Description
2020 marked a very solemn centenary: on the 11th of November it will be the 100th anniversary of the laying to rest of the Unknown Warrior ‘among the king’s in Westminster Abbey, as a mark of respect to all who fell in The Great War.
The nature and scale of the First World War was unlike anything that had been seen before. Vast numbers of soldiers fell in the service of their country and have no known grave. To honour these men, and to ensure their sacrifice would be forever remembered, an unidentified British soldier from the battlefields in France was buried with due ceremony in Westminster Abbey to represent all those from across the Empire who fell in battle and had no proper burial. The coffin plate of the Unknown Warrior bears the inscription: ‘A British Warrior who fell in the Great War 1914-1918 for King and Country’.
It’s a sad fact that there is almost certainly no-one alive today who remembers that important occasion. The 100th anniversary of the Unknown Warrior offers us an opportunity to pay tribute to the many fallen soldiers whose names are unknown but whose service will never be forgotten.
That’s why, as part of the centenary commemorations, some exceptional gold coins have been minted: a set of low mintage gold sovereigns will be struck on Remembrance Day – the 11th of the eleventh month – to mark 100 years since the Unknown Warrior was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey on that same day in 1920.
New gold sovereigns commemorates the centenary of the Unknown Warrior
These new sovereign coins are struck on 11th November 2020 and feature a design that will be immediately familiar to many of us – that of the unknown soldier, the regular army ‘Tommy’ who fought in the First World War.
The soldier stands in profile with his pack on his back and rifle in hand. His silhouette appears beside him, an indicator of the many who fell on the battlefields in service of their country and never returned home. The background of the coin reveals a circular etched pattern to represent the stained glass windows of Westminster Abbey, where the tomb of the Unknown Warrior lies.
The design on these exceptional commemorative sovereigns has been rendered with meticulous precision to create a poignant memorial to all the unknown warriors who have fallen in the service of their country. Authorised by Alderney, and approved by both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Buckingham Palace, it is a wonderful tribute.
Every coin struck on Remembrance Day in tribute to the Unknown Warrior
The two coin set is a firm favourite among gold sovereign buyers and there’s little wonder why. It includes the half sovereign and full sovereign, each struck in the highest possible Proof quality. Both coins have low mintages – in this set, the sovereign and half sovereign each has a mintage of just 499 coins.
Benefit from the SELL OUT GUARANTEE
The 2020 Unknown Warrior 100th Anniversary Gold Half and Full Sovereign Set will not exceed 499 sets, but this is subject to our new SELL OUT GUARANTEE. What this means is that availability of this coin will end on 30th April 2021. At that time, any coins that are unsold will be melted down and verified to that effect.
At that point, we will issue to owners of this coin a new certificate stating the final mintage which may be lower, or possibly considerably lower.
Either way, there will be little or no surplus of these coins on the secondary market and so the set you own will be a rarity!
Why not have a look at the entire 2020 Unknown Warrior 100th Anniversary Sovereign range available here.
