The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is a rare and significant historic occasion. So it’s fitting that Her Majesty The Queen has approved a new reverse design for the 2012 Sovereign.
Beautifully struck – a Proof coin with an impeccable mirror-like finish – the Quarter-Sovereign comes in a deluxe presentation case complete with an informative Certificate of Authenticity numbered up to the Limited Edition Presentation of 6,500.
The traditional St George and dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci is replaced only on special occasions. The Queen’s historic Diamond Jubilee is such an event, so the 2012 Sovereign features a brand new design for one year only. The Royal Mint ran a limited competition, inviting five artists to create a fresh interpretation of St George and the dragon.
The winner was British sculptor Paul Day, whose first design for the Royal Mint shows a ferocious dragon being despatched by a knight in Gothic armour. Paul explains, ‘I have always been attracted to detail which requires a closer look to be unpicked and fully understood. I have deliberately left very little empty space. This is to make the reverse as engaging as possible and in complete contrast to the obverse.’
The obverse of the new coin will feature the acclaimed portrait of The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS that has graced UK coins since 1998.
* Maximum Coin Mintage: 10,744