2017-11-13 Mon

On the 65th anniversary of Her Majesty, the Queen’s coronation, the Royal Mint is issuing the celebratory edition of the Sovereign for 2018. The coin – the coin of the monarch features a special mint mark, depicting a royal crown with ‘65’ entwined in the design.

The regal ‘65’ mintmark was specially created for the occasion by Royal Mint coin designers Natasha Preece and Joseph Melia. The mark can be found alongside Benedetto Pistrucci’s legendary St. George and the dragon on the reverse of this Sovereign, which is struck in 22-carat gold and finished to Proof standard. They had to be very careful in constructing the size, style, and placement as they wanted it to compliment Benedetto Pistrucci’s classic interpretation of St. George and the dragon.

The Sovereign 2018 Proof Collection includes individual editions and exclusive sets, all available in limited numbers.

The United Kingdom’s coinage was in a bad state in the early 18th century due to the effects of the Napoleonic Wars and shortage of silver. The re-coinage and exchange of 1816-17 would transform the nation’s coins, and it meant greater scrutiny and efficiency than ever before. The Royal Mint migrated to a new location in Tower Hill, equipped to meet the new demands with modern steam-powered machinery.

Alongside this activity, the legislation would formalize the Gold Standard, setting out the coins to be produced, and the standard to which they would be struck. One big transformation was to reinstate the 20-shilling piece, but this time the coin of 20 shillings would be known as the pound or Sovereign. Circulated alongside the 21-shilling gold guinea for a time, it was essential that The Sovereign was distinctive enough from the existing gold coin.

The reverse design chosen, was instantly recognizable as St. George and the dragon created by Benedetto Pistrucci, now acknowledged across the world as a masterpiece. While The Sovereign has deviated from the iconic St. George at times, it always returns to this 200-year-old design.

In 1815, Benedetto Pistrucci came to London under the patronage of Prince Regent. No one knew about him, but his reputation attracted interest and he found sponsors for his work. However, everyone recognized his engraver’s talent and he was given the prestigious task of creating the designs for the new gold and silver coins of George III.

Pistrucci’s St. George and the dragon design has become synonymous with The Sovereign. He created an interpretation that defied the medieval image of St George, instead opting for a Greek interpretation, bare and muscular, not weighed down with the usual chain mail and armor.

Since joining The Royal Mint, coin designer Jody Clark has worked on many notable projects.

He created the fifth definitive coinage portrait of Her Majesty The Queen that was introduced in 2015. He also created designs for the medals struck to celebrate the 2014 Ryder Cup and the NATO Summit, and his contemporary interpretation of Britannia featured on the 2014 edition of the Britannia coin.