Ask just about anyone in Britain, or indeed around the world, to describe a gold sovereign and chances are they will describe a gold coin with St George vanquishing the dragon. This mythical tale of good triumphing over evil has such a long and illustrious association with the gold sovereign coin that the two are almost synonymous.
Now, in 2022, the year of the Platinum Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II, a dynamic new rendition of St George slaying the dragon has been created, and to elevate this new edition beyond those that have gone before, it is being struck – for the first time ever – in two types of solid 22 carat gold! Introducing The 2022 St George and the Dragon Bi-Metallic Gold Sovereign Range, and in particular, the one-eighth sovereign…
For the first time, solid 22 carat rose gold is combined with solid 22 carat yellow gold to create the world’s first bi-metallic sovereign coins! Never before have sovereigns been struck using two different types of gold – these solid 22 carat gold coins are unique, a fitting world-first sovereign in an extraordinary year for Britain and its monarch.
We’re already familiar with bi-metallic coins in circulation (Britain’s £1 and £2 circulation coins are both bi-metallic) but these new commemorative sovereign coins are the first time this technically demanding form of striking has been attempted with gold coins. With an outer ring of solid 22 carat rose gold containing the coin legend and an inner section containing the main design in solid 22 carat yellow gold, these coins are the first of their kind in the world, creating a series of sovereign coins that stands apart from all others.
What also makes these new coins so significant is that they feature a modern interpretation of the story of St George and the dragon. 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. Since that, a select handful of designers have been invited to create their own interpretations. Now, it is the turn of artist Jody Clark, whose portrait of the Queen is used on Britain’s current coinage, to re-imagine the mythical tale of battle between St George and his foe. Jody Clark’s striking new design takes its place in the esteemed history of the gold sovereign.
The one-eighth sovereign features a brand new rendition of St George slaying the dragon by artist Jody Clark, only used in the year of the Platinum Jubilee for the Queen. You can purchase the one-eighth sovereign HERE, or alternatively, you can contact our sovereign experts on 0333 234 3103.
