{"product_id":"2016-gold-proof-double-sovereign-ngc-pf70-ultra-cameo-james-butler-portrait","title":"2016 Gold Proof Double Sovereign NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo — James Butler Portrait","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.7; color: #2a2a2a; max-width: 820px; margin: 0 auto;\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- HERO --\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 17px; font-weight: 600; color: #b8935a; margin-bottom: 6px; letter-spacing: 0.02em;\"\u003eA Once-Only Portrait: The 2016 Gold Proof Double Sovereign in NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-top: 0;\"\u003eThe 2016 Gold Proof Double Sovereign is one of the most distinctive and collectible modern sovereign issues in the entire series — not for any design anniversary or technical innovation, but for something far rarer: a portrait that exists on no other sovereign before or since. To mark Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday, The Royal Mint commissioned sculptor James Butler RA MBE to create a special commemorative obverse exclusively for the 2016 proof sovereign family. It was used in 2016 only. The following year, Jody Clark's portrait returned. No other sovereign in the modern era has carried the Butler effigy, making every 2016 proof sovereign — at any denomination — a unique numismatic type.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Double Sovereign example has been certified \u003cstrong\u003eNGC PF70 Ultra Cameo\u003c\/strong\u003e — the highest grade numerically achievable. With a maximum mintage of just \u003cstrong\u003e921\u003c\/strong\u003e, and only a fraction having reached the summit PF70 grade, this coin sits at the intersection of historical significance and extreme condition rarity. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ngccoin.uk\/certlookup\/8220470-008\/70\/\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color: #b8935a;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eVerify this coin's grade on NGCcoin.uk →\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- SPECS TABLE --\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"border-bottom: 2px solid #b8935a; padding-bottom: 6px; color: #111; margin-top: 36px; font-size: 15px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.06em;\"\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 16px 0 28px; background-color: #fff; font-size: 15px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; width: 42%; color: #555;\"\u003eYear of Issue\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003e2016\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; background-color: #fafafa;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #555;\"\u003eIssuing Mint\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003eThe Royal Mint, United Kingdom\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #555;\"\u003eDenomination\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003e£2 (Two Pounds — Double Sovereign — UK Legal Tender)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; background-color: #fafafa;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #555;\"\u003eMetal \u0026amp; Purity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003e22-Carat Gold (.9167 Fine — 91.67% Pure)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #555;\"\u003eTotal Weight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003e15.98 Grams (0.5140 Troy Oz Gold)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; background-color: #fafafa;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #555;\"\u003eDiameter\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003e28.40 mm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #555;\"\u003eMaximum Mintage\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003e921\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; background-color: #fff8e6;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: bold; color: #7a5000;\"\u003eObverse Designer\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: bold; color: #7a5000;\"\u003eJames Butler RA MBE — Exclusive 90th Birthday Portrait (2016 Only)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #555;\"\u003eObverse Inscription\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003eELIZABETH II · DEI · GRA · REGINA · FID · DEF (initials JB below truncation)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; background-color: #fafafa;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #555;\"\u003eReverse Designer\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003eBenedetto Pistrucci — St George and the Dragon\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; background-color: #eef4ff;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: bold; color: #003d99;\"\u003eNGC Grade\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: bold; color: #003d99;\"\u003ePF70 Ultra Cameo — Numerically Perfect\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: 600; color: #555;\"\u003eNGC Cert. Number\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ngccoin.uk\/certlookup\/8220470-008\/70\/\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color: #b8935a; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e8220470-008 — Verify Online ↗\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c!-- THE BUTLER PORTRAIT --\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"border-bottom: 2px solid #b8935a; padding-bottom: 6px; color: #111; margin-top: 36px; font-size: 15px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.06em;\"\u003eThe James Butler Portrait — Why It Matters\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJames Butler RA MBE is one of Britain's most celebrated sculptors, known for major civic works and a small number of numismatic commissions of the highest order. His portrait of Queen Elizabeth II for the 2016 proof sovereign was created specifically to honour her 90th birthday — a conscious artistic departure from the standard circulating effigy. Where Jody Clark's fifth portrait, used on all other 2016 coinage, is a formal definitive design intended for mass production, Butler's interpretation is more personal in character. The Queen wears the George IV State Diadem — as on other sovereign portraits — but the treatment is more painterly, the likeness described by Butler himself as intended to convey affection rather than ceremony: \u003cem\u003e\"I wanted to show a likeness of her, an affectionate image, as this was a celebration rather than a circulating coinage portrait.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe portrait appeared on proof strikes only — the standard bullion sovereign of 2016 retained the Jody Clark effigy. It was never used on any other year's coinage. Butler's initials \u003cstrong\u003eJB\u003c\/strong\u003e appear on the truncation, the only time these initials have ever appeared on a British sovereign.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- WHY THIS COIN --\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"border-bottom: 2px solid #b8935a; padding-bottom: 6px; color: #111; margin-top: 36px; font-size: 15px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.06em;\"\u003eWhy This Coin\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-top: 14px;\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 14px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Only Sovereign to Carry the Butler Portrait:\u003c\/strong\u003e Every proof sovereign collector building a type set by obverse designer must own a 2016 example — there is no alternative date. The Butler effigy exists on sovereign coinage for one year only: 2016. This makes it an essential acquisition for any serious modern proof sovereign collection, regardless of denomination preference.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 14px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMintage of Just 921:\u003c\/strong\u003e Of the five denominations in the 2016 proof sovereign family, the Double Sovereign is the third-rarest by mintage, with only 921 produced. With PF70 examples representing a thin fraction of that figure, and examples in this condition already absorbed into long-term collections, acquiring a PF70 Double Sovereign from the 2016 Butler year is becoming increasingly difficult.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 14px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlawless PF70 Ultra Cameo Certification:\u003c\/strong\u003e The NGC PF70 grade confirms every surface of this coin is absolutely perfect under expert examination at 5x magnification — no contact marks, no striking weakness, no handling imperfections of any kind. The Ultra Cameo designation further confirms the maximum possible contrast between the deeply frosted raised design and the mirror-polished fields. This is what a proof sovereign looks like at its absolute best.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 14px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA Key Type Coin for the Modern Sovereign Series:\u003c\/strong\u003e Collectors who build runs by portrait or by year cannot complete the modern Elizabeth II proof sovereign section without a 2016 Butler-portrait piece. The Double Sovereign at this size (28.4mm) shows the portrait to particularly strong effect and is the natural choice for collectors who want impact without the commitment of the Five Sovereign.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 14px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCGT \u0026amp; VAT Exempt — Fully Tax-Free for UK Investors:\u003c\/strong\u003e As official UK legal tender (£2 face value), this coin is completely exempt from \u003cstrong\u003eCapital Gains Tax (CGT)\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eVAT\u003c\/strong\u003e under current UK law. Any appreciation in value is entirely tax-free for UK holders.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- TAX BOX --\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background-color: #f5f9f0; border-left: 4px solid #5a8a3a; padding: 16px 20px; margin: 28px 0; border-radius: 0 4px 4px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: 14px; color: #2a4a1a; font-weight: 600;\"\u003e💷 UK Tax Status\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 6px 0 0; font-size: 14px; color: #3a5a2a; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003eThis coin is \u003cstrong\u003eCGT exempt\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eVAT free\u003c\/strong\u003e for UK residents. As British legal tender, any gain on sale is not subject to Capital Gains Tax — making it one of the most tax-efficient ways to hold certified collectible gold in the UK.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- QUOTE --\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background-color: #f9f6f1; border-left: 5px solid #b8935a; padding: 20px 24px; margin: 32px 0; font-style: italic; border-radius: 0 4px 4px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; text-align: center; color: #555; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003e\"I wanted to show a likeness of her, an affectionate image, as this was a celebration rather than a circulating coinage portrait.\" — James Butler RA MBE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- LINKS --\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 14px; color: #666; margin-top: 28px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrowse related:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sovaracoins.com\/collections\/buy-graded-sovereigns\" style=\"color: #b8935a; margin-left: 6px;\"\u003eAll Graded Gold Sovereigns\u003c\/a\u003e  ·  \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sovaracoins.com\/products\/2016-gold-proof-sovereign-pf70-ultra-cameo-james-butler-obverse-special-edition\" style=\"color: #b8935a;\"\u003e2016 Full Sovereign PF70 — James Butler\u003c\/a\u003e  ·  \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sovaracoins.com\/products\/2016-gold-proof-quarter-sovereign-ngc-pf70-ultra-cameo-james-butler-special\" style=\"color: #b8935a;\"\u003e2016 Quarter Sovereign PF70 — James Butler\u003c\/a\u003e  ·  \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sovaracoins.com\/pages\/ngc-pcgs-graded-gold-coin-guide\" style=\"color: #b8935a;\"\u003eNGC \u0026amp; PCGS Grading Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ngccoin.uk\/certlookup\/8220470-008\/70\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e2016 G.BRITAIN 2SOV\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Royal Mint","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59951306047822,"sku":"2016-gold-proof-double-sovereign-ngc-pf70-ultra-cameo-james-butler","price":2690.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0853\/9370\/3246\/files\/2016-gold-proof-double-sovereign-ngc-pf70-ultra-cameo-james-butler.webp?v=1782211969","url":"https:\/\/www.sovaracoins.com\/products\/2016-gold-proof-double-sovereign-ngc-pf70-ultra-cameo-james-butler-portrait","provider":"Sovara Coins LTD","version":"1.0","type":"link"}