Description
Queen Elizabeth II was the only British monarch ever to have celebrated a Platinum Jubilee (70th anniversary of reign). Although her first major jubilee (Silver Jubilee 25th anniversary) in 1977 did NOT see a gold sovereign produced, her major jubilees since that time HAVE had special editions of the gold sovereign produced for them. There are four, in 2002 for the Golden Jubilee, in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee, in 2018 for the Sapphire Jubilee and in 2022 for the Platinum Jubilee. This set is comprised of one coin from each jubilee, all of them with either a special one-year design or a privy mark to celebrate ‘All the Royal Jubilees’ of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
Coin 1 – THE 2002 GOLDEN JUBILEE SOVEREIGN (50th Anniversary of reign)
In 2002 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee – a royal event that had not taken place for over a century – a new design was created for the gold coins issued in that year. This design was only ever struck in the year 2002.
In a wonderful link with history, the 2002 Golden Jubilee gold coins used a design that had not been seen on gold since the reign of the previous monarch to celebrate a Golden Jubilee, Queen Victoria. The design was the Shield of the Royal Arms.
The brilliant Uncirculated quality sovereign of this issue is included in this set.
Coin 2 – THE 2012 DIAMOND JUBILEE SOVEREIGN (60th Anniversary of reign)
Only two monarchs in British history have celebrated Diamond Jubilees – Queen Victoria in 1897 and Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. As part of the celebrations for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 a special design was created for the gold sovereign issues of that year. This design was only ever struck in the year 2012.
The design by Paul Day features a strikingly modern interpretation of St George slaying the Dragon. This romantic adaptation shows St George as a medieval knight of Arthurian style, with a dragon of more threatening attitude and size, its wings have a harp-like quality in contrast to the realism of the knight and horse. This is only the third time St George has been redesigned, and only the third commemorative sovereign ever issued which makes it sought-after by gold collectors.
The brilliant Uncirculated quality sovereign of this issue is included in this set.
Coin 3 – THE 2018 SAPPHIRE JUBILEE SOVEREIGN (65th Anniversary of reign)
For the Sapphire Jubilee in 2018 the usual St George and the Dragon design was augmented by a privy mark – a small mark just above and the left of the date. This mark is a crown with the number 65 inside it. This is the FIRST time a privy mark had been used to celebrate a Royal Jubilee, and only the second time a privy mark has featured on a sovereign.
However, only the PROOF coins of this year featured the mark. The Proof sovereign is included in this set.
Coin 4 – THE 2022 PLATINUM JUBILEE SOVEREIGN (70th Anniversary of reign)
For Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, St George has again made way for a new design, one that has never before appeared on the gold sovereign! In his design, the heraldic artist Timothy Noad (who also created the design for the 2002 Golden Jubilee Sovereign!) depicts an interpretation of the Royal Arms – a quintessential emblem of the British monarch that has represented royalty for centuries.
When asked about creating this design, Mr Noad said: There are many rules and conventions in heraldry, such as the shape of the arches and details of the jewels of St Edward’s Crown. I try to make the lion and unicorn supporters convincing by combining natural history with the stylisation of traditional heraldic design. For example, the lion has ribs and muscles based on a real lion, but his teeth and claws are greatly enlarged to look fiercer, and his mane is arranged into decorative tufts of fur.
The design brief suggested using the Royal Coat of Arms, which I have already represented in various ways on coins. This time I wanted to use the ‘full achievement’ (complete version), which means shield, helmet with the crown and lion crest, and the lion and unicorn supporters – so there was a lot of detail to include.
This is the first time that the full British coat of arms has been depicted on a gold sovereign – ever! (ie since the beginning of the modern sovereign in 1817, not just on Her Majesty’s reign!)
The Brilliant Uncirculated sovereign of this issue is included in this set.
