A guide to the 1953 Coronation British coins

A guide to the 1953 Coronation British coins

Although Elizabeth II became Queen on 6th February 1952, following the sad passing of her father, King George VI, she was not formally invested until her coronation on the 2nd June 1953.

As a result, the Royal Mint had almost 18 months to prepare coinage for the new monarch, a process which involves utilising years of royal tradition. Here, we will be exploring the complete collection of 1953 Queen Elizabeth II coronation coins…

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The Changing Faces of Coin Portraiture

coin portraiture

 

In an age filled with television, social media and all of the technology we could ask for, it’s hard to imagine a time where people couldn’t ‘virtually’ see each other, including their own Monarch or leader.

However, centuries ago most people would have only seen the face of their leader on a coin, with the obverse side depicting the image of a monarch or leader for thousands of years. We’ll be taking a look back at coin portraiture throughout the ages, and how dramatically this has changed.

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The Striking of Bi-Metallic Coins

Our latest release, the 2022 St George and the Dragon Bi-Metallic Gold Sovereign Range, are the world’s first gold sovereign coins to be struck using two types of solid 22 carat gold, also known as bi-metallic. We are already familiar with bi-metallic coins in circulation. However, this is the first time this technically demanding form of striking has been attempted with gold coins.

In our latest blog, we will be exploring the process of striking bi-metallic coins.

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The Most Significant St George & the Dragon Gold Coins

It’s now well over two-hundred years since the first modern sovereign appeared, with St George slaying the dragon as its motif. In 1821, Benedetto Pistrucci’s classical depiction first appeared and it is remarkable that this design still appears on gold sovereigns produced today.

The tale of St George vanquishing his foe has an enduring relationship with gold sovereign coins and one that is anchored in over two centuries of tradition. Here, we will be exploring ten of the most significant St George and the Dragon gold coins as mentioned by coin specialist Peter Hutchison.

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St George and the Dragon Design Heritage Coinage

A depiction of St George vanquishing the dragon is one of, if not the, most renowned reverse designs on sovereign coins. This mythical tale of good triumphing over evil has such a long and illustrious association with the gold sovereign that the two are almost synonymous.

Engraved by Benedetto Pistrucci, the George and the Dragon design first appeared on British sovereigns in 1817. For more than 200 years, this design has been used on the coins of every British monarch, except for William IV. Here, we will be exploring the coinage available at Hattons of London that feature this remarkable design…

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