This is an incredibly significant year in British history: not only have we celebrated the coronation of a new monarch, the first in over seventy years, but we also celebrate the milestone 10th birthday of HRH Prince George, second in line to the throne and grandson of King Charles III! Prince George of Wales is the future of our monarchy and we are starting to see more of him, and get to know his cheeky personality, at major royal events.
A new series of sovereign coins has been produced to celebrate Prince George’s 10th birthday. These are the first ten-sided sovereign coins ever, in tribute to the young prince’s 10th birthday. This is more technically demanding than the usual circular shape, taking skill and precision to achieve, and this unique feature is a world-first on gold sovereign coins. Introducing the 2023 Prince George 10th Birthday Gold Sovereign Range, and in particular, the one-eighth sovereign…
Coins are rarely struck in any shape other than circular, but with the death last year of Queen Elizabeth II, HRH Prince George is now second in line to the throne. This is why these world-first coins have been authorised to mark his 10th birthday this year. These new coins are ten-sided (decagonal), creating a series of sovereigns that stand apart from all others, a unique tribute to this popular young member of the Royal Family. These are also the first sovereign coins issued to celebrate a milestone in Prince George’s life.
What makes these of further interest is that they depict the prince’s namesake St George, in his quest to vanquish the dragon. The design, by esteemed British coin designer Jody Clark, has been created especially for this coin issue, meaning these are the first coins of their kind ever to feature this new rendition of St George and the dragon! The tale of St George has a long association with the monarch, and also with the gold sovereign coin series, ensuring these new coins join a long and proud heritage. The design of St George is accompanied by the legend GEORGIUS VICTOR ERIT (“George will be the victor”) and this is both a description of the scene and also a wish for Prince George’s future.
The first time St George appeared on British sovereign coins was in the year 1817 and that early design was by the talented Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci. Now, it is the turn of artist Jody Clark, a master of portraiture and coin design. He created the fifth, and final, coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which appeared on all British circulation coins from mid-2015 until 2022. He has also created the portrait of King Charles III that appears on the obverse side of these sovereign coins, leading to the unusual circumstance of both sides of the same coins being the work of the same designer. Finally, it was he who was selected to create a design in 2018 to mark Prince George’s 5th birthday: although on that occasion sovereigns were not among the coins produced.
Featuring a depiction of St George slaying the dragon, by Jody Clark, this is the first ten-sided one-eighth sovereign coin ever produced to celebrate Prince George’s 10th birthday! Secure yours HERE.
