just two left in private ownership.”