2018-07-24 Tue

The commemorative 2018 Australia Double Sovereign portrays St Edward’s crown and a laurel wreath with the words AUSTRALIA and DOUBLE SOVEREIGN. This double sovereign reflects the historic elements of the original Leonard Charles Wyon Type I reverse.

L.C. Wyon was born in the Royal Mint, London in 1826. His father, William Wyon, was an engraver at the Mint and became Chief Engraver in 1828. While studying at the Merchant Taylor's School in London, Leonard was tutored in die engraving by his father and was appointed Second Engraver at the mint in 1843. After the death of his father, Leonard took over its duties as Resident Engraver and later Modeller and Engraver.

To mark this modern tribute to a person who went on to design the new obverse portraits of Queen Victoria, the Jubilee head of Queen Victoria and prepared the dies for most British military and naval medals, this coin features a modern adaptation of the ‘colonial’ reverse designed specifically for Sydney Mint’s Type I sovereign first issued in 1855.

With a maximum diameter of 28.90 mm, the new release features the inscription PERTH MINT on it. A limited mintage of just 500 has made this first modern Australian tribute to the over-sized sovereign more enticing!

Image Courtesy: Perth Mint