Decimalisation – Mixing Old and New

Posted on by Emma Wilde

Decimalisation One-Eighth Sovereign

This year marks the 50th anniversary of decimalisation in Britain, heralding in a new era of coins, and saying goodbye to over a thousand years of iconic designs. In our latest sovereign range, the talented artist Matt Dent has captured the old and the new beautifully. In tribute a tribute to Britain’s decimal fifty pence, these are the world’s first seven-sided sovereigns!

Each sovereign is split down the middle with a pre-decimal design on the left, and the design of a decimal coin complementing it on the right. Here, we take a look at the designs for each coin from the new 2021 50th Anniversary of Decimalisation Gold Sovereign Range.

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The Threepence – Queen Victoria to Decimalisation

Posted on by Emma Wilde

Threepence set

The Threepence or “Thruppence” or “Thrupenny Bit”, as it has often been referred to, is one of the most recognisable coins in British coinage. It has a long history, with many different monarch’s portraits adorning its obverse, and numerous different designs to its reverse. Here we specifically take a look at the coin from the reign of Queen Victoria through to it ceasing to become legal tender due to Decimalisation in 1971.

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The Importance of Royal Maundy

Posted on by Emma Wilde

Royal Maundy is the tradition of the British Monarch ceremonially distributing small silver coins, known as “Maundy Money”, to elderly recipients. It dates back as far 600 AD and its origins lie in the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples after the Last Supper. The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word “mandatum”, meaning the command that Jesus gave to his disciples to “love one another”.

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George and the Dragon Sovereign Design: Through the Years…

Posted on by Emma Wilde
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Over the years, St George has continued to inspire people in many ways, striking a chord particularly with his namesake, King George IV. When George IV wanted to introduce a new coin, he decided on St George as the reverse subject.

The new gold sovereign was then created in 1817, designed by Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci. He took a different approach with his design, steering away from those that traditionally featured on coins. Pistrucci created a sense of movement, giving the saint the confidence and control while slaying the wounded dragon.

This coin design has become a classic, and is known across the world as a masterpiece of coin artistry; synonymous with the gold sovereign. In 1821, the classic design was altered and the Italian engraver produced his definitive St George and the dragon design, alongside a new portrait of King George IV.

And although St George and the dragon has graced gold sovereigns for 200 years, not since Pistrucci has the same designer created the artwork for both the monarch’s portrait and St George – until now! A new gold sovereign range has been minted, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the definitive design.

The 2021 George and the Dragon 200th Anniversary Gold Sovereign range features an exciting interpretation by talented artist Jody Clark, creator of the current coinage portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This also means that for the first time in 200 years, both the monarch’s portrait and the design of St George are the work of the same designer!

You can view the entire George and the Dragon range here.