Description
2023 marked the 200th anniversary of the gold double sovereign, the third coin in the ‘family’ of sovereign coins that was Britain’s, and the world’s, Gold Standard in the 19th and early 20th centuries. First struck in 1823, the double sovereign featured the Classical Depiction of St George and the dragon created by a master of coin design, Benedetto Pistrucci. His design has become known the world over, and is today synonymous with the gold sovereign itself.
For the 200th anniversary of the double sovereign a special series of celebration sovereigns is being minted. To tie in with the original of 1823, the design is that same tale of St George – but in a new 2023 re-imagining of it by a modern day master of design, Jody Clark.
To imbue these new coins with a rarity similar to the 1823 originals, mintages have been kept low, in fact they are very, very low. The quarter sovereign and half sovereign have total worldwide mintages of just 320 coins each! The sovereign is just 350 coins! It is quite possible these 200th anniversary sovereign coins are rarer than the 1823 originals they celebrate!
Here are the most important benefits:
- These coins commemorate the 200th anniversary of the double sovereign, one of the four sovereign coins of the Gold Standard ‘family’ that circulated as British currency. Sovereigns are highly sought after for their purity, reliability and historic longevity.
- Both the portrait of the king on the obverse side, and St George on the reverse side, are by Jody Clark
- The new St George image maintains an historic tradition and is by the modern-day master of coin design, Jody Clark. His expertise has succeeded in creating a powerful portrayal of the time-honoured battle between good and evil. The new design is accompanied by the year-date of the first double sovereign in Roman numerals ‘‘MDCCCXXIII’, as a tribute to the original coin of 1823.
- The production of these coins has been strictly limited: only 999 one-eighth sovereigns have been produced, 350 sovereigns, and just 320 of each quarter sovereign and half sovereign!
These incredibly restricted mintages ensure these 200th anniversary coins are imbued with rarity similar to the 1823 original they celebrate.
The King’s portrait and St George are by Jody Clark!
Benedetto Pistrucci created a depiction of St George slaying the dragon for the first British gold sovereigns of 1817, after which he reworked it into what we know today as the Classical Depiction which first appeared on the coins of 1821, alongside Pistrucci’s portrait of King George IV.
In 2023, Jody Clark, a modern master of coin design, became the first artist since 1825 to produce those designs on either side of sovereign coins, making them of great interest to sovereign buyers.
The designs are skilfully rendered by Mr Clark who was, in 2015 the youngest artist ever to have his portrait of a monarch (Queen Elizabeth II) chosen for use as a definitive coinage portrait on British currency. His work is admired around the world for its refinement and detailed accuracy, especially in the realm of portraiture.
The 200th anniversary of the double sovereign is a significant moment in the history of this illustrious gold coin and Jody Clark’s exceptional new design calls to mind the skillful precision of Pistrucci’s original work.
World class adaptation of one of the world’s most famous coin designs
Benedetto Pistrucci’s design that appeared on the George IV double sovereign of 1823 is a classical portrayal of the chivalrous tale of St George and the dragon that went on to become one of the most famous coin designs in history.
The composition of Jody Clark’s 2023 adaptation mirrors the 1823 original but his clean lines and use of space make the image more distinct. In both, the horse is rearing and St George is taut with strength and intent to deliver the fatal blow. In Pistrucci’s original, the dragon appears submissive; in Clark’s its head is raised high and its powerful tail encircles the horse’s leg, maintaining a threatening stance until the last moment.
Where Pistrucci’s is a whirl of action and dust, Clark’s is the embodiment of poise and control – all the more satisfying because we know how the battle ends. Clark’s design faces left, the opposite direction to that of Pistrucci, and the same way as his portrait of King Charles III on the obverse of the coin.
Authorised by Tristan Da Cunha and approved by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Buckingham Palace, it is a wonderful commemoration.
