So, what better way to celebrate a special event in your life than with a gold sovereign featuring Benedetto Pistrucci’s classic portrayal of St George and the dragon? The design, a masterpiece celebrating history, bravery, and fame, is encapsulated on this precious gold coin.
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Icon of the British Empire
The gold sovereign is unquestionably one of Britain’s most famous coins, a coin so full of history that it is considered by many as the flagship coin of the Royal Mint. Its unfaltering fineness and accuracy is amongst the highest standards of any coins throughout the world. With so much emotional attachment it is little wonder that the sovereign is perhaps regarded more than just a coin but has become an icon of Britain itself.
History Captured in Gold
The Royal Mint struck its first sovereign in 1489 during the reign of Henry VII. Because the obverse design depicted the King enthroned in regal splendour, it became known as a ‘sovereign’. It was the first gold coin produced with a value of one pound or 20 shillings. It was also the largest coin yet issued in England and also the most beautiful. The sovereign was intended to elevate the power and dignity of the Tudor dynasty and was duly struck in turn by each Tudor monarch.
The half-sovereign had been introduced in the reign of Henry VIII, and the two coins remained in circulation throughout the sixteenth century, being eventually replaced by other gold coins such as the unite and the guinea. The modern sovereign, smaller and featuring the classic St George and the dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci and the half-sovereign featuring the Royal Arms were re-introduced in 1817 taking the form in which we know them today. Still minted to the exact weight and size of the first modern sovereign of 1817, the 2010 Proof sovereign is today being struck to enrich the cabinets of collectors and connoisseurs of rare, precious metal coins.
Pistrucci’s Classical Masterpiece
Benedetto Pistrucci was one of the finest engravers ever to be associated with the Royal Mint. Born in Rome in 1783, he travelled to England in 1815 and was soon offered the prestigious commission of designing a new coinage portrait of George III. He engraved a series of remarkable portraits and, for the new gold sovereign, created a design of such classic beauty that is has endured to this day.