The 2016 James Butler Sovereign is a commemorative Proof issue for Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday. It must be distinguished from the ordinary 2016 bullion or circulating-quality Sovereign, which uses Jody Clark’s fifth portrait.
James Butler Proof specifications
The Royal Mint lists the special Proof Sovereign as 22-carat gold, weighing 7.98 grams and measuring 22.05 millimetres. The obverse uses James Butler’s one-year special portrait and the reverse uses Pistrucci’s St George and the dragon. The approximate fine-gold content is 7.32 grams.
Royal Mint information gives a maximum coin mintage of 9,675. Specialist sources split individual and presentation-set figures differently, including reports of 7,495 or 7,500, so state the source and method instead of collapsing them into one total.
How much is it worth?
Proof condition, authenticity, packaging, certificate, set contents and demand affect value. Dealer pages are asking prices, not completed-sale evidence. Compare recent completed sales of the same Proof product and condition.
The nominal £1 denomination is not the collector resale value. Legal-tender status does not remove the need to identify the exact product.