Queen Elizabeth II’s 95th Birthday Sovereign Range
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 95th birthday this year on April 21st, making her Britain’s oldest reigning monarch. This, together with what has been an incredible 69-year reign so far, makes her quite a remarkable presence and one that Britain will rejoice and celebrate in April this year.
In 1947, Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the couple has four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. In 1953, Elizabeth was crowned and officially recognized as sovereign. Since then, the Queen has served in her role as the Queen of England, and in 2018, she became the first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee—a celebration to mark 65 years of her reign.
You’ve bought your first sovereign…what’s next?
Having researched the best place to put the money that you have diligently saved, you decide, quite wisely, that gold may be a viable option, and a Hattons of London advert for their latest sovereign appears on the television and it sparks your interest.
Decimalisation: Four Things You Want To Know
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the decimalisation of British currency. On the 15th February 1971, also known as Decimal Day, the country switched to the decimal currency that we are used to today (multiples of 10 and 100). But why did this change occur?
Before this date, Britain used a monetary system that dated all the way back to the Roman Empire. The problem with this system however, is that the old Pounds, Shillings and Pence were based on multiples of 12 and 240. This, as you can imagine, made it very complicated and often confusing to the everyday person; 12 pennies in a shilling and 240 pennies in a pound! Now we’re looking at four things you want to know about Decimalisation…
George and the Dragon Sovereign Design: Through the Years…
Over the years, St George has continued to inspire people in many ways, striking a chord particularly with his namesake, King George IV. When George IV wanted to introduce a new coin, he decided on St George as the reverse subject.
The new gold sovereign was then created in 1817, designed by Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci. He took a different approach with his design, steering away from those that traditionally featured on coins. Pistrucci created a sense of movement, giving the saint the confidence and control while slaying the wounded dragon.
This coin design has become a classic, and is known across the world as a masterpiece of coin artistry; synonymous with the gold sovereign. In 1821, the classic design was altered and the Italian engraver produced his definitive St George and the dragon design, alongside a new portrait of King George IV.
And although St George and the dragon has graced gold sovereigns for 200 years, not since Pistrucci has the same designer created the artwork for both the monarch’s portrait and St George – until now! A new gold sovereign range has been minted, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the definitive design.
The 2021 George and the Dragon 200th Anniversary Gold Sovereign range features an exciting interpretation by talented artist Jody Clark, creator of the current coinage portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This also means that for the first time in 200 years, both the monarch’s portrait and the design of St George are the work of the same designer!
You can view the entire George and the Dragon range here.
A Big Christmas Thank You!
