This is the first time that the design on commemorative gold sovereign coins has ever replaced St George with the monarch, alongside the dragon.
The design is by accomplished artist Jody Clark, who also designed the portrait of King Charles III on the obverse. In this modern interpretation, rather than vanquish the dragon, the King appears to have tamed it.
Commemorating King Charles’ first 500 regnal days
The year-date 2024, in which King Charles III reaches his 500-day regnal milestone, appears on the reverse side in Roman numerals ‘MMXXIV’.
Both the portrait of the king on the obverse side, and St George on the reverse side, are by Jody Clark
The new design is accompanied by the year-date of the first double sovereign in Roman numerals ‘‘MDCCCXXIII’, as a tribute to the original coin of 1823.
The world’s first sovereign coins to be minted from 22 carat gold that includes a trace of Welsh gold
The one-eighth sovereign and sovereign are the first gold coins to depict both the new Prince, and Princess of Wales.
The half sovereign and quarter sovereign are special too as they are in tribute only to Prince William – a reigning British king and his heir on either side of the same coin
This is the first time the birthday of a reigning British king has been celebrated with the minting of commemorative gold sovereign coins.
The coins feature a design in the style of the gold ‘Carolus’ coins of the King’s 17th-century predecessor and namesake, King Charles I, making an intriguing historic connection between British monarchs some four centuries apart.
Triple-finish Proof minting creates a formation of service personnel by using three finishes: sculpted and frosted, silhouetted and mirror, silhouetted and frosted
Design recalls the State funeral and military procession with which our nation laid to rest our longest reigning monarch